Governor is at war with state's smaller communities
Gov. Jon Corzine's plan to withhold state aid from small towns is an egregious abuse of executive power. Without any legislative input and without any effort to take the public's views into account, Corzine has unilaterally declared war on New Jersey's smaller municipalities. The purpose of this ill-begotten crusade is no less than to wipe dozens of communities from the state's map.

Corzine's simple-minded premise appears to be that "big is better" because economies of scale will inevitably enable municipal governments to furnish services to their constituents more efficiently. Even the most cursory glance at New Jersey's largest municipalities should disabuse all save the least intelligent of that notion.

Take a look at Newark, at Trenton or at Camden, and it becomes acutely apparent that "big" does not necessarily equate with "efficient and effective government." To the contrary, even a brief look makes it abundantly clear that many of our state's largest cities have functioned as personal piggy banks for those corrupt politicos who are among the governor's staunchest allies.

Sadly, Corzine's latest heavy-handed machinations are by no means surprising. This is a governor who talks about transparency even while he keeps his administration's budget, its long-term blueprint for fiscal restoration and his own communiqués with publicsector union leaders under close wraps. This is a governor who presents himself as a champion of sweeping reform, but whose most significant accomplishment to date was to shut down the state's operations until the Legislature raised New Jersey's already regressive sales tax. This is a governor who is quick to sign any piece of coercive legislation that can be palmed off as being for the safety and health of the people (whether the people want it or not), and nevertheless endangers himself and others by speeding to a photo opportunity.

There is a job opportunity on the horizon for Jon Corzine. With Fidel Castro on his last legs, Corzine would be the perfect successor to the Cuban dictator. Their leadership styles are virtually identical, and Corzine already has the beard. If he cannot be induced to apply for that post, then perhaps the citizens of New Jersey should explore ways for deporting the governor to Havana.
Roger Fields
Helmetta