RE-ELECT JON CORZINE THE BEST GOVERNOR NEW JERSEY'S HAD IN 20 YEARS

JON CORZINE BEST GOVERNOR JERSEY HAS HAD IN 20 YEARS
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

To our neighbors across the Hudson in the great Garden State of New Jersey: Don’t believe the hype. Jon Corzine is the best Governor you’ve ever had. Stay out of the Bushes. Making Chris Christie governor would be like shooting yourself in the foot.

In supporting Jon Corzine, President Barack Obama made a personal appearance in Hackensack, NJ on October 21, and stated: "What we need are leaders that are committed to moving this country forward, moving this state forward, That's the kind of leader Jon Corzine is. That's why he deserves another four years."

It’s interesting how the Republican grist mill continues to distort the truth in order to entice people into their lair. I have been watching with interest the mounting distortions of late in the media against Governor Jon Corzine, in an effort to make Chris Christie -- a BUSH REPUBLICAN -- look like some kind of “saint”.

Christie was appointed Attorney General by George Bush even though he had no prosecutorial experience, or background in criminal justice. During his tenure,
Christie gave a $52 million no-bid government contract to the firms of former US attorney general John Ashcroft, his former boss at the Justice Department, without competitive bidding; as well as no-bid contracts went to attorney John Inglesino, a friend, adviser and campaign donor; and former U.S. Attorney David Kelley, a former colleague, from 2002 to 2008.

The contracts awarded by Christie’s represent a direct conflict of interest for him because of his close connections to the men who stood to profit from the awards: his former boss, a former colleague and a political ally. It is a practice that became more common under President George W. Bush’s administration. Christie, a 2001 Bush appointee, approved a total of seven deferred prosecution agreements in seven years as New Jersey’s U.S. attorney

US attorney general David Kelley he investigated Christie’s younger brother, Todd, on stock fraud charges for cheating customers for financial gain, but ultimately did not prosecute him. 20 other traders wsere also accused by the SEC along with Todd. They were found guilty, he was not. Kelley was later awarded the contract as monitor but said it had nothing to do with the previous case - really??!!

New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chairman Joseph Cryan said : "Chris Christie wants us to believe that in a country with more than one million lawyers, the one most qualified to receive this no-bid work is the same one who let his brother off the hook for stock fraud. I think the people of New Jersey are smarter than that."

So let me go on the record and say that making Christie governor would be the biggest mistake New Jersey can make.

An online publication entitled EmptyWheel recently posted an article pointing out how Christie was using his ties as Attorney General illegitimately to cast aspersions on Jon Corzine, and make the public think that he and his supporters were doing something illegal: “Chris Christie’s ongoing ties with his old friends at the US Attorney’s office just got much worse. First we learned that Chris Christie gave a highly inappropriate loan to one of his Assistant US Attorneys, Michele Brown, when he was her boss. Given his seeming magical coordination of campaign events with high profile busts by his former office, that "ongoing financial relationship" is highly suspect.”

They further stated that the Department of Justice’s Office of Public Responsibility is already investigating whether acting US Attorney Ralph Marra made inappropriate politicized comments when he announced the politicos, rabbis, and kidney busts in July, 2009” At that time Stephen Dwek, a developer-turned-snitch brought down mayors, rabbis and dozens of others in a stunning probe of money laundering, bribery - and trafficking in black-market kidneys and fake Gucci bags. Hundreds of federal agents on both sides of the Hudson River - in Brooklyn and Jersey - raided the homes of 44 suspects targeted in the two-year probe, collaring high-ranking politicians and trusted religious leaders.

The spectacle of the alleged perpetrators being led into federal court with shackles on their wrists and ankles, was graphically displayed in the media. Bail was set as high as $3 million. “Aside from the wide-ranging political ramifications of the arrests in Jersey - shocking even in the ethics-challenged Garden State - the takedowns of five rabbis left Jewish communities in Deal, N.J. and Brooklyn reeling.” But, the timing of the whole incident, and the fact that nothing material ever came of the highly touted take downs, makes it look even more like what it really is: a political ploy to defame Corzine by the Christie Camp. It’s a classic Macchiaveli ploy called the “big lie” where the bigger, the more audacious lie, the more difficult it is to disprove it, the more the person tries to disprove it, the more the public becomes convinced that it must be true.

In other words, there’s already growing evidence that Chris Christie is mobilizing ongoing relationships with friends at the US Attorney’s office to help his campaign against Governor Corzine.

FactChecker, another online publication called Christie "The Bush Attorney General." According to New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission records, Stern, Kilcullen, Inglesino and their wives, have contributed nearly $24,000 to Christie’s 2009 bid for governor. Christie has agreed to participate in the state’s public financing system, which matches $2 for every $1 donated, tripling the amount donated from the firm’s principals. Christie has been accused of pay-to-play, or awarding government contracts for campaign donations.

Christie is intentionally using his office to benefit Republicans and damage Democrats. The overall net effect of his actions, according to BluePages.com, is that “Christie is such an unthinking partisan that his style and work naturally lead him to situations and actions that have partisan outcomes. His slanted investigation record over the past two years, selective commenting on cases, or his dropping what appears to be an unnecessary subpoena in last year's Senate race have been designed to help Republicans and hurt Democrats. He runs his US Attorney office in a way that has a partisan effect on New Jersey, and New Jersey can expect more of the same if he becomes governor. 

