May 21, 2009 - 3:34pm
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Kean Decries Senate Vote for Corzine School Aid Borrowing

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean decried the party-line vote that led to the passage of S-2828, a bill that lets school districts borrow from the state to make up for delays in payments of state aid. Governor Corzine has proposed this ill-advised and constitutionally suspect measure to give the appearance that the state has a balanced 2009 budget by moving expenses into a new year.

"Our Constitution bans borrowing to meet operating expenses. The state is hiding behind school districts to borrow money to balance the budget," Senator Kean said. "The voters spoke last year at the ballot box, and they said this type of borrowing without their approval is unacceptable. The governor should not be using a gimmick to get around the will of the people.

Senator Kean called the governor to set aside $23 million remaining in the so-called Special Municipal Aid Account and eliminate hundreds of patronage jobs in his administration to reduce or eliminate the deferral in aid payments to New Jersey schools.

"This governor has kept the state in perpetual fiscal crisis because he has refused to stop using gimmicks to balance the budget," Kean said. "Four years of fiscal mismanagement is enough."


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ANDREW PRATT can be reached via email at apratt@njleg.org.