Polistina Calls on Corzine to Respond to His Request for Patronage Job Listing

In response to Governor Jon Corzine’s failure to provide him with a detailed list of the status of state government patronage positions, Assemblyman Vince Polistina today again called on Corzine to hand over the listing.

“Patronage jobs place an enormous drain on our state budget each year,” explained Polistina, R-Atlantic. “The state is using hard-earned taxpayer money to pay the salaries and pensions of thousands of political appointees which I find unconscionable, especially at this time when the state is facing such dire fiscal difficulties.”

In a letter to Governor Corzine, dated April 28, 2008, Polistina noted that in his February budget address, the governor said he would eliminate half of the patronage jobs in state government with a promise not to backfill any of the positions. As a result, Polistina said he requested a list of the patronage jobs Corzine was proposing for elimination along with the remaining positions he intends to keep.

To date, Polistina has not received a reply.

“Governor Corzine and his staff have had ample time to provide me with the listing,” stated Polistina. “Not only is it a simple request, but it is important information as the Legislature is currently engaged in developing a budget. The governor challenged us to provide him with alternatives to his budget proposal, but how can we do that if he doesn’t provide us with the information we need in a timely manner?”

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