Corzine - Is it the Money That Matters?

Why should the people of New Jersey consider electing Jon Corzine Governor of New Jersey? We know he has plenty of money, but can anyone think of a single thing he's done for New Jersey as a member of the Senate? He continually votes against measures that would benefit the people of our state and offers a vision of more spending and higher taxes. Is his vision really a cure for what ails New Jersey? Are our problems caused by a lack of spending by the state and taxes that are too low? We think not.

Just because Corzine is capable of bankrolling his own campaign does not make him the best candidate for Governor. Corzine may be able to buy his nomination and even the Govenor's seat, but does that make him the best choice for the job? Can the Senator point to any real accomplishment as a public servant?

Now he wants you to choose sides without going through a primary because he says it would be dangerous for the party. We think the real reason is that it would be dangerous for Mr. Corzine. He would be under real scrutiny for a longer period of time and of course it would cost him more money. Excerpts from the Star-Ledger below.

Sen. Jon Corzine has a message for Democrats whose loyalties are torn between him and Acting Gov. Richard Codey: It's time to choose sides. "He led a lot of us to believe he would not run," Corzine says. "We're prepared to do some aggressive things if he is running."

"Up until the last few hours and days, I haven't asked for endorsements," Corzine said after addressing an African-American congregation in Elizabeth. "But it's getting down to that time of day. I'd prefer not to have a primary. It's dangerous for the party."

Corzine knows no restraint. He spent $63 million on his Senate campaign in 2000, breaking every record by a mile. And he gave millions more to the county organizations, the key to winning a primary. The rules allow Corzine to give $37,000 to each county organization, along with $7,200 more to each municipal organization. That adds up fast. And because Corzine is financing his own campaign, he won't be tapping donors who would otherwise give to the county organization.

"If you're a party chairman, this is not complicated," one Corzine supporter says. "I can either raise money for Dick Codey or get money from Jon Corzine. Gee, that's a hard decision. "Codey is a good politician. He knows this. He's never going to run.”