New
Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, sensing potential voter backlash toward a possible
New Jersey Turnpike privatization,
shelved
the plan Thursday until after November state elections. A sale or lease of the
turnpike and possibly the state's other major toll road the Garden State
Parkway could provide the state billions of dollars — not to mention a nice
fee for UBS, which likely would have overseen the auction. Polling of 400
voters shows that only 46% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans support the
plan, according to a Newark Star-Ledger story. The weak support reportedly led
Corzine to fear that introducing the privatization plan in the run up to a
legislative election might lead Democratic lawmakers to vote against it,
according to the Star- Ledger. Of course, in a representative government,
aren't elected officials suppose to follow the will of the people? —Matthew
Wurtzel
See
story from the Newark Star-Ledger
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