Well I'm glad he could get to the basketball game

by: Jason Springer

Tue Dec 29, 2009 at 10:15:00 AM EST

When the big snow hit last weekend, it smacked right into New Jersey's odd rules of gubernatorial succession. Corzine was trying to get to California to visit his son's family. At home in Essex County, Senate President Richard Codey was waiting for word that Corzine had cleared Garden State airspace so he could reprise his understudy role as acting governor and oversee the state's response to the incoming nor'easter.

Then there was governor-elect Christie, at home in Morris County with basically no role whatsoever because he hasn't taken office yet (although people have started calling him governor and he seems to be playing the part already).

The result: a little confusion, Jersey-style.

Corzine's flight was delayed more than two hours. During that time, Codey's staff told The Auditor, they did not know whether their governor was THE governor or if Corzine was - and who, if anyone, was watching the storm response and preparing for a possible state of emergency.

In the end, no emergency declaration was necessary, and it was Codey who officially made that decision.

The governmental traffic jam also was cleared up. Corzine got to California and his office issued a statement applauding the cleanup efforts. Codey was in charge. Meanwhile Christie and his wife and kids joined the family's plow guy to dig out their place in Mendham.

Codey said he did a quick personal inspection of road conditions Saturday night. "I checked out the highway when I went to the Seton Hall game," he said. "It was fine."

Yet we find out that there was a disconnect and confusion over who should even declare how bad the snow was. Just another reason why we now have an elected Lieutenant Governor. Ultimately there was no state of emergency, just congratulations for the hard work of those during the storm. I think one should have been declared and a better job should have been done on many roads. Yes people worked hard during a bad storm, but the roads in West Orange on the way to Newark are not a barometer for how successful or flawed efforts around the state may have been and how serious a storm those efforts were facing.