Tag: Jon Corzine

Categories
political challengers

Wake Me When It’s Over

There are gubernatorial elections, today, in Virginia and New Jersey. My Republican buddies in Virginia are excited. After losing to the Democrats in the last two elections for governor — and for president, and the last two U.S. Senate contests — Republicans are now poised to win back the governor’s mansion.

Me? I’m not as excited.

Oh, Bob McDonnell, a former legislator and then attorney general, doesn’t seem any worse, and may be better than your average politician. But his campaign has the usual messaging: more jobs, better education, more and better transportation. All new and improved. For less.

Strikingly similar to the Democrats, I dare say.

Except that McDonnell hasn’t flat-​out said he’d raise anybody’s taxes. His opponent, Democrat Creigh Deeds, admits he would — only after a gallant attempt to dodge all those pesky questions and tip-​toe around taxes.

No independent or third party candidate is on the ballot.

In New Jersey, the sitting governor, Democrat Jon Corzine, may win with less than 50 percent of the vote. What a shame that’d be — the majority votes against a guy and yet they’re still stuck with him.

The polls show it very close, with independent candidate Chris Daggett getting 7 to 13 percent.

I prefer Republican Chris Christie. He promotes voter initiative and referendum. He promises he’ll actively push to establish a statewide initiative process. 

That would give people a real vote for change.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Categories
insider corruption

Arresting New Jersey

For the millions of people living in New Jersey, who’ve never been arrested on corruption charges, this one’s for you.

Recently, the FBI arrested 44 folks there, including two state legislators and three mayors. Big news, I guess, but hardly unusual by Jersey standards. The U.S. Attorney says the state’s politicians work in an “ethics-​free zone.”

Chris Christie, now the Republican candidate for governor in 2009, used to be the U.S. Attorney. In seven years, he prosecuted 130 state and local politicians and convicted every single one of them.

Unfortunately, reducing corruption will take more than building additional prisons to hold politicians. The trick is empowering voters to hold government accountable — thereby putting less unchecked power in any individual’s hands.

Christie believes voters need the power of ballot initiatives. But earlier this year he said, “I hesitated about proposing initiative and referendum because my party had been such a failure on initiative and referendum ten years ago …”

Republicans gained a majority in both legislative chambers in part on a promise to enact a statewide initiative. Once in power, Republicans took a dive.

Christie pledges to be different, and to campaign with shoe leather: “I will travel around the state to publicly campaign for [initiative and referendum] and try to get the citizens to put pressure on their legislators to vote for this.”

In a usually safe state for Democrats, the latest polls show Christie with a sizable lead over Democrat Governor Jon Corzine.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.