Hey everyone,
It's been a long time since I've written a diary here, although I regularly check DailyKos for the latest news and views. As a "veteran" of the blogosphere (I've been writing online since 2002), I've seen this site zoom upward in both quality and quantity, to say nothing of the Internet itself. While we've had our growing pains, and some debates will always be heated and unresolvable, I take pride in knowing that I have been a "Kossack" for nearly 6 years. So to all of you out there - keep it up!
I am pleased to say that I now have a new political assignment - and it's probably my toughest one to date. It's convincing you, my fellow Kossacks, to support Jon Corzine as he seeks reelection as Governor of New Jersey. Sure, he's the Democrat in the race, and the alternative (probably ex-US Attorney Chris Christie) would be horrible for my state (If you want to know more about Christie, read clammyc's excellent diaries on him - the links are at the end).
But you shouldn't support Jon Corzine on a "lesser of two evils" basis. As I will explain in this diary, and over the course of the next week, I'm helping Jon Corzine out because he's exactly what New Jersey needs right now - a tested, experienced Governor with the right priorities in mind and the right set of values for my state.
You'll be able to judge whether my previous statement is just political boilerplate, or whether it's a genuine belief that you should join with me in believing, over the next week. I will be writing about the different aspects of Jon Corzine starting on Friday - his life, his electoral career, his record and his plans for the future.
Clammyc's articles:
No Jersey Jindal in the Garden State, Please
Rejecting stimulus money would crush businesses. Seriously.
Today, I simply want to give an introduction as to why I am supporting Jon Corzine. As a Democratic activist and County Committeeman, I've had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the Governor a number of times. What impresses me most when speaking with him is that he genuinely cared about what I had to say. Even though he didn't know me from Adam, he was still more than willing to listen to me, respond in kind and encourage me to continue my work in politics. I come away from those meetings knowing that he is the type of politician you want to support, not just someone you have to support because their political party is the same as yours.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for him, when you consider how his political career has gone. After spending 20 years working his way up the corporate ladder at Goldman Sachs (he started in the mail room), he was forced out by the Board of Directors after trying to clean up the company’s financial practices – the same kind of practices that led to the current economic crisis gripping the American financial industry.
He then spent $60 million of his own money to get elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey, only to find his legislative goals going nowhere due to Republicans controlling the Senate. Corzine then spent an additional $40 million to get elected Governor, as he vowed to "change the way business is done in Trenton". And now the economic crisis hitting our country has forced him to make deep cuts in our state budget and raise taxes on the wealthy. It's not what you want on your record when you're up for reelection.
It's still somewhat of a surprise to me that he's even running for reelection. I think it speaks volumes about Jon Corzine's readiness to stand on his principles, to defend his record, and to his commitment to New Jersey at a time when our economic situation is grim.
He's had to make a lot of tough choices in what to cut and what to keep in our budget. I know he's struggled over them. But he's managed to become the first Governor in 60 years to cut state spending - and he's done it without destroying the state government or foisting the costs on taxpayers like me.
Is it a politically popular stance? No. It would be much easier politically to gut the government and fire state employees en masse, as Chris Christie has proposed. It's easy to make villains out of state employees and make nameless, faceless "corruption" accusations. But is what Corzine has done the right thing to do? Absolutely. It's not the easy decision, but it's what needs to be done at a time like this.
It's because he has the courage to do what is right, and not what's popular or easy, that I'm proud to support Jon Corzine. I truly believe that his heart is in the right place, that he genuinely cares about helping New Jersey, and that he needs to be reelected in November.
And he needs our help to do it. A new Quinnipiac Poll out today shows him trailing Christie by a 45-38% margin. The Governor, a self-made millionaire will be funding much of his campaign - but not all of it, as in past races. So whatever financial help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
The best, most immediate way you can help is by attending a June 4th concert with Bon Jovi and Jon Corzine. It's at 6PM at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark - it's a marvelous performance area, and Bon Jovi is a rock and roll icon. Tickets go from $50 and up, and you can click hereto buy a ticket. I hope you'll join me there.
On Friday, I'll be covering Jon Corzine's life and electoral career, from his days in the mail room at Goldman Sachs to his election as Governor. Until then, thanks for reading!
Stephen Yellin