Too Big for Its Britches

I think that New Jersey Government is too big. I think that 12 people are doing jobs that could be done by 4. I think that we have too many different levels of people doing the same things over and over, and that it's wasting our (NJ residents) money. Jon Corzine thinks this, too:

While in some cases independence is needed because of the unique mission of an agency, in too many cases the absence of adequate fiscal, legal, and management controls – and the lack of transparency and accountability – have led to wasteful, unethical, and even potentially criminal practices. Also, this “invisible government” has been used as a convenient place to dole out political patronage jobs and lucrative no-bid contracts away from public scrutiny.

My first thought was to think about the fact that eliminating jobs takes away someone's source of income. The people in these positions are real people, and they need to support themselves to survive. But Corzine's not talking about average people who are earning their way, here, he's talking specifically about people who are given jobs as favors, people who may or may not ever actually do any work for these paychecks they're receiving.

I also believe that structural reforms will be needed to make this "invisible government" more open and accountable, and if elected I plan to put these reforms in place from the very beginning of my administration. ThatÂ’s why today I am announcing the formation of a task force that will look closely at these issues and periodically report back to me with suggestions and recommendations on needed reforms. Former New Jersey Attorney General Robert J. Del Tufo has agreed to chair this task force. General Del Tufo brings to the table invaluable experience as the chief law enforcement officer of this state and as the head of a cabinet department. The other members of the task force will be announced shortly.

I really like this approach. As we all know, sitting right next to someone who is using their position as a paid vacation, sits someone who's putting their kids through college, or paying off their house. If this task force actually does their job and investigates instead of just taking a sweeping brush to an entire area, I think that real cost-saving measures can be found, and maybe the state can make its way back to the days where it was run better. Not perfect, no, nothing is perfect, but better.