CAMPAIGN BLOG

BlueJersey.com: Your Comments
April 7, 2009


I posted my first diary here at Blue Jersey the day before I delivered my budget address, and since that time I have been busy meeting with working class families across the state to discuss how we can, together, best guide New Jersey through this national economic recession.

I'm excited to have that conversation here as well, and for the opportunity to restart my relationship with this community. I'm also thankful for the kind words and encouragement I received in response to my first post. My team and I have many things that we'd like to do with Blue Jersey in the coming months, and your energy and passion make me excited about becoming a regular contributor and participant on this site.

I've put together a team that believes in the netroots, and they've made me a believer as well. We've set up Netroots@JonCorzine09.com specifically for members of this community, so if you have additional comments, want to get involved, or just to share your ideas with my interactive team, please shoot us an email. Consider it your backstage pass.

All of that said, I wanted to take the opportunity today to make good on the title of my last diary, and to begin a real conversation by responding to several of the topics raised in my last post.

(Please note, I know that a number of you wrote to me to share your thoughts on various topics related to taxes. I am planning a diary specifically addressing those comments and to share additional thoughts soon).

On Making the Right Choices:
"I continue to be impressed by your skill in handling New Jersey's fiscal crisis. You have demonstrated your ability to make tough, even unpopular, decisions that result in good policy. As the campaign accelerates, my concern is that many New Jerseyans are missing that fundamental fact. I understand that recessions are never favorable times for incumbents, but your skill at handling the budget should make you an exception. You inherited a fiscal mess and you're cleaning it up. I wish you would do a better job communicating that to the people of our great state." -- vincent.solomeno

Here's the thing about being an elected official: at any given time, chances are pretty good that some number of people are going to be upset with the decisions that you make and I agree these are not necessarily good times to run as an incumbent.

However, my focus has been, and continues to be, on our State's economy. In the middle of this national economic recession it is important for us to focus on doing whatever we can to ensure New Jersey's families are able to heat their homes, feed their children and find jobs.

I'm also hopeful that people will understand that since I was first elected Governor, I have been focused on doing what is right for the state of New Jersey, even if they haven't grabbed headlines.

Remember, unlike other states in the middle of this national economic recession, New Jersey is avoiding tax increases on everyone except millionaires. Also, we were the first state to introduce an economic stimulus package, which will allow us to be in position to take advantage when the national economic climate turns around. We are creating and protecting tens of thousands of jobs, while keeping people employed. We are also keeping our state competitive with good schools and better health care.

I'm proud the things that my colleagues and I have accomplished and the differences that we have made in the lives of regular New Jerseyans, and I hope that I can count on Blue Jersey writers to help me spread the word over the coming months.

On Education:
"I thank you for sparing New Jersey's higher education institutions from mid-year budget reductions, and I urge you to refrain as much as possible from more cuts that limit our institution's ability to adequately educate our future workforce." -- mconvente, a student member of HESAA-SAC

Michael, our education system is of utmost importance to me and the people of New Jersey. I look at delivering an equal education opportunity for all our young people as not only the right thing to do, but also as a way to answer the concerns of working class families across the state.

To reflect that priority, my 2009 budget increases spending in classrooms for public schools by $374 million, and it also increases college tuition aid grants by $37 million. As you know, HESAA helps New Jersey?s neediest students and we share a commitment to making sure all New Jersey students have the opportunity to go to college. By investing in education, we are investing in our future and laying the groundwork for an economic recovery.

On Furloughs:
"Your employees will be part of the solution not part of the problem. As a state worker I will gladly accept a wage freeze and a furlough if this is what is needed to save jobs." -- firstamend07

First off, firstamend07, thank you for your service to the state. Your comments are actually not all that different from what I've heard from many other state employees. I think people have realized that as drastic as this step might be, it's far better than adding even more people to the unemployment line in the middle of a national recession.

People want jobs. People want healthcare. To that end, we did our best to avoid layoffs of state workers and instead have asked for a wage freeze and a furlough. It?s a sacrifice by everyone in order to keep our state workers delivering needed services. I?m not happy to have to make these tough decisions, but I feel that we have done the right thing by keeping people working.

Before I Go:
Let me just say that developing a budget this year was a very challenging task, and I want to commend my team for drafting a budget that does what's right for New Jersey while retaining our core values of nurturing children, honoring seniors and protecting those who have been hit hardest by this national recession. If we keep those values in mind, the result of our work will be something about which we can all be proud.

But make no mistake, we've got big challenges ahead, as well as a big opportunity to push our progressive agenda forward, and so it's more critical than ever that we keep our eye on the big picture and work together.

I will continue to participate here as often as possible, and please don't hesitate to leave comments or to send me and the Interactive Team an email.

Thanks Blue Jersey. Talk to you soon.

Jon Corzine