Jon Corzine's Economic Blue Print – Reduce State Spending

This is the third in our series of posts analyzing the information, positions and promises found on Jon Corzine for Governor - Join Us New Jersey – campaign website. Our first, Who Is Jon Corzine – Fact check, may be read here and the second, Jon Corzine’s New Paradigm For New Jersey, may be read here.

As part of his Blueprint for New Jersey's Economic Growth Corzine has outlined the following steps to be taken immediately to rein in government spending in our state:

• Examine more efficient ways to administer the State Health Benefits Program, which cost $220 million more this year than last year.
• Lower the cost of state-supported prescription drug programs through bulk purchasing of high-cost items like prescription drugs.
• Consolidate administrative functions in state agencies and cut their PR budgets by 50%.
• Save millions by upgrading technology platforms help state agencies work more efficiently.
• Reduce the number of political appointees in state government.

Senator Corzine doesn’t tell us how much money the state would save with these initiatives but, we are all for reducing state spending. Corzine should use his considerable clout to push for the enactment of his proposals now before this year’s state budget is finalized. The Democrats currently control the governor’s office, the state senate and assembly, so there is no need to wait until a new Governor is elected next year to begin saving taxpayers money.

The Democrats in Trenton are supposedly pulling their hair out trying to find ways to continue the popular property tax rebates. Why not adopt Corzine’s ideas now and use the spending reductions to help save the program? The voters of New Jersey should learn pretty quickly if the Democrats are all talk and no action and whether the Corzine proposals will bring about meaningful savings.