Should Governor Corzine Resign?

On April 12, 2007, NJ Governor Jon Corzine's SUV hit a guard rail at 90 plus MPH while in rout to a meeting between fired talk show host Don Imus and the Rutger's Women's Basketball Team. There are a number of problems that occurred as a result of this accident, listed as follows:

1. The Governor's driver was speeding in excess of 25 MPH over the speed limit, creating a dangerous situation not only for the occupants of the SUV, but other drivers on the road as well. The Governor was not in rout to address a state emergency or a crisis. He was trying to avoid being late for the start of a meeting in which he was not a participant in and that could have started without him.

2. The Governor was not wearing his seat belt. This resulted in very critical injuries including a multiple and compound fracture of his leg and breast bone and multiple rib fractures. The medical staff who treated his injuries stated he was lucky to be alive.

3. A law enforcment offical was quoted as saying Governor Corzine has refused to wear his seat belt in the past despite the attempts of his drivers to get him to do so. For the record his drivers are NJ State Troopers. Tom Shea, the Governor's own Cheif of Staff was quoted by several news sources as saying "Those of you who know Governor Corzine know he's not always amenable to suggestion."

Not always amenable to the suggestion? Certainly the seat belt law is controverial. Certainly many people take the position that the state may be going a bit too far with the seat belt law. Certainly, the Governor should resign. That's right, resign. As a counselor working with young people, I am very concerned about the Governor's hypocrisy and its ripple effect on New Jersey teens. If the Governor can make public his intentions not to adhere to this state law, why should any young New Jersey teen feel compeled to do different? Teens know that he was not citizen Corzine at the time of the offense. He was on the clock as Governor, in route to the meeting mentioned above.

It is hard enough for professionals and parents to help teens overcome the many irresponsible impulses characteristic of this developmental period. Why should a hypocritcal Governor make their job any tougher? He shouldn't. In this counselor's opinion, when the executive head of a state publically declares he does not follow a law, any law, that person should not hold office. It's a matter of principle. If this is not addressed in an effective manner, will future NJ governors be more likely to ignore laws they don't personally like as citizens?