Governor Jon Corzine

New Jersey's governor-elect said Monday he'll be taking office of a state with an even worse financial crisis than previously believed, and he wants the current governor to tighten the state's purse strings in the meantime. The budget and finance task force leaders on Chris Christie's transition team met for three hours Monday with the top budget officials in the current administration of Gov. Jon Corzine to learn details of the state's budget situation. The state Office of Legislative Services has estimated that if department budgets continue to grow at their current rate, there could be a shortfall of about $8 billion in the ... Read Full Story

Matt Rooney | November 20, 2009 "Bold and unpopular actions are the only way -- the only way -- to deal with these issues." - Outgoing Governor  Jon Corzine , at the League of Municipalities conference ( The Star-Ledger ) Where was this "cut waste," "let's make the hard decisions" attitude for the past four years, Mr. Corzine???  New Jersey's taxpayers might've re-elected you, had they not witnessed habitual political genuflection before labor unions, party bosses and special interests during your disastrous tenure. And don't tell me to "move on," Save Jerseyans. I have, and so did this state's voters by a roughly 5-point margin. ... Read Full Story

Matt Rooney | November 17, 2009 Governor-Elect Chris Christie had his first insider look at the state budget on Monday. It's even worse than the current administration previously indicated (surprise surprise), so Chris is moving quickly to arrest the deterioration of our state's financial condition before the January inauguration. That may be an unwinnable battle, Save Jerseyans. Four years of Corzine has certainly turned your Blogger-in-Chief into a real cynic! Nevertheless, our next governor's staff hand-delivered the following letter to Governor Jon Corzine yesterday afternoon. Take a look: November 16, 2009 Honorable Jon Corzine Governor State of New Jersey State House Post Office Box ... Read Full Story

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Reuters) - An independent candidate stressing New Jersey's economic woes is attracting surprising voter support in the governor's race, which features an unpopular Democratic incumbent and a Republican challenger with ties to former President George W. Bush. The independent, Chris Daggett, is a former federal environmental official who is not expected to win Tuesday's election for governor in New Jersey, which backed President Barack Obama in 2008, but he could affect who does. Daggett said at a campaign appearance this week he has found unhappy voters across New Jersey, the nation's most densely populated state. "It's a lousy economy. It's ... Read Full Story

New Jersey's next governor vowed Friday to veto any tax increase the Legislature sends to his desk in the coming year. Chris Christie said New Jerseyans already face severe economic conditions; he pledged during the campaign not to make their financial problems worse. The Republican faces a projected budget deficit of $8 billion when he takes office. Friday's announcement came after the government released unemployment figures that showed the national jobless rate topping 10 percent. Christie campaigned against tax increases. He renewed his campaign promise after speaking in Toms River to group of Ocean County mayors who complained about state regulations. Christie carried the ... Read Full Story