Corzine Looks To Add Half-Billion Dollars To New Jersey’s Budget Woes

In office less than three days and Jon Corzine is looking to add a half-billion dollars to the state’s budget, already inundated with a $6 billion deficit. The Governor wants taxpayers to provide medial insurance to an additional 259,000 children residing in New Jersey.

"One of the priorities that will actually get funded is that we get on that pathway to full insurance for all children," he said.

Corzine made the pledge as the Association for Children of New Jersey released Kids Count, its annual report on the welfare of the state's children.

Taxpayers currently pay more than $1 billion to insure 539,000 or 25 percent of New Jersey's children through Medicaid. Beyond Medicaid, more than 110,000 children are insured by taxpayers through KidsCare at a cost of more than $175 million. All New Jersey children with a family income up to $65,975, for a family of four, are eligible for coverage under the program. Income eligibility under KidsCare rises to $102,000 for larger families.

So who are these 259,000 children Gov.Corzine would like us to insure? According to Kids Count they are the children of immigrants. More precisely, illegal immigrants, as legal immigrants are already eligible for benefits under both Medicaid and KidsCare.

Why should the taxpayers of New Jersey pay for medical insurance for people with no right to be in New Jersey in the first place? We are not suggesting medical treatment should be denied to anyone in need, but taxpayer funded insurance for illegal aliens is ridiculous. The state should be making every effort to deport those here illegally, not extending benefits the state can not afford.

"You have to make tough choices," Corzine said. "One of those tough choices is that our children come first."

That’s just it Governor Corzine, our children come first, not those here illegally and belonging to other countries. From now on we’ll know when you refer to “tough choices” you mean more spending and higher taxes.

Oh, and Governor if you are looking for a way to cut property taxes – try multiplying 259,000 illegal alien children attending the state’s public schools by the average cost per student of $14,000 and you’ll have $3.6 billion.