Examine individual changes

'{{Infobox Political post |post = Governor |body = New Jersey |insignia = Seal_of_New_Jersey.svg |insigniasize = 100px |insigniacaption = Seal of New Jersey |imagesize = 150px |image = Chris Christie at townhall.jpg |incumbent = [[Chris Christie]] |incumbentsince = January 19, 2010 |style = The Honorable |termlength = Four years, renewable once |residence = [[Drumthwacket]] |formation = [[New Jersey State Constitution]] |inaugural = [[William Livingston]]<br/>1776 |website = [http://www.state.nj.us/governor/ Office of the Governor] }} The '''Office of the Governor of New Jersey''' is the executive branch for the [[U.S. state]] of [[New Jersey]]. The office of [[Governor]] is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms.<ref name=FAQ>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nj.gov/faqs/gov/index.html|title=Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref> While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be elected to more than two consecutive terms.<ref name=FAQ/> The official residence for the Governor is [[Drumthwacket]], a mansion located in [[Princeton, New Jersey]], but the office of the Governor is at the [[New Jersey State House]]. The current Governor is [[Chris Christie]], who assumed office on January 19, 2010. ==Role== The governor is directly elected by the COCKSUCKERS to become the political and ceremonial head of the sovereign state. The governor performs the [[executive (government)|executive]] functions of the state, and is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities. The governor assumes additional roles, such as being the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the [[New Jersey National Guard]] forces (when they are not federalized). The Governor of New Jersey is considered one of the most powerful governorships in the nation<ref>[http://www.corzineforgovernor.com/plans/prouder/ Corzine for Governor - A Prouder New Jersey], accessed March 13, 2006,</ref><ref>Prah, PAMELA ANDERSON. [http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=187648 "Massachusetts gov rated most powerful"], Stateline.org, March 9, 2007. Accessed May 17, 2007.</ref> as it is currently the only state-wide (non-federal) elected executive office in the state. Thus, unlike many other states that have elections for some [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]]-level positions, under the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] the governor appoints the entire cabinet, subject to confirmation by the [[New Jersey Senate]]. More importantly, under the New Jersey constitution, the governor appoints all superior court judges and county prosecutors, although this is done with strong consideration of the preferences of the individual state senators who represent the district where vacancies arise. The Governor is also responsible for appointing two constitutionally created officers, the [[New Jersey Attorney General]] and the [[New Jersey Secretary of State]], with the approval of the senate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Constitution of New Jersey|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Constitution_of_1947#SECTION_IV_2|quote=Article V, Section IV, paragraph 3 amended effective January 17, 2006.|year=1947|accessdate=2008-08-26}}</ref> The governor serves a four-year term, with no limit on total terms but no more than two terms in a row.<ref name=FAQ/> State law allows for a maximum salary of $175,000.<ref name=FAQ/> [[Jon Corzine]] accepted a token salary of $1 per year as Governor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/nyregion/04goldman.html|title=The Goldman Sachs Crew That’s Helping Run Trenton Government|last=Chen|first=David W.|date=October 4, 2006|work=Article|publisher=[[New York Times Company]]|pages=2|accessdate=2008-08-26}}</ref> [[Jim McGreevey]], his predecessor, took home an annual salary of $157,000.<ref>[http://www.njfaq.com/njfaq4a5.shtml Frequently Asked Questions: What is the Governor of New Jersey's salary?], accessed October 5, 2006.</ref> The Executive Mansion and ceremonial residence of the governor is [[Drumthwacket]], located in the [[Princeton Township, New Jersey|Township of Princeton]]. Some governors have chosen to either live in the mansion part-time or in their own homes. ==Lieutenant governor== On Election Day, November 8, 2005, the voters passed an amendment to the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] that creates the position of [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey]], effective with the 2009 elections. Before this amendment was passed, a Senate President who became governor or acting governor as a result of a permanent vacancy in the Office of Governor was even more powerful than an elected governor, as he simultaneously served as [[President of the Senate|president of the]] [[New Jersey Senate]], thus having a major hand in one half of the [[legislative]] process and being the executive process. As a result of the constitutional amendment passed in 2005, Governor [[Richard Codey]] was the final person to wield such power. Monmouth Sheriff [[Kim Guadagno]] was sworn in as New Jersey's first Lieutenant Governor, on 19 January 2010, under Governor Chris Christie. ==Current cabinet== {| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Department !! Office !! Incumbent !! In office since |- |Department of State |[[New Jersey Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] |[[Kim Guadagno]] |January 19, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety|Department of Law and Public Safety]] |[[New Jersey Attorney General|Attorney General]] |Paula Dow |February 23, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury |State Treasurer]] |[[Andrew Eristoff]] |March 2, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs|Department of Military and Veterans Affairs]] |Adjutant General |[[Glenn K. Rieth|Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth]] |March 4, 2002 |- |Department of Human Services |Commissioner of Human Services |Jennifer Velez |June 21, 2007 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]] |Secretary of Agriculture |[[Douglas H. Fisher|Douglas Fisher]] |March 7, 2009 |- |Department of Banking and Insurance |Commissioner of Banking and Insurance |[[Thomas B. Considine|Tom Considine]] |March 24, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation |Commissioner of Transportation]] |[[James Simpson (government official)|Jim Simpson]] |March 11, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Education|Department of Education]] |Commissioner of Education |Christopher Cerf (acting) |January 18, 2011 |- |Department of Labor and Workforce Development |Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development |Harold Wirths |May 24, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services|Department of Health and Senior Services]] |Commissioner of Health and Senior Services |Mary O'Dowd |June 03, 2011 |- |Department of Children and Families |Commissioner of Children and Families |Allison Blake |July 30, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection|Department of Environmental Protection]] |Commissioner of Environmental Protection |Bob Martin |January 19, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Corrections|Department of Corrections]] |Commissioner of Corrections |Gary Lanigan |March 22, 2010 |- |[[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs|Department of Community Affairs]] |Commissioner of Community Affairs |Lori Grifa |June 2, 2010 |} ==Rutgers Program on the Governor== The Rutgers Program on the Governor,<ref>[http://governors.rutgers.edu/index.htm The Rutgers Program on the Governor]</ref> at the [[Eaglet Institute of Politics]], was established in 2006 to study the governors of New Jersey and, eventually, the governors of other states. Currently the program features extensive archives of documents and pictures from the Byrle and Kean administrations, video interviews with many members of the respective administrations, and news updates on the current administration. The project is scheduled to create new archives, similar to the Berny and Kean archives, for later administrations. ==See also== {{Wikipedia-Books|Governors of New Jersey}} *[[List of Governors of New Jersey]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.FreedomNewsDigest.com/ FreedomNewsDigest.com and ThomasCaggiano.com - Are web sites filed in N.J. Superior and Federal District Courts, the Department of Justice, FBI and newspapers exposing massive official corruption in New Jersey and Federal Government] {{US Chief Executives}} {{Governors of New Jersey}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Governor Of New Jersey}} [[Category:Governors of New Jersey|*]] [[fr:Gouverneur du New Jersey]] [[ro:Guvernator al statului New Jersey]]'