Is Gary Rose leaving?
By Wally EdgeThere is considerable statehouse buzz that one of Jon Corzine’s top advisors, Gary Rose, will leave his post as Chief of the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth early this summer. It's not likely that Rose would depart before June 30 deadline for approval of the state budget; if he were to leave before the budget is passed, it would create speculation that he was terminated.
Rose, a former Corzine partner at Goldman Sachs, was the PolitickerNJ.com Loser of the Year for 2007:
In an interview with The Record last October, gubernatorial advisor Gary Rose said: “I can’t figure this place out.” He wasn’t kidding.
Jon Corzine’s former Goldman Sachs partner, now an influential gubernatorial advisor with the title of Chief of the Office of Economic Growth, stands out as one of the architects of the Governor’s political woes. It’s not that he’s a political outsider as much as his inability to understand that he can’t change the way Trenton works if he doesn’t learn how it works. If Corzine is to be held accountable to the people of New Jersey, then Rose must be held accountable to Corzine.
To some – including a few Corzine loyalists – he comes across as the imperial advisor whose arrogance has cost the Governor critical percentage points in his approval ratings. Rose has made some powerful enemies: to put it mildly, he doesn’t get along with Senate President Richard Codey and has strained relationships with many legislators. He doesn’t see the importance of party leaders to Corzine, and in some cases, doesn’t even know who key Democratic County Chairs are.
Specifically, Rose’s 2007 failures include the rejection of ballot initiatives to fund stem cell research and reduce property taxes – and the near loss of Corzine’s open space initiative (which received the lowest percentage of voter approval of any open space ballot question in state history.) His economic growth plan has not yet been approved or implemented. Is the latest sign of his success an announcement by Merrill Lynch that they are laying off thousands of New Jersey employees?
Over the last year, Rose has emerged as sort of a New Jersey Rasputin – an advisor who manages to anger nearly everyone, but maintains extraordinary loyalty from the King that he serves.
Contributors
Wally Edge
The GOP seems to be gearing up for a real Senate confirmation hearing if Governor Jon Corzine reappoints Barry Albin to the New Jersey Supreme ... >
Bob Torricelli
It's hard to not be concerned these days. We've all witnessed frustration with our institutions before but I never remember anything of this ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Instead of borrowing trillions to waste on make-work governmental projects, stimulate the economy with tax cuts. >
Debbie Holtz
Score one for the Governor’s public relations team. For the last few weeks, they have been working overtime to fuel speculation Corzine was being ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
With the entrance of Chris Christie into the Republican gubernatorial primary, the GOP has greatly enhanced its chances of capturing the ... >
Rob Tornoe
Joey Novick
Hard to believe we have arrived at the last year of the first decade of the 21st century. Boy, seems like it was just yesterday that Bush was handed ... >
Juan Melli
It's actually come to this: A panel convened by the legislature of the State of New Jersey has concluded that discrimination is not good. Maybe ... >
Carla Katz
As it tends to, history seems to be repeating itself as 240 laid-off workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago revive a decades old tactic -- ... >
Patricia Quattrocchi
Many columnists write a "year in review" or a "predictions" piece for the New Year, however I decided to refrain from going down ... >
Murray Sabrin
Five Democrat governors including New Jersey’s Jon Corzine and New York’s David Paterson have called upon the incoming Obama administration to ... >
Hot Topics
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win See how Obama got to the magic number |
Most Active Stories
- Healy and Stack and the late Glenn Cunningham
- Kyrillos: 'We need a leader like Chris Christie'
- Lonegan camp says they qualify for matching funds
- Reilly joins Codey staff
- Merkt fights perceived Christie canonization in Passaic County
- Holt decides to run for assembly instead of state senate
- Christie will run for Governor
- U.S. Rep. Adler assumes seat on financial services committee
- Manzo to unveil slate next week
- Rule him out of District 36 Assembly run, says Scarpelli
- Correction: Weiner departure was not his own idea
- Torricelli on COAH
- Two N.J. super delegates go to Obama; Norcross backs Obama; key Clinton supporters endorse Obama
- At energy policy meeting, Rose fights with cabinet and walks away
- Sixteen Democrats are on Norcross' short list for Andrews House seat
- Jackson will be Corzine's new Chief of Staff
- Roughneen in court today on signature challenge
- Obama bundler says he lost $25 billion of N.J. pension funds
- Weinberg loses life savings in Madoff Ponzi scheme
- New Jersey's Most Powerful Law Firms
Recent Posts From Inside Edge
Quote of the Day
"Suppose you get stuck with a stiff? You want to pay him more money?" -- Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, on legislating a pay raise for his successor.
Recent Press Releases
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Yudin may be waffling on word to GOP boss ― CHARLES STILE
The City Boss Becomes the Country Boss ― DICK BENFIELD...MUST READ
Ferriero's support a curse for Kasparian? ― CHARLES STILE...MUST READ
Trenton must stop thinking outside box― DOUG FORRESTER
Three's a crowd, but one man isn't a party― ALFRED DOBLIN
Newspaper Shuns Web, and Thrives― DAN JACOBSON
Murder charge for Prisco― ANGELO PRISCO
Healy: Have yourself a merry little Christmas with my CD― JERSEY JOURNAL
Time for BCDO to clean up its act ― CHARLES STILE
Madoff investors will have trouble getting money back― FRANK LAUTENBERG
Syndicate
Talk about a disappointment
Everyone says Rose is a good guy. Maybe he his. But look at the track record here: if there's economic development happening in NJ, someone forgot to tell the current and potential employers who are either fleeing as fast as they can or avoiding NJ like the plague. Corzine has been an utter failure on so many fronts, but none more than job creation. NJ has even tried to be competitive. You'd think Mr. Wall Street (and Rose, Mr. Deputy Wall Street) would at least know what a business needs to thrive. Look at the numbers: the only jobs that have been created under Corzine are government jobs...the ones that have been funded by all our tax dollars. Sadly, I doubt Corzine could find anyone who could do a better job than Rose. The problem starts at the top...Corzine and his unwillingness to take on the DEP, the legislature, the regulatory bureaucracy, or anyone else.
Stick to the numbers
Governors, despite all their best or worst intentions, have fairly little impact on job growth in comparison to the effect of overall national economic booms/recessions on states’ economies; any policies put into place for economic development take a few years to prove successful (or damaging). I would say the jury is still out on Gary Rose and Corzine. Governors, of course, do have much more impact on public sector employment. For the record, here’s how the past few have stacked up in terms of growth in government sector jobs (all BLS data):
Whitman (Jan 94-Jan 01) 4.06%
DiFrancesco (Jan 01-Jan 02) 3.30%
McGreevey (Jan 02-Nov 04) 4.01%
Codey (Nov 04-Jan06) 1.39%
Corzine (Jan06-Apr08) 0.22%
For their short tenures, DiFrancesco and McGreevey seem to lead the pack.
gary rose
I would like to know if this is the same gary rose with whom i worked at the securities and exchange commission in the late 60s and early 70s. if so, i would like to know how to reach him either via e-mail or by phone. thanks very much.