***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE*** Assembly Democrats React to Economic Worries Voiced at Monday Labor Committee Hearing

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS REACT TO ECONOMIC WORRIES VOICED AT MONDAY LABOR COMMITTEE HEARING

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued the following multimedia package as the Assembly Labor Committee took testimony on the effects of the financial crisis on New Jersey's economy and its citizens.

The multimedia package consists of a video from the hearing, audio of same and a transcript of comments by Assembly Democratic lawmakers.

The video can be accessed directly via our Web site - www.assemblydems.com - or by clicking here.

The audio file is available upon request.

A transcript of some Assembly Democratic comments is appended below:

Assemblyman Joseph Egan, (D-Middlesex), the committee chairman:
"I'm optimistic that leadership is willing to have some meetings to see what we can do to ensure people can keep their jobs, can pay for their mortgages and move forward in these difficult times."

Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D-Passaic), the committee vice-chair, on what comes next:
"We as state legislators will have to try to figure out how do we help people, where do we go from here and how do we best do our budget and take the money that we are bringing into the state of New Jersey to give it back to the community to help people."

Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) on possible solutions:
"We heard a variety of solutions, local solutions like take a second look at the UEZ program to more global solutions like trying to reduce the cost of business in New Jersey."

Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Essex) on the proposed $700 billion federal buyout plan:
"Can we use some of that money to get some of our people back to work, paying their mortgages before they have to foreclose?"

Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer) on a possible solution:
"The creation of jobs, green jobs - to help us with our power shortage, to help us with our blue-collar construction type of projects, to help revamp our infrastructure in the state of New Jersey, to attract corporate businesses into the state."

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