State Budget - Ledger - Roberts mutinies

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Published in the Star-Ledger, Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Mutiny: Mr. Roberts won't come on board

BY JEFF WHELAN AND JOSH MARGOLIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Among the triumvirate of powerful Democrats who rule the Statehouse, Joe Roberts is the toughest to pick out of a crowd.

Jon Corzine is the former Wall Street wizard turned governor, and Richard Codey is the Senate president who wisecracked his way to record popularity in his 14 months as the state's chief executive.

But it was Roberts, the quiet, silver-haired Assembly speaker, who walked into the governor's office 12 days ago and set in motion a political drama that has left Trenton teetering on the brink of a state government shutdown.

Roberts flatly told Corzine that the governor's proposed sales tax hike to balance the state budget was dead in the lower house.

Taking on the governor -- who has the Senate president on his side -- is a huge political risk for a speaker who has been on the job less than six months.

"There's a lot at stake in this budget battle for Joe Roberts, and it's not just the substance of the state budget, but also the public's perception of him as a state leader," said former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli.

During an interview in his Statehouse office yesterday, the 53-year-old Camden County lawmaker made no apologies for a strategy that has opened up his party to potential civil war.

"I fight for what I believe in. I've always done that and I'll always do that," he said. "Democrats have core values and core beliefs. But it's not a monolithic party. We have different approaches to things."

Roberts served four years as Assembly majority leader under Speaker Albio Sires, who relied heavily on his experience as a parliamentarian and political strategist.

"Roberts is smart and very adept at explaining the substance of public policy. But beyond that, he's very good at explaining the political consequences of policy to his fellow legislators," said David Rebovich, a Rider University political science professor.

Roberts has been an elected official for more than three decades, beginning with the Bellmawr Board of Education. He was in the restaurant business until he sold two establishments and a nightclub to focus on government full time in 2003. One of his earliest jobs was running constituent services for Rep. Jim Florio, before Florio became governor.

"He's very, very serious. He's very substantive," said Florio. "He's not an outgoing extrovert, but he has a nice way about him. People like him and he's collegial and professional."

Roberts has represented Camden County in the Assembly since 1987. George Norcross III, the county's Democratic power broker whose crass style was caught on tape in a state corruption investigation, is a friend, close ally and former business partner.

Florio says it's "almost insultingly shallow" when critics suggest Roberts is doing Norcross' bidding, as some Democrats whisper. "He's his own man," Florio said.

Roberts is not stranger to political wars. He led a hard-fought campaign effort that increased the Democrats' Assembly majority by two seats last year.

Six years ago, he tried to oust veteran Hudson County Assemblyman Joseph Doria from the minority leader's job as South Jersey lawmakers sought more power in Trenton. He lost and Doria, now a state senator, kicked him off the powerful appropriations committee.

Last year, Roberts went to war with Codey over the budget. A bitter, six-day standoff ended after the Assembly backed down and agreed to $500 million in property tax rebate cuts. Codey also made concessions, such as scrapping $550 million in new taxes, but it was perceived he got the best of Roberts.

Some question whether Roberts is digging in against Corzine to avenge that.

"Is there lingering bitterness from last year? Is this the grudge match?" asked Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex).

Roberts said his defiance of the governor is all about property taxes. He said he won't accept a sales tax increase unless every penny of it goes toward property tax reform. He says property tax reform should come before a higher sales tax.

"I am convinced that the people of this state do not want to see a sales tax increase used to continue the status quo, to continue government as it is here in New Jersey," Roberts said. "But I think we can engage them in a debate about whether or not they would support a sales tax increase or other new revenues to offset our highest-in-the-country property taxes."

Joseph Marbach, chairman of Seton Hall University's political science department, called the gamble "an important test of Roberts' leadership."

"If he loses this, he might be looked at as compromised in his leadership ability, and that lends itself to a revolt within the caucus," Marbach said. "But if he wins, the opposite happens. He solidifies his position as speaker for maybe as long as he wants to be speaker."

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