The Star-Ledger’s Paul Mulshine, official curmudgeon and prognosticator, takes on Corzine’s reluctance to cap property taxes and predicts that school districts will see big State aid reductions with local taxpayers picking up the balance:

I’ll grant the governor is a better numbers man than I am. But I can’t see how he can balance next year’s budget without cutting billions in aid to school boards and municipalities.

And I also can’t see how he can prevent those towns and school boards from making up for that lost aid by raising property taxes.

And the seer on universal preschool in New Jersey:

Our Mr. Universe ended his speech this week with a call for universal preschool, a measure that could only be funded with yet another big hike in taxes for New Jersey homeowners. So don’t expect property-tax relief any time soon. Our Mr. Universe only flexes his muscles when he’s trying to impress the public employee unions.

Sometimes curmudgeons are right.