YEAH, yeah: “How could they tell?” :>
But not Really, of course. Governments never Really have “shutdowns,” that’s not Allowed ~
Gov. Jon S. Corzine shut down the state government Saturday after a deadline to adopt a new balanced budget expired, bringing road construction projects to a halt and furloughing tens of thousands of state employees indefinitely.
…It was a grim climax to a bitter dispute with Corzine’s fellow Democrats in the Assembly over his plan to increase the sales tax.
…About 45,000 state employees were immediately furloughed. The order allows Corzine to keep 36,000 state employees working without pay…
(Oh, yeah? Hey hey hey Corzine, we gotchyer Work-without-Pay Riiight Heeere. :)
… Services such as state police, prisons, mental hospitals and child welfare were to keep operating…
A bid by Atlantic City’s 12 casinos Friday to get state monitors declared “essential employees” who would stay on the job despite a government shutdown is now before an emergency appellate court panel…
(Otherwise the Casinos will have to shut down, because they can’t legally operate Unmonitored. Hee hee! Catch 22! / “Hey buddy I gotta good ideer, let’s close the casinos, this way here see we’ll Zero the State’s Cut from ‘em, that oughta help with this whole Budget situation.” :)
…The dispute centers on Corzine’s determination to raise the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent to help close a $4.5 billion budget deficit…
Here’s the Governor’s Executive Order (scroll down past the Press Release), which among many other things declares a State of Emergency and authorizes activation of the National Guard. / Also, after deploying (but explicitly not Limiting) such glittering generalities re “essential services” as are Customary to such circumstances ~ because Governors universally have No clear idea as to exactly What, let alone Who, is and is not “essential” ~ it provides in part [various statutory citations are omitted hereinbelow] that :
5.   The head of each department or agency shall designate those employees whose services are considered essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of New Jersey in accordance with criteria provided by the Office of the Governor. Employees so designated shall report to work… In addition, such other activities and personnel as the Governor may determine to be essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of New Jersey are deemed essential for purposes of this Order.ÂÂ
8. It is ordered that the statutory and regulatory provisions governing layoffs in State government…are hereby suspended and of no force or effect while this Order is in effect.
9.   All employees whose services are not deemed essential pursuant to this Order shall be deemed furloughed …except as may be prohibited by law.
10. The State Treasurer and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are hereby authorized to obligate funds for the purpose of paying employees who have been designated as essential pursuant to this Order… However, no such funds shall be disbursed except as provided by law.
Whole Order. Oh it’s gonna be Fierce. / Also here’s where NJ state workers can Go :> to discover, by Name (linked per Department), whether they are Necessary :). Of course all their neighbors & friends & enemies can look it up too. :] The blurb indicates that the Essentiality list is being incrementally updated as the Governor figures it out. (Presumably the people Compiling it won’t be Paid for quite a while. / And then only if “provided by law.” :)
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Categories: News, Elections & Politics (U.S.)
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July 1st, 2006 at 7:50:35 pm
Josh and I were driving from CT to Jersey City earlier today for his brother’s grad. party and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the giant flashing road sign announcing “All N.J. State Parks and Historical Sites Closed Starting July 5″ My first thought was, maybe they need extra time to clean up after the 4th celebrations? ;)
Most all the people interviewed on local news tonight seemed to support the mayor’s decision, “Force these people to balance the budget!” I wonder if any of them work for the state. Corzine sounds pretty convincing.
July 1st, 2006 at 8:48:41 pm
Yeah, I must agree, he does.
July 1st, 2006 at 9:50:53 pm
While Corzine’s argument may seem convincing, and I do acknowledge the importance of passing a balanced budget, let’s take a look at the whole picture. The sales tax issue is really just the last straw. Since coming into office 6 months ago, Corzine has done nothing but raise and impose new taxes anywhere that he can–from clothing to property taxes to even a $50 per day tax on hospital beds. So this 1% raise on sales tax is really the icing on the cake. Like the Forbes article says, Democrats are afraid of voter backlash come November. Even they can’t support their state party leader on this one. Frankly, as a resident I am sick of all the new taxes. I clearly understand that they are a primary source of income for the government, but enough is enough. NJ is second only to CT in per capita taxes in the US. I would not be surprised if we make the #1 spot by the time Corzine is finished.
July 2nd, 2006 at 1:05:15 am
Clare, while I do empathize with your being in a Huff :), in all Fairness & Balance let us note that CT [my home state btw] is also often cited as #1 in per capita Income in the US and that NJ is, if not #2, still well Up There. Point Being, if ya Got more ~ and Expect more in the way of state Services ~ yer gonna Pay more.
That Said, the Sales tax is inherently Regressive. Not the best way to go.
My REAL point (if Any :) in the Post is, that Gummint “Shutdowns” are always approximately Half bologna. :> That roughly-estimated 44.4% (35,000 out of 81,000) of NJ government’s working men & women ~ the “Essentials” :) ~ who are commanded to “work without pay” during the “emergency”, are Gonna get Paid. Trust me on this. (And so, I predict, are quite a few of the estimated 45,000 who are presently deemed to be nonessential & thus “furloughed”.)
Now, if there ever WERE a Real government shutdown ~ the Whole government, no Exceptions ~ instituted by either Management, OR Labor :} ~ the immediate response of the Government-hating, Tax-averse general Public would make the Whiskey Rebellion look like a Peaceful Protest March by contrast. :>