Yesterday, Governor Corzine announced that New Jersey has a budget deficit. It's the third largest behind NY and CA. We are in hock up to $3 Billion. And, to be honest, I'm just scratching my head, trying to wrap my brain around how this could possibly be.
NJ is a wealthy state. We make some of the highest salaries in the country. But we also have a very high cost of living. And most non-NJ Kossacks would have coronaries at the sight of our property tax bills.
In spite of all of that, the state is pretty well run. Budgets are super tight but we're managing. The roads are in decent shape, bridges get built, the schools in the suburbs have very good teachers and curriculum (except for the gifted kids, but don't get me started).
But if you are the child of a recently laid off engineer with a hefty mortgage payment and you need treatment for some chronic health problem, well, you're SOL.
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