Senate Republican Budget Leaders Decry Corzine's Leadership Gap, Urge Buono to Act Decisively

The six Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee have sent a letter to Chairwoman Barbara Buono that asks her to call the committee into session this summer. The committee's task would be to develop a plan to close an unprecedented $8 billion structural deficit and a more than $2 billion deficit in the unemployment fund. The letter points out that Governor Corzine is avoiding questions about how he plans to do to deal with this crisis.

"When there is a gap in leadership at the top, others must step in to fill the void, " said Senator Anthony Bucco, senior Republican member on the budget committee and Republican budget officer. "Nine years of multi-billion dollar budget deficits is inexcusable."

The letter states that Republican members of the committee strongly believe that it would be irresponsible to take the rest of the summer off when the state teeters on the brink of insolvency and the governor is refusing to talk about his plans with the public.

"Democracies aren't supposed to operate like secretive Wall Street banks, " Senate Republican Whip Kevin O'Toole said. "If the governor won't talk about the biggest crisis facing this state, then lawmakers must begin open hearings to discuss solutions today."

Senators Steven Oroho, Phil Haines, Marcia Karrow and Joe Pennacchio decried the governor's touting of the job-killing tactics he's used to paper over past budget problems.

"An atmosphere of constant fiscal crisis and uncertainty kills jobs, " Senator Oroho said. "No business wants to operate in a climate where promises are broken year after year."

"New Jersey's 9.2 percent unemployment rate – by far the highest in the region – is a direct result of the governor's failure to deliver responsible budgets and keep his promises about taxation and fiscal responsibility, " Karrow said.

"The governor touts a fantasy record of transparency in government, " Pennacchio said. "The governor isn't being honest and open with the public about this crisis, just as he hasn't been honest and open about property tax relief and the spending of federal stimulus funds."

"We owe New Jersey an honest and open effort to end Trenton's deficit culture, " Senator Haines said. "We need to start today."

A copy of the letter is below:

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

July 21, 2009

Honorable Barbara Buono, Chairwoman

Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

Two Lincoln Highway, Suite 401

Edison, New Jersey 08820

Dear Senator Buono:

We are writing to request that you immediately convene the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee to begin addressing what the Office of Legislative Services has identified as a more than $10 billion structural deficit in our State's Budget and our Unemployment Compensation Fund. We strongly believe that it would be irresponsible for the committee to take the rest of the summer off and not begin working together to address a looming structural deficit that is so large, it pulls our State towards insolvency.

We have called on Governor Corzine to begin addressing the structural deficit, but he refuses to acknowledge it, much less take steps to address it. We feel that while the Governor remains paralyzed with indecision, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee must fill the leadership void and begin the hard work of addressing the largest structural deficit in the State's history.

We stand ready to participate in whatever schedule of meetings you may develop.

Sincerely,

Senator Tony Bucco  Senator Kevin O'Toole  Senator Steve Oroho

Senator Phil Haines  Senator Joe Pennacchio  Senator Marcia Karrow #