New Jersey's great Governor

Governor John Corzine

Governor Corzine,

In listening to your messages to those of us not on the state payroll I am not sure you know why the state is near bankruptcy. Not once have I heard anything in your statements that would require the state to reduce it spending and payroll. In recent years the public employee has become better compensated in both pay and benefits than his private counterpart. This was not TOO bad when the state of the economy was good but in recent years the private sector has seen huge reductions in salary, benefits and especially retirement packages. It is said that within ten years the total budget of New Jersey will be required to pay the benefits of state employees. Not once have I heard you even suggest that the public sector be reduced to the level that the public would be able maintain.

At one time it was rumored that you had been employed by one of the investment institutions and were supposed to have some experience with financial affairs. However, with the financial meltdown and the condition of New Jersey’s finances I guess that rumor was incorrect because even I who did not have investment institution experience can see that the current state financial policy is unsustainable. When are you going to do some thing to put the long term state financial policy on a sustainable sound footing?

It is time for the public employee to give up some of the unsustainable benefits and salary, if necessary, to put the state on a financially sustainable footing and it is time for you to require that!

Have you noticed that the only successful schools in New Jersey’s inner cities are the parochial schools, mostly Catholic? But the only answer to the public school disaster is more money to the already failing schools. What would be the cost to New Jersey if all the Catholic school in the state were to close? Have you priced that into your budget? I suggest to you the following article from the January 27, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal.