Governor's actions show him to be a man of great courage
It's time for New Jersey's citizens and politicians to face reality. While nobody can be happy about Gov. Jon Corzine's proposed 2009 budget, he is to be commended for his courage in recognizing that only by calling a halt to the borrow-and-spend policies of our elected officials can New Jersey avoid bankruptcy.

While our representatives were borrowing and spending, did it never occur to them that the money would have to be paid back? The same is true of the voters who elected Gov. Corzine because they felt he had the ability to turn the sorry state of New Jersey's finances around. How did they think he would do it? He is apparently a very generous man, but did they think he would use his own money to bail out New Jersey?

It is easy for our news columnists and radio jocks to manipulate taxpayers who are understandably irate about their high property taxes. It's easy to ridicule changes that will save money but eliminate programs we have come to take for granted. The truth is we are all responsible to a degree for the financial crisis New Jersey is experiencing. We, as voters, have continued to return people to office who put themselves before the needs of their constituents. All too many of them count votes instead of looking at what it will ultimately cost the taxpayers. Didn't anybody stop to think that money borrowed must be paid back, or didn't they think that was important? Borrowing means receiving something on loan with the understanding that it will be returned.

Well, time is running out, and sooner or later the debt must be repaid. People are now clamoring for a return to smaller government as long as it doesn't affect their favorite programs. The extravagance of the past will still have the most impact on those who can least afford it. Surely the need to close hospitals should be a wakeup call.

Let's face it. Gov. Corzine isn't to blame for New Jersey's current crisis - we the citizens are, by allowing our elected officials to act so irresponsibly and then re-electing them over and over again. People are turning out to speak up at the governor's town meetings because he has not sugarcoated the facts and his proposals will affect all of us. He didn't create the problems, but we elected him because we believed he would solve them. Did we think he could do that painlessly?

By his actions, Gov. Corzine has shown that he is a man of great courage. He cares enough for the state and its people to do what must be done, regardless of the cost to himself. What other governor has been willing to hold town meetings and listen to what the people have to say? Do any of our legislators have solutions that will solve this crisis? If so, let them follow Gov. Corzine's lead, go out and meet the people, discuss their proposals and listen to residents' opinions. They owe it to the people of New Jersey to stop worrying about getting re-elected and instead make the welfare of the citizens of New Jersey their first priority.

Edna Gordon

Old Bridge