Speak up with ideas for state budget.
As Gov. Jon Corzine travels around the state, he’s understandably getting an earful of criticism about his proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. It would be nice if, at one of his many stops, he actually got a helpful suggestion.
The governor’s budget is, by his own admission, bleak and one he fully expected would generate a storm of protest. Faced with a potential shortfall of more than $4 billion, he did what any sensible head of state (or, for that matter, head of household) would do figured out a way to both increase income and reduce spending in order to bring the two into balance. In this particular case, he essentially split the difference down the middle, coming up with about $2 billion in new or increased taxes and finding another $2 billion or so in spending cuts.
Not surprisingly, this effort to spread the pain across the revenue and expenditure sides of the budget has made the governor a punching bag from two directions.
On the money-raising side, he’s getting pummeled by consumers, business owners, health-care administrators, smokers, drinkers and everyone else who stands to pay more in sales taxes, water taxes, hospital bed taxes, cigarette taxes, alcohol taxes and other levies to raise $2 billion in revenues.
On the spending side, he’s being pounded by mayors, school board members, college students, senior citizens, property owners and others who stand to lose about $2 billion in aid or services.
All of these complaints and concerns are legitimate. Raising the sales tax from 6 to 7 percent is not only unpopular; it is regressive, hitting harder at people of low or moderate incomes than those who are in a better position to pay. Raising the so-called "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcohol may have the beneficial effect of discouraging more people (especially young people) from smoking and drinking, while also resulting in diminished returns to the state treasury.
Cutting aid to municipalities and school districts will simply increase pressure on property taxes, already the nation’s highest. Higher tuition, reduced Medicaid benefits and other impacts of budget cuts will make education and health care unaffordable for more New Jerseyans, the consequences of which will be felt far into the future.
But as legitimate as all these criticisms may be, we have yet to hear more than a smattering of reasonable alternatives to the governor’s budget proposal. We’ve heard all the usual empty generalities and bromides cut waste and fraud in Trenton, ban pay to play, get political cronies off the payroll, elect an independent state auditor, that sort of thing. But we’ve not heard very much in the way of responsible suggestions or recommendations for easing the pain associated with the governor’s budget. And, to his dismay, neither has the governor.
He deserves better. It’s pretty clear that Gov. Corzine is no more enamored of the budget he authored than are the many residents who are adversely affected by it. And it’s evident from his behavior at appearances around the state that he scheduled this tour not to sell his spending plan but to search for ways to make it better, fairer and more palatable to his constituents.
So far, all he’s been hearing are complaints. If anyone has better ideas, they should speak up. They might just find a more receptive audience in the governor than he has thus far found in the governed.

