The real issues in New Jersey

Overshadowed by the media coverage of Governor Corzine’s State of the State Address on January 13, a group concerned with the direction of NJ presented another side of the state of the state.  An overview of the major issues facing New Jersey took place at 11AM, across from where Corzine spoke.  Against a backdrop of the condensed 44-foot wall that comprises our NJ bureaucracy, important topics were covered.

Present to speak were two Republican candidates.  Steve Lonegan discussed how much citizens in NJ are being taxed, regulated, and manipulated.  His two part comment on the state of the state can be viewed from this link to his campaign site.  This is especially true of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, where the regulations and enforcement authority places the DEP in the position of being “judge, jury, and executioners” by virtue of the powers they have been given.

Assemblyman Rick Merkt was present with his insights. “One in six in New Jersey are working for government at some level.”  “We need to peel our state government like an onion”.  He also said the next governor of NJ will redefine the Supreme Court.

Former State Senator Dick LaRossa, now Chairman of Solutions for New Jersey discussed Charity Care and the inability of a number of hospitals to economically survive.  As a result of the major strain on the finances of hospitals, many have closed.  LaRossa also discussed school funding.  He states, “Over the last 10 years, we have seen over $20 Billion poured into all the special needs districts.  Yet, students in special needs districts continue to fail at alarming rates.”  The current school funding formula is rewarding schools for failing, instead of rewarding for success.

The New Jersey Supreme Court was discussed at great length.  Our  State Constitution  calls for a balance of powers between the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches.  The NJ Supreme Court interferes with this balance when they overstep their boundary.  It was this court that dictated that, “the state must equalize funding in the poorest districts to match spending that occurs in the highest spending school districts”.  Thirty districts now receive a disproportionate amount of school aid from the State of NJ.

Another decision of the NJ Supreme Court resulted in the formation of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).  It all started in 1975 when the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) challenged the zoning ordinance of Mount Laurel Township. This decision has ultimately resulted in costing taxpayers billions of dollars, with no end in sight.

Kellyanne Conway from the polling companyTM, inc/WomanTrend discussed judicial operational philosophies.

“Judicial activism is a term used to describe when a judge feels that his or her role is not simply to review the law as written, but is instead to allow for new or evolving meaning of the law over time.”

“Judicial restraint is a term used to describe when a judge views his or her role solely as an evaluator of whether a low or lower court ruling is in line with the state constitution.”

In a pole the company conducted, 46% favored judicial restraint compared to 37% favoring judicial activism.  Of the remainder of those polled: 7% choose both, 1% neither, 8% did not know, 1% refused.

Another poll by the same group asked, “Can you name any of the Justices currently serving on the Supreme Court of New Jersey?”  Ninety four percent could not name any, so here they are:

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner
Justice Helen E. Hoens
Justice Jaynee Lavecchia
Justice Virginia Long
Justice John E. Wallace, Jr.
Justice Barry T. Albin
Justice Roberto A. Rivera-Soto

The NJ Supreme Court is the highest court in our state. Hence it is called the court of last resort in NJ.  Justices are not elected, but appointed by the Governor and after seven years may be recommended for tenure with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Assemblyman Gary Chiusano over-viewed some ideas on reforming NJ’s Supreme Court.

“Right now, when a political appointment to the Court receives tenure, he’s there forever.

The court has all the power and none of the responsibility.

Other states, more efficiently run and less politically corrupt, have something called judicial retention elections.  They provide a kind of checks and balances to keep the judiciary accountable to the people.  Every six or ten years a judge comes before the people, who get to decide if they think he is worthy of another six or ten years.”

John Galandak, President of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey discussed the economic impact on NJ’s business community.  He pointed out that, “There are fewer private-sector jobs now than there were in December 2000.”  He is requesting that the government stand aside and allow the private-sector businesses to rebuild.  In order for this to occur there must be minimal government interference.  He noted that one sign that the economy is on the way out of recession, will be an increase in private-sector jobs.

The current administration headed by Jon Corzine has failed to do even some of the things necessary to trim the state’s budget and make New Jersey attractive to business.  Jobs in the private sector continue to slide, while taxes and fees rise to meet state obligations such as salaries, pensions, benefits, and pork that have put an unbearable burden on the private sector. New Jersey’s legislature, courts, and unions have created a monster that is impossible to feed, and now they are scrambling to assemble a budget to plug the holes.

While the private sector struggles and conserves to survive the economic downturn, the state has operated mostly “Status Quo”, and programs to conserve are few and mostly ineffective. Revenues continue to fall due to shortages in tax collections, tolls, and casino revenues.

Corzine blames some of the downturn in our state on the economic situation in the country as a whole, but citizens of New Jersey have been feeling this for some time, and the effect here is hard because of the high taxes and loss of business and people in the last 4 years.

While Mr. Corzine spoke about the woes in our state, and called himself a “Progressive”, conservative Republican candidates met and spoke about the real problems we face as a state, and ways to solve them.  New Jersey needs action not talk, and a Governor not afraid to take on the big issues mentioned above that are slowly bleeding us into bankruptcy and beyond while waiting for a federal bailout.