Gov. Jon Corzine, right, and Democratic Party State Chairman Joe Cryan

Flashpoint: Kyrillos versus Cryan

By Max Pizarro | March 10th, 2009 - 4:48pm

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TRENTON – The specter of a reviled former president revisited the Statehouse today in the budget speech delivered by Gov. Jon Corzine, who oratorically pushed the Bush button at least once when he said Democrats saved SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) health care benefits for 10,000 New Jersey children.

The remark received applause among the chamber’s Democratic members.

But the budget address this afternoon before a joint session of the legislature unleashed a Republican army of critics, one of the most vocal of whom was state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), rumored to be a short list candidate for lieutenant governor with GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Chris Christie.

“I think it’s delusional,” Kyrillos said of Corzine’s speech, who re-emphasized Christie’s essential argument that the state budget crisis and the national economic crisis, which Democrats say was intensified by former President George W. Bush’s bumbling two-term tenure, are two issues.

Democrats’ efforts to scapegoat Bush cannot cloak their own ham-handed efforts in the majority to rein in state spending over the past nine years at the state level, Kyrillos said.

“We’re living in double trouble now because we made the wrong choices before,” said Kyrillos. “The governor’s speech borders on sophistry. It doesn’t change the basic facts of jobs not growing and expanding. People are not recognizing New Jersey as a state they want to grow up and live in anymore. We’ve loaded ourselves up with housing quotas and social policies when we should have been focused on job creation.”

Democratic State Party Chairman Joe Cryan knows the Democrats must go beyond Bush speak to turn back an aggressive GOP challenge this year, but he says it’s important to understand that Republican policies over the course of the last eight years played havoc on a national scale.

“If the Republicans in Trenton think their ineptitude in the White House is an excuse for them to get in the Statehouse, they’re sadly mistaken,” said Cryan.

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Ummm, Joe?

Submitted by FormerlyAnonymous on March 10, 2009 - 5:41pm.

Last year's budget was lower than the one Corzine inherited.

This year's budget is lower than last year's budget.

There are fewer state employees than when Corzine took office.

There are fewer state departments than when Corzine took office.

And yet Republicans are so stuck in rhetoric over reality that they claim Democrats are making government larger.

Ha!

Ummm Joe...

Submitted by MiddleClassSqueeze on March 10, 2009 - 6:35pm.

In the past decade over 90% of all new jobs created in this state have been government jobs.

This years budget cuts aid to municipalities and tax rebate programs while adding new programs.

Democrats have doubled the state debt since the last Republican governor.

It took an upside down favorable rating and an election year before a Democratic Governor presented a smaller budget than the previous year.

And Democrats still refuse to take any responsibility for the condition of New Jersey during the last decade, and wonder why there is a growing backlash against those who have run this state.

As Nelson from the Simpson's would say...Ha! Ha!

Ummm, Joe

Submitted by OntheRoad on March 10, 2009 - 6:49pm.

That's your answer? Still blaming NJ's budget woes on Bush? That's so yesterday. I don't remember Bush creating the gimmicks that have been used in this state for decades. Better to blame Codey, Roberts and Lesniak for the sins of the past 30 years . They have their fingerprints all over the pitfalls of the state.
Thalk about rhetoric! Please Joe get real!

FormerlyAnonymous

Submitted by MadMax on March 11, 2009 - 1:20am.

You know! Your CRAP is so Stupid you make me want to Vomit - On You Of Course........

Formerly Anonymous = Currently Moronic

Submitted by ImWithStupid on March 11, 2009 - 11:12am.

So you think there is less spedning today than when Corzine came in? Why? becaseu he said so? The state spends close to $50 billion - not the artificial $29.8 billion Corzine barks about in his Enron budget documents. Here is reality. Tell me if I am wrong. (1) The state budget spends about $30 billion from major taxes and other taxes. (2) The State then spends an additional approximately $10 billion in revenue the federal government gives us. (3) The state then spends another $4 billion in various revenue that are not displayed in the $30 billion figure. I know it's tough, but if you add these three numbers... you get something more than the fantasy number of $29.8 billion. And here are some of Corzine's "spending cuts." (1) He "cut" state spending on education by $1 billion and then shifted the spending onto new, unbooked, temporary revenues from the feds. (2) He "cut" State Medicaid spedning by about a $1 billion and, again, shifted the spending onto unbooked, temporary revenues from the feds. (3) He "cut" the State's contribution to the pension system by $900 million... leaving someone else to pay the bill later (sort of like Whitman). The only rhetoric appearing here is yours which you pinched from Corzine's lies. That's OK... lots of people get fooled by Wall Street scumbags who cook the books. You did too. Don't feel bad big guy. You'll do better next time.

Republican Big Gov't gimmick

Submitted by jfraz357 on March 11, 2009 - 11:15am.

Big Government! Big Government! that is all we here on all national airways and internet blogs by republican enthusist. Have they apparently forgotten that Bush truly ran a BIGGER Govenment, Don't ASK DON'T TELL, OR, BETTER YET "YOU ASK WE GET EVEN BIGGER! Democratic leaders are tryng to fix what the republican created over the past eight years. We need to applaude Gov. Corzine for making what is not obvious to New Jersey citizens. Bringing to light in language what we can discuss at the dinner table the hard choices we share with everyone in our neighborhood. It is time to Live within our means and get out of the Republican Big Govenment Ideals.

When do Democrats take responsibility

Submitted by MiddleClassSqueeze on March 11, 2009 - 10:27pm.

By the posting of jfraz357, I'm guessing the answer is right around never. Democrats have had control of the governors mansion and the legislature the last 8 years in this state. If there is a mess to be cleaned up in this state, and most of us can agree there is, blaming it on people who were there 8 years ago is kinda lame. It begs the question, what the he// have those in control been doing the last 8 years?