Last month, the people of New Jersey had their say. A new Governor has been elected. Next month, he will take the oath of office and assume the duties of Chief Executive of this great State.

That night, he will attend parties and celebrate his hard-earned prize. But the following morning, he will awaken to the host of serious problems that will continue to confound simple “sound bite” solutions.

Any plan he proposes will be easier to frustrate than to implement. That is the genius of our constitutional system of checks and balances.

What he will need most of all is clarity of vision.

He will have to see the problems clearly. The property tax crisis. Transportation funding. Homeland Security. A budget out of balance. Education. Environmental protection. Economic development. Health. Safety. The welfare of children, families and senior citizens.

The list goes on. And the new Governor needs to clearly see these problems individually and in relation to each other.

He will have to see all possible solutions. He will have to face the political realities of what can and cannot be done. And, he will need to face the public policy and political consequences of his decisions, boldly and honestly, whether he chooses to confront these issues head on, to address only the symptoms or to avoid dealing with them at all.

Soon, an Inaugural Address, a State of the State Message and a Budget Message will tell us all we need to know about our new Governor and his vision.

Editorial from New Jersey Municipalities, Volume 82, Number 8, December 2005