Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who stuck to the same message on each day of the shutdown, managed a smile Thursday while announcing the budget deal.
Posted on 07/06/2006 11:32:18 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
TRENTON, July 6 — Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the New Jersey Legislature agreed on a new budget on Thursday that would end a six-day government shutdown that idled nearly 100,000 workers and cost the state millions of dollars.
Despite the end of the bitter impasse — which centered on Mr. Corzine's insistence on a sales tax increase — the governor said that the shutdown would probably not end until late Friday at the earliest, when his $31 billion budget is expected to be approved by the full Assembly and Senate.
Gambling industry officials said that Atlantic City's 12 casinos, which were closed Wednesday morning, could reopen within hours of the budget signing, returning about 50,000 people to work. But more than 45,000 furloughed employees with the Division of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies will probably not return to work until Monday morning, and the timing for the resumption of lottery ticket sales was unclear on Thursday.
Beyond the immediate consequences of the shutdown — from the closing of the casinos and state offices to the halt in automobile inspections and lottery ticket sales — the weeklong ordeal took a fiscal toll on the state. The casinos estimated that they would lose more than $16 million in revenue a day, of which the state's share is about $1.3 million. And the state lottery delivers more than $2 million a day to the state.
Mindful of the statewide disruption and civic embarrassment caused by the shutdown, a subdued Mr. Corzine apologized to New Jersey residents on Thursday afternoon for the disruption of government services but said that it was necessary to put the state on a solid fiscal footing.
While the agreement was widely viewed here as a political victory for Mr. Corzine over the Assembly speaker....
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who stuck to the same message on each day of the shutdown, managed a smile Thursday while announcing the budget deal.
New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine enters the Assembly to encourage legislators to pass a budget in Trenton, today.
From where I'm sitting it looks like he won hands down.
He got what he wanted.
The entire article is about taxes and aid. And using the sales tax increase to reduce property taxes.
'Nuff said!
"Cost the state millions of dollars"?
I guess what that means is that the people of New Jersey are a few millions of dollars richer.
Beset taxpayers residing in NJ: 0
I wonder how Corzine pulled this off.
Bet that, wherever he is, Fat George is kicking himself for not being born two hundred years later....
Actually by raising the sales tax, he has probably lowered revenues because the New yorkers who come to Paramus etc. to save on taxes will stop.
So, the blood-suckers in Trenton got their way. Only a Democrat can package tax increases as a way of tax relief and firmly believe that this is best for our future. I live in Monmouth County and I found this line in my local paper the Asbury Park Press:
"With half of the sales tax revenue set aside, the administration will have to find further tax increases or spending cuts to balance the budget."
Way to go guys!
Oh and Mr. Corzine: please don't give us any more of your "tax relief".
And the Democrats' answer: Raise taxes. Why is this even news?
New Jersey's budget has doubled in just 6 years. Corzine has managed to just apply a bandaid to a festering boil that will continue to erupt in coming years. Warning to New Jerseyites: you better stay put and live with the fools you elected--don't you dare move across the border to PA and bring your high government spending expectations with you--we have problems enough with Rendell.
When Codey had the gall to say that the Governor, Senate and PEOPLE OF NEW JERSEY were all winners with this deal, I nearly threw up.
I bet you're right.
Where are the Sons of Liberty when ya need 'em? Sigh.
"New Jersey -- screwed again"
Have no fear, neighbor -- any of us who move to Pennsylvania will be the ones who wish to escape all of this nonsense. And we'll be voting for Lynn Swann!
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