Bringing back the concept of civic duty

I love stuff like this. The idea of giving back as opposed to self-interest, of meritocracy as opposed to who you know, making decisions based on long-term interst rather than the latest polls. If only all politics were like this. Seriously, Alexander Hamilton was on to something...

They did not have any government experience. They did not have any political connections.

When the three political novices were selected by Gov. Jon S. Corzine earlier this year to fill some of New Jersey’s most important cabinet-level positions, what they did have was the experience of working at Goldman Sachs when Mr. Corzine was co-chairman of the investment firm in the 1990’s.

One, Gary D. Rose, is the architect of Mr. Corzine’s blueprint to expand the state’s business strategy, and a major participant in Mr. Corzine’s new initiative, announced last week, to make independent governmental authorities more accountable. Another, Barry L. Zubrow, played a crucial role last month in urging the Legislature to approve $3.25 billion for school construction projects. And during the budget stalemate this summer, it was Bradley I. Abelow who impressed lawmakers with his calm attempt to map out the state’s long-range fiscal problems.

“They aren’t necessarily Corzine people — they weren’t necessarily brought up by him at the firm — but Corzine has always sought out quality as opposed to who was in somebody’s tribe,” said Philip D. Murphy, a former partner at Goldman Sachs who is now finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

The three are investment bankers by training, as opposed to their boss’s roots as a bond trader, but they share his belief in the primacy of numbers, data analysis and long-term planning. They appear to be detail-oriented managers focused mostly on policy, not politics, and are accustomed to quick action.

“I think they’re going through the same thing that I went through four years ago,” said Andrew M. Alper, a former Goldman Sachs partner who was chosen in 2002 by another businessman-turned-politician, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, to be president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. “In the private sector, A to B is more of a straight line, and people are motivated by economics, or economic rationale. In politics, people can often block something because they want something else, and that’s the kind of three-dimensional chess that takes a while to get used to.”

Legislators and lobbyists here say the former Goldman people are less partisan than typical appointees, and they often use words like “refreshing” and “open-minded” to describe them. State Senator William L. Gormley, a Republican from Atlantic County, said dealing with them on the budget and on the economic growth plan was akin to watching people prepare a business prospectus rather than a political document.

“They’re not like an insecure politician who’s failed at another career,” Mr. Gormley said. “They’re long-term thinkers, and they’re not driven by that week’s press release — that’s just not their style. It might be boring, but it’s substantive.”

For their part, the former Goldman officials say they have no intention of following the common practice of parlaying their positions into high-paying lobbying or government jobs after they leave the State House.

“This is my shot at it, and I hope that I help to contribute to something that’s bigger than me,” said Mr. Rose, who, like Mr. Corzine, is accepting a token salary of $1 a year. “It’s not like I’m going to go out into the private sector, and make money off of this. I’m going to disappear.