Tornoe's Toons: Corzine and Last-Minute Appointments

Tornoe toon: Daggett Gets a Little Help From His Friend

Tornoe toon: Christie's Loan

Republican gubernatorial challenger Chris Christie has gotten into some hot water over a $46,000 loan he gave to Michele Brown, the first assistant U.S. attorney.

According to Jon Corzine, this loan presents "an appearance of a conflict" of interest.

However, there's no word from Corzine about giving a $470,000 loan, and then paying off that loan, to the then head of the state's largest labor union, and what "appearance" of a conflict" that might present.

And let's not forget that Katz’ $1.1 million condo purchase came at the same time negotiators for her union and the Corzine administration were entering intense negotiations over a new contract for state workers. Katz was president of the largest of five Communications Workers of America locals that are about to vote on the four-year deal.


I wonder if Christie has emails from Michele Brown that he's keeping a secret as well...

Obama Comes To Save the Day...

An interesting take on Obama's trip to New Jersey to help rally the troops behind wounded governor Jon Corzine, via In the Lobby:

“This New Jersey thing, by the way. This is one of those boxes he has to check as leader of the Democratic Party. You don’t do a rally with 17,000 people in July unless you don’t want to be doing that rally with 17,000 people in October because you’re worried that guy is not going to win. They’re getting it out of the way," said Chuck Todd, political director of MSNBC, analyzing President Obama's trip to New Jersey.(7/17/09)

Who Will New Jerseyans Choose in November?

Seems like an obvious choice to me.

Which Republican is Corzine Pulling For?

While the Steve Lonegan/Chris Christie youTube battle rages on, a new Lonegan backer is coming out to support his pick for the GOP nomination for Governor - Jon Corzine.

A Washington-based political organization with ties to democrats is running ads attacking Christie, the Republican they consider more formidable, in an attempt to knock him out in the June primary.

The ad, released by the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, highlights the Wall Street entanglements of Christie’s younger brother and suggests the former U.S. Attorney improperly used his connections to bail him out of trouble.

“This week is a stark reminder of how Jon Corzine operates,” Chris Christie Campaign Consultant Mike DuHaime told PolitickerNJ.com. “Taxes are up, unemployment is up… The only thing going down are his polls numbers. Clearly this is an effort to influence the Republican Primary. Jon Corzine may have bought the Democrat Party, but he will not buy the Republican Party.”

Here's the ad:

For Jon Corzine, it's 'Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past'

Man, would I have loved to be in Jon Corzine's office when he heard the news that his former girlfriend and labor leader leader Carla Katz is going to be doing spots on 101.5, New Jersey's most popular radio station. She starts Monday with an hour-long spot on the 'Jersey Guys' – Casey Bartholomew and Ray Rossi – one of the periodic appearances she’ll apparently be making on the station.

I wonder if she'll spill the beans on how much money Corzine actually gave her when he became governor. The New York Times estimated it at $6 million, including a $1.1 million condo, $500,000 in renovations to her home, her Lexus SUV and her kids’ tuition at a private school, just to name a few.

Most importantly, will she speak-up about the infamous email exchange she had with Corzine back when he agreed to give back the concession that CWA workers agreed to during their negotiations, which would have required retired state employees to contribute 1.5% of their pension toward their health insurance premium and would have saved taxpayers $2 million?

As Long as Voters Know who Jon Corzine is...

Governor Corzine's approval ratings continue to be upside-down as he struggles to close New Jersey's budget gap, but his Republican opponents for governor, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan, have their own problems.

According to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 56% of respondents haven't heard enough about Christie to rate him favorable or not. That number jumps to 72% for Steve Lonegan.

But as long as more than 50% of New Jerseyans don't approve of the job Corzine is doing, they should just continue to remain "the other guy."

Go to Rutgers to Watch Football, Not to Learn

Due to state aid reductions in Gov. Jon Corzine's proposed budget, Rutgers University officials announced they will lay off workers, cut courses and raise tuition to fill a $60 million hole in the university budget.

Two things strike me as weird.

1: The proposed cut is 5 percent of state funding, or $15.5 million. So why cut $60 million?

2: Why cut professors when your plunking millions into both a stadium expansion, and into Greg Schiano 's exorbitant contract, when the football program continues to lose money? (BTW- Schiano is the state's highest paid public employee)

Does Rutgers still want to be an institute for higher learning? It doesn't seem like it. All they're concerned with is profit, and they don't even seem good at that.

Is Corzine Hiding on Financial Television?

Jon Corzine is in love with appearing on Financial TV. It seems like every weekend he ends up on one of the talk shows as a former "financial wizard" telling us how to save the economy.

How has that worked in New Jersey?

Maybe appearing on all these shows keeps him in New York and Washington, and out of New Jersey, where former Attorney Chris Christie leads Gov. Jon Corzine, 44% to 38% in the New Jersey Governor’s race.

Anyone need make-up?

New Jersey Cartoon: Corzine E-mails With Ex Remain Private

The New Jersey Supreme Court declined to order Gov. Corzine to release e-mail exchanges with his former girlfriend Carla Katz, who lead the largest public employees’ union in New Jersey while the state was negotiating contracts in 2006 and 2007.

