NYTimes article on Jon Corzine and NJ governor election

[Puneet]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25corzine-t.html

[Lenin]

The polls:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2009/governor/nj/new_jersey_governor_corzine_vs_christie-1051.html

Corzine has my vote.

As Bush's top fundraiser and lobbyist for electricity and gas deregulation and against any securities regulations to protect consumers AND his ties to the Genovese crime family kingpin Tino Fiumara, a vote for CHris Christie would be a vote to hand NJ back to the mob.

Corzine may not be the best governor New Jersey has ever had but at least he's not a criminal thug.

[Puneet]

Reading the article, it seems like no governor can fix NJ's problems until the thousands of local authorities are merged. That, the corruption and the terrible state of public services in this area (roads, schools, DMV etc) is making me thinking of moving out from NJ.

[Lenin]

You are not alone in that thinking Puneet.
These fiefdoms are preposterous:

Basically, New Jersey is sliced into so many local fiefs — 21 counties, 566 municipalities, more than 600 school districts — that it’s just about falling apart. Some municipalities are merely dots on the map, maybe a mile wide, surrounded on all sides by a larger township. Some school districts are so small that they actually have no schools. (They pay larger townships to teach their kids.) And yet most little hamlets retain their own officeholders and paramedic squads, just as each tiny school district has its own administrator and school board. It would be far cheaper for everyone, of course, if these small jurisdictions merged into larger ones or agreed to pool their services, but no politician or fire chief actually wants to give up his part-time job, and the taxpayers in these districts — despite moaning endlessly about their taxes — routinely reject any suggestion that they should give up their autonomy.

And just remember for each of hundreds of mayors, thousands of council members, millions of minor functionaries, there's a mobster pulling the strings.

[Sonia]

Well, I agree with you Lenin that Jon Corzine is the best person for the job, and I believe most of New Jersey will support him come election day. He is the candidate with the experience and knowledge needed during these difficult times to run the state, and get us through the economic crisis our state is confronting. It's not a good time to jump from the frying pan into the fire. Voters may be unhappy with the current state of our economy, but at the end of the day common sense should prevail. Jon Corzine didn't create the mess NJ is in, but he's on track, doing what must be done to fix it.