klugman
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If there ever was a political honeymoon for Gov. Jon Corzine, it appears to be over.
In his first four months in office, the Democrat has proposed an increase in the sales tax and broken a promise to give homeowners dramatic relief from the highest property taxes in the nation.
Corzine's approval ratings have sunk, and fellow Democrats in the Legislature are hesitant to back his budget plan.
"He did a great job as senator. You would just figure it would carry over as governor," said disappointed Democrat Neil Harry Lori, a plumber from Montclair who liked Corzine's liberal record in the Senate, especially his 2002 vote against authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq.
Corzine said he is unmoved by such troubles, arguing that tough decisions are needed to right a state with chronic tax and budget problems.
"It is time we face it directly and squarely," the governor said last week. "It won't always be pretty politics."
The 59-year-old former Goldman Sachs chief executive who poured tens of millions of dollars of his investment banking fortune into his political career was elected last fall over Republican Doug Forrester.
Among other things, he promised a big increase in the property tax rebates that New Jersey homeowners receive each year. Property owners in New Jersey pay about $6,000 a year on average.
But after inheriting a $4.5 billion budget deficit, Corzine called for $1.9 billion in tax increases - including an increase in the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent - and announced that the property tax relief he promised would cost too much at $550 million. He offered $100 million instead.
Corzine has met criticism on other fronts. His promise to restore ethics to state government was called into question when he put up $5,000 to bail a lobbyist and former campaign aide out of jail after she was accused of harassing a state lawmaker.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found Corzine's job approval ratings plummeted in April to 35 percent from 43 percent last month.
"Nothing kills a political honeymoon faster than the word 'taxes,"' said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the university's polling institute.
Ingrid Reed of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University said voters are so cynical in corruption-riddled New Jersey that they may not have had much confidence in Corzine or his opponent last fall to begin with.
"There was an enormous skepticism among voters that either candidate could deliver," Reed said.
James Florio was New Jersey governor from 1990 to 1994 and lost re-election amid public anger over tax increases he pushed through within months of taking office. Florio predicted Corzine would survive the breaking of his campaign promise.
"Everyone knows there's a real problem," Florio said. "People are starting to understand that you've got to make some choices."
Some Republicans aren't convinced. Edward Jacko, who lives in Hamilton, said he expected nothing different from Corzine.
"It's typical New Jersey politician," Jacko said of the tax increases and broken campaign vow.
Corzine has indicated the state's budget problems were worse than he thought. Jacko doesn't buy it.
"I'm a chemist," Jacko said. "I'm not a politician. I knew the situation was as bad as it was."
John Murphy, a local politician who sought the GOP gubernatorial nomination last year and proposed a rebate plan similar to the one Corzine promised, said Corzine could have pulled it off if he had been willing to make the painful decisions needed to cut spending.
"I don't think he's going to get a pass," Murphy said. "I think people are just sick and tired of it."
© 2006 Associated Press.
- why can't they cut state spending???
- what's up with the notion that all state jobs are sacrosanct???
In his first four months in office, the Democrat has proposed an increase in the sales tax and broken a promise to give homeowners dramatic relief from the highest property taxes in the nation.
Corzine's approval ratings have sunk, and fellow Democrats in the Legislature are hesitant to back his budget plan.
"He did a great job as senator. You would just figure it would carry over as governor," said disappointed Democrat Neil Harry Lori, a plumber from Montclair who liked Corzine's liberal record in the Senate, especially his 2002 vote against authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq.
Corzine said he is unmoved by such troubles, arguing that tough decisions are needed to right a state with chronic tax and budget problems.
"It is time we face it directly and squarely," the governor said last week. "It won't always be pretty politics."
The 59-year-old former Goldman Sachs chief executive who poured tens of millions of dollars of his investment banking fortune into his political career was elected last fall over Republican Doug Forrester.
Among other things, he promised a big increase in the property tax rebates that New Jersey homeowners receive each year. Property owners in New Jersey pay about $6,000 a year on average.
But after inheriting a $4.5 billion budget deficit, Corzine called for $1.9 billion in tax increases - including an increase in the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent - and announced that the property tax relief he promised would cost too much at $550 million. He offered $100 million instead.
Corzine has met criticism on other fronts. His promise to restore ethics to state government was called into question when he put up $5,000 to bail a lobbyist and former campaign aide out of jail after she was accused of harassing a state lawmaker.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found Corzine's job approval ratings plummeted in April to 35 percent from 43 percent last month.
"Nothing kills a political honeymoon faster than the word 'taxes,"' said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the university's polling institute.
Ingrid Reed of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University said voters are so cynical in corruption-riddled New Jersey that they may not have had much confidence in Corzine or his opponent last fall to begin with.
"There was an enormous skepticism among voters that either candidate could deliver," Reed said.
James Florio was New Jersey governor from 1990 to 1994 and lost re-election amid public anger over tax increases he pushed through within months of taking office. Florio predicted Corzine would survive the breaking of his campaign promise.
"Everyone knows there's a real problem," Florio said. "People are starting to understand that you've got to make some choices."
Some Republicans aren't convinced. Edward Jacko, who lives in Hamilton, said he expected nothing different from Corzine.
"It's typical New Jersey politician," Jacko said of the tax increases and broken campaign vow.
Corzine has indicated the state's budget problems were worse than he thought. Jacko doesn't buy it.
"I'm a chemist," Jacko said. "I'm not a politician. I knew the situation was as bad as it was."
John Murphy, a local politician who sought the GOP gubernatorial nomination last year and proposed a rebate plan similar to the one Corzine promised, said Corzine could have pulled it off if he had been willing to make the painful decisions needed to cut spending.
"I don't think he's going to get a pass," Murphy said. "I think people are just sick and tired of it."
© 2006 Associated Press.
- why can't they cut state spending???
- what's up with the notion that all state jobs are sacrosanct???
