New Jersey gets back to work following government shut-down

TRENTON - For state employees in New Jersey, the week-long, unexpected break is over. State workers were heading back to work Monday after a government shut-down temporarily halted most state services last week and closed Atlantic City’s 12 casinos for three days. The shut-down, spurred by a budget impasse between Gov. Jon S. Corzine and his fellow Democrats who control the Legislature, ended Saturday morning after the Assembly and the Senate passed a compromise $30.8 billion spending plan that boosted the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The shut-down began after the state failed to have a balanced budget in place by July 1, as mandated by the state Constitution. It forced the temporary layoffs of about 45,000 state workers, because the money to pay them had not been authorized by the Legislature. Only state police and others considered essential to the health, safety and welfare of state residents were allowed to remain on the job. Some 36,000 casino dealers, cocktail servers and slot machine attendants were forced off the job when gambling inspectors stopped working. The state also lost $1.3 million in daily tax revenue each day the casinos were closed. On Saturday, Corzine issued an executive order ending the shut-down, and the casinos reopened soon thereafter. The state lottery resumed selling tickets and New Jersey’s four horse racing tracks also went back into business. The return to normalcy continued Sunday, when state parks and beaches were reopened to large crowds. And state courts, motor vehicle agencies and auto inspection stations were all expected to resume operations on Monday. In Cherry Hill, dozens of people were waiting to renew driver’s licenses and car registrations at one motor vehicle commission office Monday morning. The shut-down last week ``made me drive with a registration that wasn’t valid,’’ said Dan Zeccola, 43.