TRENTON – Senator Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex, who Chairs the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, released the following statement today regarding the swearing-in of New Jersey’s 54th governor, Jon Corzine:
“I’ve known Jon Corzine for quite sometime, and during that time, we’ve had a close relationship in government. I expect to work closely with him as one of the senior ranking Senators in State Government as well as in my capacity as Chairman of New Jersey’s Legislative Black Caucus.
‘We have a very tough budget year ahead of us, which gives me great concern as to how the new Governor intends to approach the deficit. Traditionally, the deficit has been approached and balanced on the backs of the State’s poor, lower and middle class wage earners, while doing the most harm to urban municipalities and their suburban borderline sister cities. Thus, as in the past, I will retain and maintain respect for the Governor’s Office as well as my own ability to respectfully agree and disagree on his approach in order to protect the poor and working class citizens of New Jersey.”