Fulfilling the daily tasks of a Governor is a hectic job, to say the least. New Jersey is an extraordinarily diverse place—from its schools to its shores, from its industries to its agriculture, from its roads to its religious centers—and it is Governor Jon Corzine’s responsibility to address the issues that arise in every area. As a result, his days and duties vary greatly—but if you could travel on a typical day with the Governor, the experience would be something like this...
Jon Corzine wakes up very early in Drumthwacket, the Governor’s Mansion in Princeton, or in his home in Hoboken, to read the newspaper and go for a run on the treadmill. He reads several of the morning newspapers, reading local and national news that’s relevant to New Jersey. He also scans them for articles scans of particular interest to him—maybe the sports section about the Chicago White Sox baseball team (he was born and raised in Illinois) or the Giants football team, or perhaps technology and business news.
After absorbing the morning information with a cup (or two) of coffee, he usually heads off to the State House in Trenton. At other times, he’ll travel to events or meetings in various parts of the state to sit down and talk to to anyone from school students to businessmen to mayors.
The Governor’s workday officially begins when he meets with his senior advisors, who update him on everything from the latest issues in transportation, the environment, education, the state’s workforce and more. These advisors help the Governor get a feel for what the most pressing issues are, who the different people on opposing sides of an issue are, and assist him in preparing for what is to come on that particular day.
After the meeting, there is a wide range of events the Governor might attend. On any given day, Governor Corzine may address the potential to fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions or discuss how to keep state parks safe and beautiful. The Governor tries to be healthy, but lunch is usually on-the-go, on the way from one stop to another as he criss-crosses the State.
He meets with health-care experts to decide how to make sure all children in the State have access to adequate health care, or he meets with owners of small businesses to hear their concerns and discuss how the State government can give them a boost. He might find himself speaking to a labor union, celebrating an awards ceremony with people who have demonstrated leadership in public service, visiting a school, or even attending a parade.
Throughout the day, advisors, Cabinet members, and other staff members update the Governor on things occurring around the state, and the issues the newspapers and TV networks are interested in covering. Often, Governor Corzine will take a moment to hold an impromptu press conference or engage a reporter in a one-on-one interview.
But his work doesn’t stop at 5 o’clock like most people. Governor Corzine wants to make sure he talks to various groups and organizations throughout the state, and sometimes they have dinners or awards banquets in the evening. He barely has time to unwind in the evening—especially if he’s reading up to prepare for a big event the next day—but he usually settles down to a cable news program at some point during the evening.
Governor Corzine is an extremely hard worker and his days are long—imagine a 14-hour workday followed by a 6 a.m. alarm clock! But somehow, he finds the energy for the next day…
