tolls – Page 3 – Hank Kalet

Heavy lifting ahead on toll plan

The governor is pitching his debt and toll plan to the wrong people, as Alfred Doblin points out in this on the mark column.

Unless the governor can change the structure of the protests, he will lose the debate — even if he is better prepared and offers what may be the best financial rescue for New Jersey. The public doesn’t want tolls raised and does not distrust government to make substantial cuts.

Remarkably, Republicans are making this their issue. As if state Republicans played no part in under-funding state liabilities or ignoring the looming fiscal crisis.

The public has every right to doubt that the governor can cut spending significantly. But it is foolish to believe that opponents of the governor’s plan will cut spending either. Cutting taxes is painful. Cutting services is more painful. Cutting contractually agreed upon benefits from state workers is more than painful, it is litigious and costly. There is no easy or inexpensive way out.

Corzine would have been smarter to unveil his plan in stages. He spent a year crafting his plan. During that year, he could have cut $2 billion from the state budget, demanded that the Legislature authorize no new spending without a guaranteed recurring revenue source and insisted that the public vote on whether the state takes on unsecured debt.

There wouldn’t be pig balloons flying around Trenton in February if Corzine floated those balloons last spring. New Jerseyans believe the state is drowning in debt. But they also believe the state is weighed down by wasteful spending.

If the governor wants to get rid of the flying pigs, he has to first cut the pork to the bone.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

When pigs fly

Back in 1990, after Gov. Jim Florio pushed through his massive tax increase package, a new radio station hitched its wagon to the growing opposition, building a following that allowed it to become one of the more influential voices in New Jersey politics.

That station is at it again. The Ewing-based 101.5 (video from station’s site) held what it called the Flying Pigs Rally today, drawing about 700 pedple to the Statehouse to protest the governor’s debt reduction/toll hike plan.

Now, I’m all in favor of political rallies. But the role being played by 101.5 — given its history — bothers me. There is a question of motive here. I have no doubt that the radio hosts share a deep opposition to the toll plan. But I have to wonder if the station’s hsitory — in particular, its growth as part of the Florio backlash — had something to do with its participation this time around.

And then there is this:

featured a string of Republican legislators and candidates lining up to take turns blasting Corzine and Democrats for the state’s fiscal problems.

To emphasize:

No Democrats spoke at Friday’s rally. However, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg and
state Sen. John Adler have said they don’t like the plan.

The Democrats, of course, deserve to be blasted, but it is disingenuous to blame only one party for the mess the state’s finances are in. Christie Whitman, after all, helped starve state government of resources by cutting the income tax and then left behind a timebomb by revaluing the state pension fund.

Gov. Jon Corzine is the first executive since Florio to take the state’s fiscal problems seriously, though his prescription is a bad one likely to have some unpalatable side effects.

In the end, what bothers me about this rally is the partisan use to which it was put.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

The governor, the MOM line and toll hikes

The governor has placed what appears to be the MOM line on his list of mass transit priorities.

But what this means is anybody’s guess. The Asbury Park Press reported on Saturday that the governor was backing an engineering study of the rail proposal — cost: $250 million, a figure that seems absurd.

The state is not confirming the report and South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese said this week that Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri, who was quoted extensively in the APP story, called him to say the governor had not endorsed MOM.

“He told me ‘don’t think the governor supports this,’” Mayor Gambatese said.

Mr. Kolluri did not return our calls this week, though Department of Transportation spokesman Joe Dee offered this statement:

”The governor continues to be a strong advocate for public transportation,” said Joseph Dee, Department of Transportation spokesman. “Currently, the MOM project is in the environmental study phase. It would be premature to discuss any other expenditures.”

Again, not exactly a definitive answer. Maybe, the governor can offer something more definitive this weekend, when he will take his debt restructuring road show to Hightstown on Saturday and East Brunswick on Sunday.

Here’s the schedule and how to make reservations:

Saturday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hightstown High School, 25 Leshin Lane, Hightstown; To RSVP or call (609) 777-2513
Sunday, Feb. 10, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at East Brunswick High School, 380 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick; To RSVP or call (609) 984-9846

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.