Louis Greenwald

GREENWALD: CHRISTIENOMICS WOULD 'BLOW UP' STATE BUDGET

(Trenton) – Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Louis D. Greenwald today warned that the economic policies not tossed aside by Chris Christie not only would blow up the state's budget but also turn the clock back on nearly a decade's worth of efforts to position New Jersey on a permanently firm fiscal footing.

The Courier-Post has endorsed Republican Joseph Adolf, a former Mayor of Magnolia, for State Senator in the sixth district.  Adolf faces incumbent James Beach (D-Voorhees), who won a special election convention in January for the seat of John Adler, who was elected to Congress.

“We’re backing Adolf because we think more fiscal conservatism is needed in Trenton, and Adolf would bring that. He knows that cutting property taxes is the most important issue. He wants to do a thorough review of state government and look at where services are being duplicated so operations can be made more efficient and less costly. That's a great idea,” the editorial said.

For the Assembly, the Courier-Post praised all four candidates, but endorsed Democratic incumbents Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees) and Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill) over GOP challengers Scot DeCristofaro and Brian Greenberg.

Noteworthy in the race for State Assembly in District 36, State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) has not contributed to the re-election campaign of his two running mates, Assemblymen Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley).  The incumbents, who had a poll this summer showing Republicans ahead in this potentially competitive district, have spent over $425,000 on their campaign.  The GOP challengers, Donald Diorio and Carmen Pio Costa, have spent less than $7,500.

While Sarlo has apparently taken a walk on Schaer and Scalera, other Democrats have come through.  They have received $16,400 each from Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Budget Committee Chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), and from Gloucester County Freeholder Stephen Sweeney's campaign fund.  Gov. Jon Corzine gave them a personal check for $5,200, and State Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair) gave Schaer $500.  The Democratic State Committee has spent $67,976 in the 36th, while the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee has spent $43,381.

REPUBLICAN LEADER WARNS TAXPAYERS TO BE ‘AFRAID, VERY AFRAID’ OF ANY OTHER OFFICIAL WHO SHARES GREENWALD’S MENTALITY 

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says he is shocked that the Democrat who heads the Assembly Budget Committee and bears much of the responsibility for New Jersey’s oppressive debt, outrageously high taxes and out-of-control spending doesn’t want the recession to end quickly because he is afraid consumers will start borrowing more money.

“If anyone has a right to be afraid, it’s the taxpayers,” asserted DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “They should be afraid, very afraid of Democrats like Lou Greenwald and Jon Corzine, who have already admitted they can’t wait to resume the spending and borrowing binge that has inflicted such heavy damage to the state’s economy.”

DeCroce’s comments came in reaction to new statements by Greenwald, a Camden County Democrat who is chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee and gained notoriety when he once insisted that New Jersey should have the “courage” to spend more of the taxpayers’ money.

Greenwald stunned taxpayers when he said during a live radio interview last week that “if (our economic problem) is solved too quickly, people (will) believe the pain was not real and I think it will be very easy for elected officials to fall into old habits,”

Instead of recanting his remarks, Greenwald defended them in a report posted on the website PolitickerNJ.com and blamed consumer borrowing and spending for creating the recession that has cost too many people their jobs and their homes.

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ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON PASSAGE OF THE FY 2010 BUDGET

(TRENTON) - The Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee today issued a multimedia package on the Assembly passage of New Jersey's annual appropriations act for fiscal year 2010.

The $28.9 billion fiscal year 2010 budget (A-4100) is about $4 billion less than last year - representing the largest spending cut in state history - and would:

• Provide property tax rebates to households earning less than $75,000 per year;
• Retain the property tax deduction for households earning up to $250,000 per year;
• Devote more than half of state spending to property tax relief;
• Cap tuition increases at 3 percent and increase direct college student assistance by about 10 percent; and
• Increase school aid by $270 million.

GREENWALD: 'BUDGET FOCUSES ON OUR CORE MISSION AS A STATE'

"If New Jersey hadn’t already separated itself from the rest of the nation in how we have handled our budget in this unprecedented economic climate because of the emphasis on responsible spending cuts and maximizing federal dollars, now we have.

"As other states continue to make unconscionable cuts to their residents core values, we continue to strengthen ours."

GREENWALD STATEMENT ON COMMITTEE RELEASE
OF 'REVISED AND IMPROVED' FY2010 PLAN

(TRENTON) - Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) today released the following statement as the panel voted 8-4 to send the Fiscal Year 2010 state budget to the full Assembly, where a Thursday floor vote has been scheduled:

"What a difference a week makes.

"The budget we released today is revised and improved, yet still maintains the core spending reductions we have reviewed throughout the past three months."

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ROBERTS/WATSON COLEMAN/GREENWALD ON BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED TAX AMNESTY REVENUE FIGURES

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman and Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Louis D. Greenwald today issued a multimedia package discussing Governor Jon S. Corzine's announcement that the state's tax amnesty program has exceeded revenue projections and what it means for the FY 2010 Budget.

GREENWALD: PROPERTY TAXPAYERS WILL BE 'RIGHTFUL BENEFICIARIES' OF TAX AMNESTY WINDFALL

(TRENTON) - Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) made the following statement regarding the state's unexpected receipt of approximately $400 million in unanticipated new revenue through the recent tax amnesty program:

CHRISTIE’S FISCALLY RECKLESS BUDGET IS DISHONEST WITH NEW JERSEY

“You cannot promise all things to all people and call yourself honest”

TRENTON- Senate Budget Chair Barbara Buono and Assembly Budget Chair Louis Greenwald today held a press conference on Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie’s fiscally reckless budget that would make New Jersey’s financial situation dramatically worse. They noted that Christie’s budget is a series of political promises that would blow a $7.4 billion hole in the budget.