NEWS

El Diario/La Prensa: A Vote for Corzine
October 19, 2009

New Jersey is facing an $8 billion budget gap that requires effective and focused fiscal leadership that will not sacrifice the state’s most vulnerable communities.  For this reason, we urge voters to support Governor Jon Corzine for re-election.

Corzine has been responsive to Latinos and other marginalized communities in New Jersey.  The governor has moved to give Latino and women-owned businesses an equal opportunity towards accessing state contracts and has mandated the recruitment of a diverse workforce for new school construction.  He adjusted a funding formula for education that allocates additional resources for school districts with higher concentrations of poverty.

His administration has worked to enroll more Latino children in NJ FamilyCare, a state health insurance program.  Unlike his Republican challenger Christopher Christie, Corzine supports critical mandates in health care.  And last year, the governor signed legislation providing some workers with a degree of paid leave, a measure that makes New Jersey a progressive leader in this worker and family-supportive policy.

Amid hostility toward immigrants in parts of New Jersey, Corzine commissioned a blue ribbon panel on immigrant issues.  He has backed nearly all of the panel’s recommendations, including allowing undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition rates.

Under Corzine’s leadership, New Jersey was one of the first states to roll out a stimulus plan following the financial crisis.  Corzine’s plan for closing a looming, huge budget gap would include the state making a smaller contribution to the state pension system and continue a hiring freeze.  And he may continue an income tax surcharge on the wealthy.

Republican challenger Christopher Christies has been sharply critical of Corzine’s governance and plans to close a budget hole, as he is constitutionally mandated to do, but Christie has failed to present a detailed plan of his own for voters to examine.  His slash-and-burn approach-which includes taking an axe to state services and doing away with the New Jersey public advocate’s office while avoiding all tough revenue choices-did not work for George W. Bush nationally and offers little hope of working for New Jersey.

On Nov. 3, we urge New Jersey voters to back the candidate who understands the needs of diverse communities in New Jersey-Jon Corzine.