Keeping Corzine crucial

Jon Corzine

Some 10,000 UFT educators, in-service and retired, live in New Jersey. Nearly all are registered voters and in an excellent position to affect the outcome of this year’s highly competitive and critical governor’s race in that state. That is why the UFT is lending a hand to the state’s teacher unions and the American Federation of Teachers in their efforts to re-elect Gov. Jon Corzine.

In office since 2006, the former U.S. senator faces the state’s former U.S. attorney and Bush appointee Chris Christie and a second Republican running as an independent in the Nov. 3 election. With the New Jersey governor’s office considered one of the most powerful in the nation — the job comes with broad veto powers and wide authority over tenure, budgets and appointments — the governor will determine the quality of life for the state’s educators and working families.

UFT Director of Legislation and Political Action Paul Egan called Corzine “a solid and vocal backer of increased education spending, women’s rights, access to excellent affordable health care and other progressive issues.”

“His main opponent, Chris Christie,” added Egan, “has promised to turn back the clock on health coverage and basic medical procedures, denying claims for mammograms, autism treatment, wellness exams, minimum maternity stays, childhood immunizations and other vital procedures. He’s already said education and health care are ripe for budget cutting, he wants to cut state employee salaries and pension benefits, and he’s a booster of vouchers and private schools. We need someone in Trenton who’ll advance working families, interests, not compound their problems. Corzine is that man.”

The union is working full bore for Corzine’s re-election. Several mailings by UFT-COPE, the union’s volunteer political action arm, have gone out to New Jersey UFTers explaining how important a Corzine win is for educators and children.

The UFT is organizing labor walks in New Jersey and volunteers are calling AFL-CIO-member households, urging a Corzine vote.