Public relations, or public outcry?

The assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling said results from a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Tuesday suggest Gov. Corzine's public relations campaign may be working, as more state residents say they know more about the state budget.

But although the number of people who say they know quite a bit about the budget rose, they don't necessarily like what they know, with only 33 percent saying the budget is fair. And the governor's job approval rating was at 43 percent. Is that the result of an effort toward education, or have state residents simply decided to stop turning a blind eye as government spending runs amok?

Is it outreach, or has a good part of the public started paying much more attention on their own, after seeing their taxes skyrocket over the last several years, coupled with more and more stories of corruption, overspending and unethical practices that pull more and more dollars out of their wallets, often far more than any wage increases they receive?

Only 5 percent blamed Corzine for the state's budget problems. But with constant campaign promises of seeing taxes lowered, then taxpayers get hit with higher taxes and fees, is it any wonder that more and more people are banging their heads against the wall, paying more attention to the state budget and considering moves out of state?