Senator Jon Corzine ran for Governor on the heels of a very tempestuous year, which saw the death of the first Black mayor of Jersey City, Glenn D. Cunningham, and the stepping down of Jim McGreevey after having announced that he was a “gay American”. Corzine has done a great job in trying to bring honor and respect back to back to New Jersey. Even to the extent to risking his life -- nearly losing it -- at a time of possible racial crisis at Princeton University. Despite his injuries he bounced back stronger than ever.

QUOTE: "By making the right decisions now, New Jersey can and will emerge from this national economic crisis stronger, sooner and more prosperous."

New Jersey has always had some of the highest taxes in the tri-state area. It did not start with Corzine, but long before he moved from the realm of businessman to gubernatorial candidate. In fact under Christine Todd Whitman taxes increased exponentially, while services to all but the most affluent areas, decreased considerably. Chris Christie, who tries to point fingers of blame at Corzine also admitted that he would not be able to reduce taxes immediately.

Now, I’m not speaking as a total outsider, but as one who lived in New Jersey for quite some time, having served under Glenn D. Cunningham, Jersey City’s first Black mayor. The previous mayor, Schundler, a Republican neglected the inner city, with most of the profits and benefits going to outside investors, principally from New York. The schools, homes and other institutions at that time were going begging. People were largely ignored unless they had major bank.

It was at that time that I met Senator Jon Corzine, who supported Cunningham in his bid for mayor. Corzine had not at that time expressed any aspirations to run for governor. His main concern was that New Jersey, and by extension Jersey City, was being grossly shortchanged by the current political regime -- which was then under former governor Christie Todd Whitman. Do you remember the “egg” fiasco under Christie Todd Whitman, where she decreed that a restauranteur could be arrested if eggs weren’t cooked to a certain kind of “doneness”? Those people who liked their eggs “over easy or sunny side up” were suddenly being criminalized. Who do you think was behind the enforcement of those insipid rules? The education take over of low performing schools happened under the Republican’s watch because they were not supporting, repairing or funding the urban schools, while simultaneously requiring schools to accomplish certain goals.

Then New Jersey caught a break when she stepped down to head up the EPA under the Bush administration. Codey who appointed acting governor, was a considerable improvement over Whitman. Christie, however, managed to fly low under the radar in terms of his activities. That he was appointed to the position by Bush in 2006 to be US Attorney General from New Jersey, ought to give Jerseyans considerable pause as to whether or not they are opening themselves up to more pervasive regressive and repressive Bush-type mismanagement under Christie.

New Jersey definitely went into a tail spin under McGreevey. Definitely a low point in the history of NJ politics Had Corzine not been elected governor, and worked diligently to stem the tide of the Bush era errors, and simultaneously reverse the damage done by McGreevey, New Jersey would be in even worse straits. Remember the economic downturn happened on Bush’s watch, and Corzine had to balance budgets as much as possible, without totally devastating the state. That is an acomplishment not to be taken lightly.

Now that Obama is president, and the opportunities are flowing to New Jersey, Christie will be more instrumental in siphoning off funds and contracts for his cronies, thus putting middle class and working class families in last place again. Look at what’s happened already. -- not at the commercials on TV. I.e., don’t believe the hype. The truth is that Christie will reverse the good that’s already been done and make the Bush years look like walk in the park.

Property taxes in New Jersey have been out of control for at least 40 years. An issue neither Corzine or Christie are going to be able to resolve without some serious reforms. Reforms that are more likely to be implemented in a Corzine administration, than under Christie.

The parable of don’t change horses in the middle of the stream applies here. Corzine has led New Jersey through it’s worst economic downturn in modern history. Now that things are finally making a turn around under President Barack Obama, is definitely not the time to hand it off to a Bush Republican bent on undermining progress.

And a word of caution in reference to Chris Daggett, who appears to also be running for Governor. Be careful of setting up the “Nader Effect“. Just in case you’ve forgotten the debacle of 2000, when Al Gore “lost” to George Bush, because Ralph Nader, who didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, stubbornly refused step out of the running as a “Green Party” candidate. Chris Daggett could be considered New Jersey’s “Nader.” With the margin between Corzine and Christie so close, Daggett could drain needed votes from people who mistakenly think they are sending a signal with a protest vote. This really isn’t the time. Corzine needs a big turnout by minorities, women and urbanites — reliable Democratic constituencies in this Democratic-leaning state.

When you go to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, please remember that the people who led New Jersey, as well as the entire United States, to the brink of disaster, the same people who caused people internationally to look up on the US as a bully, the same people who lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction, the same people who left all the children behind under their “no child left behind legislation; the same people who took the jobs out of the community and sent them overseas, are the same people who are backing Chris Christie. They are paying for his distorted ads.

As I stated in the beginning, I am saying again JON CORZINE IS THE BEST GOVERNOR NEW JERSEY HAS HAD FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS.

You owe it to yourselves and the rest of the country to re-elect JON CORZINE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY.

Stay Blessed and Eclectically Black,

Gloria Dulan-Wilson

RE-ELECT JON CORZINE THE BEST GOVERNOR NEW JERSEY'S HAD IN 20 YEARS