May Sun, 2003

GOVERNOR McGREEVEY: “NOT DEAD AT ALL. THANKS FOR ASKING.”

Trying to find anyone inside of Trenton with something nice to say about Jim McGreevey lately has been a little like trying to find Saddam Hussein. Republicans are openly enthusiastic about the prospect of running against McGreevey in two years; some Democratic leaders are quietly whispering about a primary challenge to the Governor. But the ordinary citizens of New Jersey have now spoken and their voice should be read as a note of caution to the ambitious: The current assessment is: “He’s OK—not great, but not a disaster either.” Or, back off--he ain’t dead yet.

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March Sun, 2003

“QUALITY OF GOVERNMENT” RATINGS DECLINE STEEPLY IN NEW JERSEY

For it shows there has been a dramatic decline in the public trust--in how New Jerseyans describe the quality of their government over just the last two years. In April 2001, positive ratings of excellent or good outnumbered negative ones of only fair or poor by a margin of 54 to 43 percent. Now just 38 percent of state residents boast that theirs is a government of at least good quality—only one percent describe it as excellent. Fully 60 percent offer critical assessments.

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