Reaction to Governor Jon Corzine's State of the State speech, 1/9/07:

I pledge to work with Governor Corzine to continue the momentum of his first year in office. Special sessions on property taxes have been held and suggestions debated, and now it is time to fix a broken system. Short term relief with long term consequences is no longer an option, and the true policy makers will rise above those who have offered criticism, but no solutions. I am committed to delivering property tax relief and reform. By passing legislation to create a state comptroller and ease consolidations and shared services by local governments, my colleagues have shown that they share this commitment.

I am encouraged to see the Governor embracing reforms aimed at pension abuses, which I have pushed for since 2003. Senator Ellen Karcher and I were among the first to demand a ban on dual office holding and the forfeiture of pensions by corrupt public officials. This should send a clear message that self service will not be tolerated. Perhaps hitting these individuals in their wallets and retirement savings will reinforce the message.

Any viable property tax solutions will involve tough decisions that must be supported by the public. If the public cannot trust the integrity and honesty of elected officials, tax relief efforts will face an uphill battle. For this reason, ironclad ethics reforms must be put in place before we ask the public to buy into our property tax efforts. If a single dollar of taxpayer money is being wasted on pension abuses, or being paid out to officials who have disgraced their office, we can not ask for public support of our tax relief measures. I am volunteering to Governor Corzine and Speaker Roberts that I will carry forward my bills to implement the ethics reforms measures that were outlined today. They have been completed for several years, and I am eager to dust them off and move ahead with the support of the Governor.

I am especially focused on revising our educational funding system here in the Garden State, which is directly linked to our failed property tax system. Coming changes to our educational funding system must be fair to both urban and suburban students. The current system provides inadequate state funding to suburban schools, but still demands oversight and mandates. Frankly, if the state is only picking up 5% to 10% of a local school budget, it has not earned a seat at the table in making educational decisions.

The Governor in his State of the State speech showed leadership by promising not to approve something just because it looks good at face value. In an election year it will take true courage to bring about sustainable financial health, and I am committed to that goal.