Baroni prepares to fight governor, if that's what it takes

This would be a dream come true if patronage jobs fell under the axe first, as unqualified personnel fill most. But, as a realist, we know that this won’t happen because patronage jobs are the tools most politicians use to reward contributors and friends – both Democrats and Republicans.

It makes for good political posturing though.

Where’s the audit? How can one knowingly cut departments and funding without knowing where the waste is?

Go get em Bill!!

Ends today if its center and core is protecting the public employee union. 

Good to see "Union" Bill Baroni standing up for those he is beholden to; the Unions.

"The governor's targeting rank and file public employees," said Baroni, referring to Corzine's preliminary proposal to scrap three state departments and eliminate up to 5,000 public jobs through a combination of layoffs and early retirements.

Leave it to a New Jersey Republican to be the one who rises up and FIGHTS a Democrat Governor on cutting Government !!!

Go "Union" Bill, Go!!

It will be a great day for the NJGOP when Baroni crushes Lonegan in the primary and then goes on to beat Corzine in November.

And I guess Baroni wins by voting like a Democrat but not being a Democrat, huh ?

If he challenges Corzine, I wonder if it will be in a Democrat primary or a General Election .... hmmmmm 

Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your political life. 

If Bo Donaldson and the Haywoods were here today, they'd be belting out this singular smash hit to public sector softy Bill Baroni.

But, alas, they're not.  So I'll say it, Bill.  If you take the position that public sector jobs/union jobs are off limits in going about restructuring NJ government, then you have sold out taxpayers for a perceived base that will never put you in the Governor's office.  Trust me, they'll take a Dem any day over you and we the overtaxed masses will turn our back on you faster than you can say Eugene V. Debbs.  Think this one through.  Commit to reducing the public sector at the very least through stringent use of attrition.  If you kiss the collective backside of the public employees unions, you will end up sending blast e-mails to disinterested former supporters as you strain to regain some semblance of political relevance - see Bret Schundler.

Then again, you could always become a Dem.  That would earn you kind words from Martin One and maybe even a beer at his favorite pub. 

Bill didn't say that he was opposed to laying off union workers. He said the patronage employees should be layed off first.

I'm opposed to any politician, especially a Republican, taking an unrealistic and self-serving stance when our State teeters at the edge of a fiscal abyss that will force me to move 20 miles west to PA because I can no longer afford to live here.  Baroni should have made clear that ALL options are on the table and there are no sacred cows.  Cutting 50% of political patronage is a start, but it will not even put a scratch on the budgetary leviathan the next Governor needs to slay. 

Does Baroni have the stones to confront the teacher's union?  How about taking on the Abbott funding debacle?  From what he said today, it looks like he's chosen the expedient over the exigent.  Who's not against cutting political patronage?  That's like saying you love puppies, kids and the American way.  Not exactly a portrait in courage.   

You can say whatever you want, but as is it looks as though Steve Lonegan and Bill Baroni are both opposed to the budget, so really it's pointless to get stuck in the details of why they oppose it. Of course Lonegan will continue to oppose it and it's easier for him since he does not have to vote on the manner and they can't hit him on a vote for saying he voted against cuts, it's a little bit harder for those with statewide ambitions on the Republican side to vote no.

So yes, Baroni is representating his district here, but the fact of the matter is anyone can come up with a variety of reasons to oppose  the budget, it traditionally goes party lines, although this year might be interesting. As far as a slippery slope goes, I haven't read anywhere that Baroni is considering a statewide run anytime soon, so it's more or less a few of us on here theorizing.

The whole Democrat, Democrat-lite thing makes no sense. Come on Republikyle, you should know that being as I assume from previous posts that your from Hamilton. You know how independent people are, ideologies mean very  little to the mass group of independents and swing voters of this state, and they decide elections. People want someone who's actually going to possibly cut taxes or at the very least make this state affordable and clean up the filth in Trenton, they could care less if he's a moderate republican, only the wingnuts will be stewing and as we all saw in the Republcian presidential primary election their efforts to elect Romney were futile, especially in this state.

The problem with people so entrenched in their ideologies is that they become so stubborn to accept the fact that there are some states where they just don't have a majority. Their needs to be some point where logic sets in, but of course one could always ignore that logic and keep pushing for what they want to see.

I rarely agree 100% with what every Republican does, including the one's I like the most. But I'm not stubborn enough to be so ignorant to believe that my ideology or positions are always the right ones or always what wins election. I'm not suggesting people sacrifice their positions or ideologies all the time, I'm just saying people have to be logical at some points and realistic and play the hand their dealt. The only way a Republican wins this state is if they can appeal to the independents and get some crossover voters along the way. Who exactly can appeal to these independents is not for me to decide, but it's clear Baroni has a record of doing just that.

PolitickerNJ's resident village idiot, AKA "MadMax".

This is the same tater-tot who posted that he was "proud to support Christie Whitman", then blathers on about how he is a true "Conservative- Christian-Republican".  So Max, what were you most proud of when it came to Christie - her profligate spending? Her pension raiding forcing billions in borrowing?  Her pro-abortion stance?  Her left wing appointments to the NJ Supreme Court? 

What a joke you are.  Get back on the little yellow bus and take your meds before you burst a blood vessel.

Maybe Bill should just ask the people that will be getting laid off who and where they are - the Political Hack's I mean, that will surely be moved to other Sacred Cows.

growing up was 'the sky is grey' and essentially is says that there is no black and white solution to life's vexing problems. Yes, saying all patronage jobs have to go sounds like a great soundbite but its silly in its application. Some of these positions are called patronage but have real merit, some are superfluous. This can only be determine by a audit by a disinterrested company.  Know of any of those?  They all contribute.  Look at Baroni's elec report and you'll see what I mean. I'm sure this is a well meaning fellow who's trying to protect his contituents but needs to be straight with himself and them first. What he's proposing sounds great in a group rally or on the stump used the next day as a headline but beyond that it just plain don't work.