The governor and his legal team cited executive privilege in not making the e-mails public. However, now that the supreme court has ruled in his favor, I think Corzine should make the emails public. This would simultaneously allow him to gain back credibility he lost in potentially hiding information from the public, as well as smack back against Republicans who have gained traction with the issue.

That is, if he doesn't have anything to hide.

New Jersey Cartoon: Corzine's Budget Address

And here's the sketch:

Who Watches the New Jersey Labor Unions?

It's always great when I can squeeze a movie reference into my cartoons.

In New Jersey, the state labor unions are fiercely opposing Gov. Jon Corzine's call for a wage freeze and 12 days of furloughs to save $400 million in the next budget.

This despite the fact that Corzine threatens to lay off up to 7,000 state employees the unions reject his plan.

I just think the unions are being greedy, and seem willing to sacrifice jobs so they don't have to give up concessions in their contract negotiation. I mean, bloods running in the streets of New Jersey private enterprise, yet the labor unions are attempting to make the case that it's too painful for state workers to give up a FUTURE increase, even as Corzine attempts to come up with solutions that don't involve massive layoffs.

"State workers understand that everybody has to do their fair share to solve this historic budget crisis," says Bob Master, spokesman for the biggest state employee union, the Communication Workers of America.

So why not act like it?

Furloughs in New Jersey

Jon Corzine, Money Man

Chris Christie may currently lead Jon Corzine in the polls for the 2009 Gubernatorial race, but does anyone expect Corzine not to dig into his unlimited pockets of cash to narrow the gap?

Charlie Stile of the Bergen Record says that Corzine "has never tangled toe-to-toe with his opponents on a level playing field."

I tend to agree with him.

Is Chris Christie Prepared to be Governor?

Straight on the heels of the release of polling data suggesting he could beat incumbent Jon Corzine, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie officially kicked off his campaign this week.

The only thing he forgot to pack: specifics.

According to the Star-Ledger:

Christie said he would not raise taxes, but declined to say how he would recoup the lost revenue if he reduces income and business taxes to make New Jersey more competitive. He did not take a position on the state's property tax rebate program, saying he wanted to carefully study it before presenting a comprehensive plan to tackle the entrenched property tax problem.

On other issues, such as town consolidation or state worker concessions, Christie sounded more like Corzine. He said he'd "encourage" New Jersey's 566 towns to consolidate, and that he thought state worker unions had to "step up and contribute" by making concessions. But according to his statements, Christie wouldn't force the issue on either side.

Former Borgata mayor Steve Lonegan, who is running against Christie in a four-man Republican primary that includes Morris County Assemblyman Rick Merkt and Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine, called Christie's refusal to provide specific budget-cutting plans "irresponsible."

"It's clear to me that Mr. Christie is in over his head," Lonegan told The Star-Ledger.

The NJ Schmooze Cruise

A rite of passage among the New Jersey political elite for over 70 years, the annual Chamber of Commerce train ride attracts more than 1,000 lawmakers, lobbyists and corporate officials each year to wine and dine with the New Jersey congressional delegation in Washington.

During the four-hour ride, and at a dinner that took place Thursday night in Washington, New Jersey's business community was once again able to gain extraordinary access to the state's political structure, from legislators to county executives to Governor Corzine.

In a break from the past and tradition, 3 GOP gubernatorial hopefuls, Christopher Christie, Steve Lonegan and Rick Merkt, all decided to boycott the chartered 14-car Amtrak ride. Sponsored by business leaders usually friendly to Republicans, the candidates criticized the annual "Walk to Washington" as an exclusive "schmooze cruise" of insiders and lobbyists.

"I call it the tax-and-spend express," gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan told the Star-Ledger. "I went once about 10 years ago and I never went again. This is where all the party insiders, the lobbyists come together. I'm not part of that and I'm running to change it."

Chamber President Joan Verplanck criticized the candidates decision to boycott the event, and attempted to defend the elbow-rubbing session to the Star-Ledger.

"Times have changed dramatically," Verplanck said. "It's less fraternity party and more college mixer."

Corzine Wants To Keep It a Secret

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and former state worker's union president Carla Katz, who dated before he became governor, have been fighting to keep the e-mails they exchanged during budget negotiations private since Tom Wilson, The Republican State Committee Chairman, and several news organizations, including The Associated Press, requested the correspondence.

A three-judge appeals panel reversed a lower court ruling that the e-mails be made public. The appeals court ruled that the release of the e-mails could have "a chilling effect the governor's ability or willingness to solicit advice, or to accept unsolicited advice in the future."

Personally, I think that since appellate court has upheld the principle that Corzine has been fighting for, he should release all the e-mails he exchanged with Katz to prove to the public that none of them influences the state worker contract negotiations last year.

Until he does, this issue will remain a cloud over his head, especially compared to the recent shifts for a more transparent government by Barack Obama.

The Corzine Economic Recovery Plan of 2009

Here's today's cartoon for PolitickerNJ.com. To comment, click here.

Merry Christmas

Here's one panel from my New Jersey "Christmas Card" now posted over at PolitickerNJ.com. Go check it out.

The rest of the week, I'll be celebrating Christmas with not one, but two families, so I won't be posting anything else until Monday.

Have a great holiday, and I'll see you when I see you.