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ATLANTIC COUNTY SCHOOLS LOST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SCHOOL AID UNDER WHELAN & DEMOCRATS 

Amodeo & Polistina Say Loss Forced School Taxes to Jump

Citing a Rutgers study, Republican Assembly candidates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina say there can be no doubt that property taxes for schools have soared and public education has suffered in Atlantic County during the two years Democrat Jim Whelan has been in the Assembly.

“Assemblyman Whelan didn’t just sit there silently as his party deliberately withheld tens of millions of dollars in state education aid from the 2nd Legislative District,” said Amodeo.

“He was a willing participant in the strategy that denied Atlantic County schools aid to which they were otherwise legally entitled. There wasn’t a peep of protest at the time from Whalen’s running mates, Joe Wilkins and Blondell Spellman. The only assumption one can draw is that our opponents supported Whalen’s actions then and would likely follow him down such a course in the future.”

“By freezing state aid, District 2 schools lost more than $17 million each year,” added Polistina, citing data provided by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services and the state Department of Education. “Is there any wonder why New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation? Democrats have made a lot of high sounding promises to the taxpayers, but they broke their word after every election. It is certain that Whelan, Wilkins and Spellman will walk in lockstep with their party bosses if they win this election, and that would be devastating for taxpayers in the 2nd District.”

Earlier this year, the Institute on Education Law and Policy at Rutgers University-Newark issued a report that documented how public schools were shorted $846 million during the 2005-06 school year alone. Ernest C. Reock Jr., the author of the study and an acknowledged expert on property taxes, said had the money been provided property taxes could have been lowered about 6 percent in the poorest districts, 20 percent in lower-income districts, 9 percent in middle-income districts, and 3.5 percent in the wealthiest districts.

“For two years the Democrats have been working behind-the-scenes on a new school funding formula, which they claim will rectify the aid inequities,” noted Amodeo. “Governor Jon Corzine promised to unveil the new formula last spring, so it could be implemented in conjunction with the new state budget. It never happened. Now the Democrats say they will take the wraps off the formula after the election. Any funding formula that is rammed through the Legislature during a lame duck session can’t be good for the taxpayers. We should be allowed to look at, and debate the merits of, the new formula before the election.”

“We support a funding mechanism that provides fair and equitable aid for all school districts and one that is fully funded,” said Polistina. “We could have had one by now. But Whelan and the Democrats refused to apply pressure to the party bosses, who just so happen to supply the lion’s share of their campaign funds. It’s time to put the needs of the people ahead of those of party bosses and corrupt political machines.”

Amodeo and Polistina criticized Whelan, Wilkins and Spellman for remaining quiet as millions in state aid were held back by the Democrats while hundreds of millions of dollars in waste documented by state auditors went unchecked in the so-called Abbott school districts.

“While enrollments skyrocketed in several of our districts and programs had to be cut in others for lack of funds, Whelan and the Democrats did nothing as one shocking horror story after another emerged from Abbott districts, such as Camden, Newark, Paterson and Pleasantville.” Amodeo said.

“Atlantic County schools had to settle for crumbs while places Union City got a new $230 million school with a roof-top football stadium, courtesy of our tax dollars,” Polistina said. “Exorbitant sums were spent on expensive overseas junkets, stays at posh hotels and lavish feasts at exclusive restaurants by urban school officials in North Jersey while members of financially-strapped school boards in Atlantic County were debating whether to cut art programs or extra-curricular activities because Whelan and the Democrats let our schools be shortchanged.”

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