By Matt Chiappardi, The Packet Group
HIGHTSTOWN — It was not a good Saturday for Gov. Jon Corzine.
The Mercer County stop on a statewide tour brought him to a high school auditorium filled with about 500 people, many of them peturbed by his plan to halve New Jersey’s $32 billion debt, partly by raising highway tolls.
The metal detectors screening audience members broke down, delaying his meeting by about 40 minutes.
He was confronted by state Republicans who publicly challenged his proposal, characterizing it as shouldering more debt to pay existing debt.
And on top of all that, he had a bad cold.
The governor has set out to hold such town meetings in each of 21 New Jersey counties in an attempt to garner popular support for a plan he says will right a financial ship many observers believe is seriously off course.
”We’ve got serious challenges ahead of us. We can ignore them and let them grow, or we do something about it,” he said.
That “something” is a state freeze on spending, at the current $33.5 million budget level; limiting future spending by the amount of annual revenue growth; and requiring voter approval for future borrowing, possibly by constitutional amendment, that is not backed by a dedicated recurring revenue source.
The final part of his plan is the one that has prompted the most ire from citizens and has dominated the discussion — raising tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway 50 percent in 2010 with additional 50 percent increases every four years through 2022.
Princeton resident Arch Davis displayed his nephew, toddler Jonathon Dragotta, to Gov. Corzine and sardonically asked, “How will he pay the $100-a-day tolls when he’s driving in 2020?”
Other residents expressed concern about trucks getting off the New Jersey Turnpike and onto local highways to avoid the higher tolls.
Mr. Corzine responded by saying, “I’d be more worried about car diversion than truck diversion,” based on another plan of his which he said will get more freight onto railways and address “tax deductibility and time issues for truckers.”
Some residents demanded the state sort out its own financial house before placing the toll burden on them.
”The time is coming when I and other retirees can’t afford to live in this state,” said Hightstown resident Janice Mastriano. “When are you going to get serious and start cutting the budget instead of raising taxes and tolls?”
Cranbury resident John Battle suggested the governor implement the first three parts of his plan before looking for support for toll hikes.
Mr. Corzine stressed that he believes simply cutting the budget will not be enough to lift the state out of its financial doldrums.
”Cuts need to be realistic. We can’t start closing hospitals or stop funding education,” he said.
When asked after the forum, the governor said he would not enumerate specific cuts until he unveils his budget plan Feb. 26. He also told reporters that he planned to suspend his town hall meetings across the state until that time.
Torry Watkins of Hightstown and Mark Klein of Monroe resident, brought up the issue of municipal consolidation to help streamline costs.
”When will you get serious about this municipal madness we have in this state?” Mr. Watkins asked.
Mr. Klein suggested consolidating the state’s more than 600 school districts into one district per county.
”I’m right there with you,” Gov. Corzine responded to Mr. Klein, but he said voters often reject plans for consolidation.
The governor’s plan not only faces stiff opposition from many in the public — protesters were practically tailgating in the high school parking lot with signs condemning the toll hike — it faces an uncertain future in the Legislature.
Earlier last week, all of the Assembly’s 32 Republicans and the Senate’s 17 Republicans pledged opposition to the governor’s plan — a fact Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) pointed out as the governor spoke in her 12th District, which includes Hightstown.
She called the plan a “financial disaster for New Jersey’s economy,” characterized the toll increase as “an 800- percent toll hike,” and compared his plan to using “one credit card to pay off another.”
Mr. Corzine immediately responded by saying Ms. Beck’s credit card analogy is not accurate.
”There will be a revenue stream coming in. This is not debt for debt … not even on a simple technical basis,” he said.
”It’s incredible the amount of pushback we are getting relative to what it is I’m actually recommending. And I’ve seen no one step forward with any alternatives,” he added.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Red Bank), answered the governor’s dare.
”I accept your challenge. I and my colleagues will come up with an alternative,” he said.
Assemblyman O’Scanlon would not divulge any details that would be included in a possible alternative plan on Saturday.
