Corzine's Budget Falls Flat with the Public
Posted March 13, 2008

The word is out, and not surprisingly, New Jerseyans overwhelmingly disapprove of Governor Corzine’s state budget proposal for fiscal year 2009.

According to a new poll released Monday by the Monmouth University Polling Institute, only 10% of New Jerseyans are satisfied with the governor’s budget; 34% are “not particularly satisfied” but “can live with it;” and a full 54% are “definitely dissatisfied” with it.

Almost half (44%) believe that Corzine’s budget does not go far enough in cutting spending, and only 26% believe the budget contains too many cuts.

Specifically, the public disapproves of the plan to eliminate the Department of Agriculture (73%-22%); opposes reducing hours at state parks and motor vehicle offices (70%-27%); opposes reducing the amount of state charity care to provide health care services to the poor (74%-22%), and opposes the elimination of the Commerce Commission (42%-28%).

Surprisingly, by more than half, New Jerseyans support both the governor’s plan to reduce property tax rebates for those making between $100,000 and $150,000 (52%-43%) and his plan to eliminate property tax rebates for those earning over $150,000 (59%-39%), but they decidedly disapprove (60%-37%) of the complete elimination of property tax rebates for all except seniors and the disabled.

Perhaps more telling of the level of public dissatisfaction, however, is the overall perception of the budget and the budget process. Almost half (46%) of respondents who had heard a lot or a little about the budget (83%) believe that it does “not at all” reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, and 39% believe that it only does “a little.” Furthermore, of this same demographic, a full 62% say that the budget represents “more of the same old political dealings.”

Commenting on the results, Polling Institute Director Patrick Murray said, “Like the toll road plan two months ago, the budget proposal is not starting off with a groundswell of public support. And … one of the key questions left unanswered in the public’s mind is how these proposals will eventually bring down New Jersey’s high cost of living.”

How did the public answer this question?  A full 59% of those who had heard a lot or a little about the budget plan believe that it will make New Jersey less affordable for them and their family, and 27% believe it will have no impact. Only 9% believe the plan will make the state more affordable.

Murray stated, “Once again, a Jon Corzine proposal is beset by a high level of cynicism among New Jersey residents.  While the public is generally supportive of a leaner state budget, there seems to be a sense of unease that the proposed cuts may not be the right ones.”

Indeed, by a whopping 76%-20% majority, New Jerseyans favor an independent audit of every state agency, unsatisfied with the oversight of Governor Corzine’s GEAR (Government Efficiency and Reform) Commission, the members of which, incidentally, the governor himself appointed.

One thing that the governor and the public do appear to agree on, however, is that the state is facing a major financial crisis. According to the poll, 89% of respondents share this belief.

The big question left, then, is what are Governor Corzine and the State Legislature going to do about it?  If Trenton bureaucrats continue their pattern of wasteful spending, then we will never escape the fiscal fiasco that plagues our state. Either the governor and state legislators will finally decide to reverse their pattern of waste and mismanagement, or, come election time, we the people can decide that our elected officials no longer deserve our trust, having abused it for far too long. 

As we see it, the choice is simple. Either Trenton acts now, or the people should act on Election Day. We wait!

 

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