Monday marked the first day of Gov. Jon Corzine's controversial plan to furlough state employees in order to cut costs.

All Motor Vehicle offices were closed across the state. It was the first of 14 furloughs all Motor Vehicle employees must take this year.

Corzine has been calling the furloughs a necessary step to deal with the state's fiscal problems. Many employees taking them say their livelihoods are at risk due to lost wages.

"We have tried to cause the least amount of disruption of services to taxpayers in scheduling these needed temporary layoffs," says the governor. "We have a constitutional responsibility to balance revenues and expenditures, and we're doing that."

Motor Vehicle offices will reopen Tuesday. The next planned furlough day is June 15.