Jon Corzine And David Rebovich Told You So

David P. Rebovich, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Rider University Institute for New Jersey Politics is at it again. This time Rebovich is dispensing advice to Jon Corzine and starkly describing the disaster a Governor Corzine would be for the people of New Jersey. Excerpts below:

Corzine said: “We need to get the message out that we will take care of our vets, our seniors and our kids and we need to make sure we can do it right."

By doing it right, Corzine presumably means making the tax system more progressive - which means taxing better off residents more and providing others with more property tax relief -, growing the economy to produce more good paying jobs and more revenue for the state, and pursuing policies to make the state more affordable. The Senator has espoused these ideas and discussed them on various occasions. But there will come a time, and fairly soon, when he will be pressed to explain if and how he can accomplish all of the above.

Won't priorities have to be established, which means that some constituents will have to wait before their needs and demands are met? Will making the state and local revenue system more progressive scare off growth industries whose better educated, higher paid employees may be asked to pay higher taxes than they would in many other states? And, make New Jersey affordable? Housing costs, the biggest item in most people's budgets, are among the highest in the nation here and continue to climb. How can state government possible control these costs?

Given questions like these, it may make sense for Corzine to bring in some speakers to help him explain the major components of his agenda and how his specific policy proposals will work.

We wonder why Rebovich believes Corzine needs to bring in speakers to help him explain his agenda? Granted, Senator Corzine is not known as a good public speaker, but his campaign agenda is very easy to understand. Corzine wishes to add new and expand existing state programs. It’s all on the Corzine for Governor of New Jersey campaign website and as the Senator unveils additional “planks” to his agenda, these are added for all to read.

Now what Corzine can’t explain, or doesn’t want to explain is how or who will be paying for the new and “improved” state programs. If David Rebovich doesn’t think Corzine is up to the task of doing his own explaining, you have to conclude the good doctor doesn’t think very highly of his candidate for Governor. Perhaps the idea is to distract people from a very inept candidate and a disastrous agenda with some slick talkers. We figured Corzine would blanket the state with campaign ads, as he did the last time, to fool the public.

We’ll give Rebovich this, even he recognizes it’s not possible to implement the Corzine agenda without massive tax increases that will “scare off” growth industries, educated employees and the people who pay the taxes in New Jersey. Sounds like a great agenda doesn’t it? Nothing a few smooth talkers can’t spin, right?

As to making the state more affordable, Rebovich fails to mention the biggest item in most people’s budget and the one item government can control - tax. It’s the rare person that doesn’t spend more for taxes than housing, food, clothing, transportation and anything else you can mention.

Add up what you pay and see if we’re not right. Just to get you started, there’s federal and state income taxes, payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), property taxes, sales taxes, gas taxes, utility taxes, cable TV taxes and a whole host of special taxes: health service taxes, hotel taxes, real estate transfer taxes, tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes and on and on.

If the idea is to make New Jersey more affordable, the only thing government can do to help the average person is to reduce taxes. This is a concept that never enters Corzine’s mind because he has no idea what it's like to be crushed under the state’s tax burden. He doesn’t have to explain anything, he’s Jon Corzine. He’ll decide how more and more of your hard earned money is to be spent. Just because there is not a single successful example of a state or country taxing and spending its way to prosperity, is no reason to question his agenda or his motives. How dare anyone complain!

Playing a shell game with taxes and increasing state spending is the Corzine agenda. More taxes are all Senator Corzine will bring to the people if elected Governor. You don’t have to take our word for it, Senator Corzine and David Rebovich told you so.