State’s First Lieutenant Governor Should be Job Creation Chief

New Jersey this January will get its first lieutenant governor and members of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce are hoping that she or he will focus primarily on making the Garden State an economic juggernaut.

“The lieutenant governor should help address New Jersey’s top priority -- growing the economy and creating jobs,” said Richard Bagger, senior vice president, Worldwide Public Affairs & Policy, at Pfizer Inc. and a former state senator and assemblyman.

“It would send a powerful signal for New Jersey to have its lieutenant governor working together with the governor and across all of the cabinet agencies, as an advocate and ambassador for economic growth and job creation,” Bagger added.

Amy Mansue, president and CEO of Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, agreed. In a state that has a reputation for high taxes and burdensome business regulations, “the lieutenant governor should be constantly thinking about how (state policies) will impact business and jobs,” said Mansue, who previously served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. James McGreevey and a policy advisor to Gov. Jim Florio. “There is no more important issue than New Jersey’s workforce.”

In November, New Jersey voters will for the first time choose a ticket that includes candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. The new lieutenant governor’s office, approved in a 2005 ballot question, could head a state agency or do whatever the governor asks, according to the measure that creates the position.

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A "9/11 Commission" On Corruption

State Chamber chief Lobbyist Jim Leonard is the subject of a Q&A in The Star-Ledger in which he discusses ways to address corruption in New Jersey.

"We would like the governor to empower a blue-ribbon task force similar to the 9/11 Commission that would include elected officials, law enforcement at every level, the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the inspector general -- all together to come up with a list of recommendations in 30 days."

The Cost of Corruption

“A business that’s looking to move to or expand in New Jersey is probably less likely to do it if they think that New Jersey is the Wild West."

That's a quote from New Jersey Chamber lobbyist Jim Leonard from a story on public corruption in this week's NJBIZ newspaper.

In the article, written by Andrew Kitchenman, Leonard called for a panel of state, local and county officials, along with police and federal prosecutors, to conduct a review of the state’s laws regarding conflicts of interest, corruption and ethics.

“It’s clear that the public perception of officials is as low as it probably ever has been,” Leonard said.