This Is My New Jersey

Let’s face it, New Jersey politics is a full-contact sport. And there are very few politicians I genuinely like. Former Governor Richard Codey was one of them and sadly, we lost him earlier this month.

Dick Codey

Mr. Codey was born an Essex County boy in Orange, the son of a funeral director. When he was barely a teenager he started to go to body pick-ups with his father, which I am sure wasn’t something any 14-year-old would be expected to manage. When his father became the county coroner Mr. Codey took over his the funeral business.

That was the first time I met him. I was there for the wake and funeral of a family member. He was exactly what you would expect; caring, professional, and supportive. Obviously, we didn’t talk politics. He did everything he could to take care of the immediate family I was there to support.

“Gov.” Codey

Speaking of New Jersey politics, he assumed the role of governor when former Governor Whitman resigned to head up the EPA. It was for a short time, but he would have the opportunity to serve two more times.

After the short-lived run of Governor James McGreevy, he assumed the role of governor once again. This time, he held the position for approximately two years. It was during this stint in the top spot for the state I had the opportunity to meet him again.

This time I was a volunteer for Casting for Recovery in New Jersey and met him at a Susan G. Komen event. This time I did talk politics with him a bit. I told him I was a life-long Republican, but respected his approach and how much he cared for the state. I asked him to run for a full term and I would be proud to support him. He laughed and said “I’ve been working all my life to stay out of public housing, I definitely don’t want to go in now!” I could tell it was a prepared answer, as I assumed he had been asked multiple times before I met him. I laughed and said I understood, but I hoped he would give it a little more thought. I also thanked him for supporting the cause of breast cancer awareness, support, and research. He was gracious and said it was important and he was happy to be there and show his support. I didn’t want to take up too much of his time, as there were plenty of other people who wanted to talk to him. I thanked him again, shook his hand, and that was it.

Mr. Codey held the position of governor one more time for about one month after Governor Corzine was in a catastrophic car accident.

Despite being a Democrat, I agreed with a lot of his stances. He worked to make school lunches healthier, banned indoor smoking, shine a light on the importance of mental health, and instituted drug testing for students participating in sports. Most importantly, and certainly a tough sell in New Jersey, he worked to improve ethics in politics and signed a law banning campaign contributions by businesses holding state contracts in several circumstances.

He held positions I didn’t agree with as well, but let’s face it, you aren’t going to agree with anyone 100% of the time. He was a good man who worked hard to make New Jersey a better place to live.

My beloved state was made better by his work. He made headway by working with those around him. He lifted New Jersey up where it is the hardest – Trenton.

We could all learn from his example. Thank you Governor. Rest easy.