Nj.com/Corzine expects N.J.'s share of federal stimulus money to be $4 billion

Posted by mdowling January 20, 2009 09:46AM

Gov. Jon Corzine said today the Garden State could receive as much as $4 billion in federal stimulus money over two years to help pay for education and health care, a drop of $2 billion from the amount Corzine said he expected earlier this month.

Appearing on CNBC's "Squakbox," Corzine called the federal stimulus package being advanced in the House "quite substantial." Corzine says the money won't be a blank check.

Corzine said Jan. 9 that the state could see as much as $6 billion in federal stimulus aid if the distribution of the money was based on population. New Jersey is home to about 3 percent of the nation's residents, he said.

Corzine delayed his annual budget address to the Legislature so he could get a better idea of how much federal help to expect.

The governor said today he hopes to avoid raising taxes even though the New Jersey Constitution bars the state from running in the red.

The governor will give his budget proposal in mid-March.