Corzine says he'll remain an active progressive voice

Gov. Corzine yesterday blamed himself for his political shortcomings and Election Day defeat, pledged to remain an active voice for progressive policies, and envisioned working well into his 70s or beyond after figuring out his next step.

In an interview on his final full day in office, Corzine reiterated the message of his State of the State speech last week, that he "couldn't be more grateful" for his time in public life and "the opportunity to serve."

"Being the governor is clearly the most meaningful thing that I've ever been involved with," Corzine said.

A former investment banker who made hundreds of millions of dollars in a rapid rise to the top of Goldman Sachs, Corzine's public career included five years in the U.S. Senate, four in the governor's office, and more than $130 million spent on three campaigns. He said it was worth it.

"If you want to change the lives of tens of thousands or millions of kids with regard to education, if you want to change the achievement gap for minority students, government is the place where you address those issues," said Corzine, 63. "This is where you do things in scale and, I think, have a tremendous impact."

Corzine, whose term officially ends at noon today, spent yesterday in a Newark office building, signing dozens of bills, including a measure to end state control of Camden government. One bill he planned to sign would require everyone in a vehicle, including adults in backseats, to wear seat belts.

Corzine, nearly killed in a 2007 accident in which he was not wearing his seat belt, said "you can imagine I'm somewhat emotionally attached to" that law.

He said he expects to spend more time with his three children and grandchildren after leaving office, possibly teach, and keep working, hinting at a step back to the private sector.

"If I'm not working when I'm 75, maybe even longer than that, I'd be very disappointed in my work ethic," Corzine said. "Working and taking on challenges is not a burden. Actually, [it's] what makes life worth living."

He expects to maintain a "home base" in New Jersey - he currently lives in Hoboken - but may end up in China, Israel, or some other far-flung locale.

"I have no idea what the next job will be," Corzine said.

A former Wall Street titan, he said rebuilding the nation's financial system "seems like an important element" of the national economic recovery, and one that can be done while still being a "good corporate" citizen.

A believer in an active government that provides better schools and health care, Corzine said he wants to be a voice for progressives, especially in the face of the kind of anger he sees at Tea Party rallies and that manifested itself in opposition to his controversial, ill-fated toll road proposal in 2008.

"It is important for those that believe there is a positive role, not an excessive role, a positive role [for government], to give voice to that," Corzine said. "At least for the moment, the opposite side of the spectrum has been winning the battles in the public square."

Anger at New Jersey's high taxes and sputtering economy played a central role in Corzine's defeat to Republican Christopher J. Christie, who takes office today.

Corzine said he had made progress in New Jersey and attempted to live up to a Woodrow Wilson quote he used in his own inaugural, that "if you think too much about being reelected, it's very difficult to be worth reelecting," noting he had made the politically tough call of cutting property-tax rebates during an election year.

But he said the impact of the recession was more obvious to residents than his accomplishments.

"All of the problems that exist in the state get aggravated or multiplied for our citizens in bad economic times," Corzine said. "It's one thing to be paying high property taxes in a time of economic strength and when they're doing well economically."

But when jobs were lost and pay slipped, and taxes remained high, anxiety grew, Corzine said, and the progress he said he made reforming school funding and boosting education and health did not come through.

In a stark self-assessment, Corzine, versed in policy but not sound bytes, blamed himself for failing to deliver his own message.

"I didn't make that case strongly enough to the people to let them know that there was real change afoot," Corzine said. "Those things, they catch up with you. I don't blame other people. It's me and shortcomings."

With that, Corzine was off to review and sign more bills. He had about 24 hours left as governor, and said he was excited about much of the legislation left on his desk. The man who had risen with a determined work ethic from a farm in Illinois had a few more tasks to complete.

"We have a full day ahead of us," he said.