He's Norcross' guy in Trenton.
Corzine is outmanned!
This is simple pass the budget but no sale tax increase.
Total shutdown looms in New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J., July 4 (UPI) -- New Jersey moved a step closer to a total shutdown of government services Tuesday when Assembly Democrats rejected a penny increase in the state sales tax.
Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts blamed Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine for the crisis, saying he has not been willing to consider alternatives to end the budget impasse. Corzine signed an executive order Saturday, the beginning of the new fiscal year, putting non-essential state employees on unpaid leave.
But the speaker said all officials have let down New Jersey citizens.
"We have not been able to deal with our constitutional responsibility to achieve a balanced budget," he said.
Roberts said only 15 of the 49 Democrats in the Assembly would be willing to support a sales tax hike unless the revenue was devoted almost entirely to property tax relief.
The shutdown of state government had little impact during the long holiday weekend, although motor vehicle offices and other state agencies that would have been open Monday were closed. State parks, racetracks and the Atlantic City casinos remained open through July Fourth. The casinos lost another legal challenge Tuesday to have state inspectors declared essential workers.
Roberts said the Assembly Budget Committee would keep working into the night to craft an alternative budget that would be acceptable to the governor and the state Senate.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060704-050403-1832r