Helping the unemployed: a tremendous contrast

by: Adam L aka clammyc

Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 04:30:00 PM EDT

And the more that Chris Christie talks about not talking enough about issues, Governor Corzine has been talking about issues and accomplishments.  It would be nice if anyone actually listened.

Take jobs and unemployment - 2 issues on nearly everyone's mind.  Just last week, Corzine urged Congress to act on a bill that would extend unemployment benefits for thousands of New Jerseyans that are about to expire.  This is the latest in a long line of initiatives that Corzine has undertaken to stem the tide of those losing jobs, as well as help those who have lost their job and bring new jobs to NJ.  

And while the picture is still rough in the state, it is starting to turn here while still sinking elsewhere.   In July, 13,000 new private sector jobs were added, and there have been successes in drawing new jobs to the state over NY.  

But that isn't all.  Corzine not only reversed the policy of raiding the unemployment reserve fund (something going on since the Whitman administration), but actually beefed up the fund - which would save ALL employers hundreds of millions of dollars collectively.  

What has Christie offered up over this time to help employers, workers and the unemployed?  

Nothing.  

Actually, that isn't true.  

While Corzine was creating his own stimulus plan, helping reduce the pain to NJ's economy, and working with President Obama on the federal stimulus bill to expand unemployment benefits in families' time of need, pushing green jobs and calling for extension of unemployment benefits, Christie was doing the following:

• Rejecting part of the federal stimulus bill that would expand unemployment benefits;
• Costing NJ employers hundreds of millions in increased state unemployment tax costs with no plan to beef up the unemployment reserve fund while talking about policies that would increase unemployment around the state; and
• Indicating he would lay off an additional 20,000 - 30,000 state workers while taking away the safety net they currently have.

Once again, the contrast is clear.  Corzine is trying to help working and struggling families.  Christie talks about how nobody is talking about helping working and struggling families while he quietly lets leak how he would crush them, all while hurting businesses and the state deficit in the process.