State Budget

TRENTON –  Senator Jeff Van Drew today said the national economic crisis should motivate action to empower New Jersey voters to “fundamentally restructure state government spending” through constitutional reforms that would save millions of taxpayer dollars annually.

            “This economic crisis should awaken everyone to the need to change our culture of reckless spending,” said Senator Van Drew, D-Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland. “Inaction is intolerable at a time when people are being driven from their homes, jobs are being lost and seniors are watching their lifetime savings shrinking before their eyes.”

Republican Senate Leader Tom Kean looks forward to a vigorous debate among all the stakeholders about Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's plan to convert to a for-profit company.

TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono, Chair of the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee, released the following statement as the Senate considered S-2009/A-2800, the State’s spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It received final approval 23-16.

            “This budget makes progress toward rebuilding the public’s trust in their elected representatives.

Governor's spending plan assures higher taxes, fees and tolls

Just 10% of New Jersey voters say they are “satisfied” with Governor Jon Corzine’s state budget, another 34% say that are “not particularly satisfied but can live with it,” and 54% are “decidedly dissatisfied,” according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released this morning.

Accepting the Oscar for his leading role in the budget adaptation of "There Will Be Blood" is Governor Jon Corzine. This was a budget speech that reached out and stabbed nearly every constituency and hacked at countless services that the public holds dear. As intended, the Governor's speech was grim, sobering and gory. It was also dead wrong.

Slashing thousands of jobs of middle class workers, who had nothing to do with getting the state in this fiscal fix, is grossly unfair. More to the point, it doesn't save money, it doesn't attack patronage and it ultimately hurts all families in New Jersey. My local union, representing thousands of public workers, vehemently opposes these cuts and we intend to vigorously fight against them.

We've seen this movie before starring Governors past. As horror films go, each sequel gets bloodier. This year's version, seemingly written with a chainsaw, proposes to eliminate between 4,000 and 5,000 hard-working middle class workers while failing to present any real solution to state's ongoing fiscal problems. These cuts will be devastating to the critical services that our members provide to the public and which the public values.

SCHAER RESPONSE TO CORZINE BUDGET PROPOSAL
Assemblyman Calls for Responsible Fiscal Discipline

    (TRENTON) - Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Vice Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, today said Governor Corzine's budget proposal reflects the difficult reality the state faces.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. says that comments by a senior Democratic legislator, Raymond Lesniak, suggesting that Gov. Jon Corzine’s toll hike plan is dead, means the state should look for a budget that doesn’t rely on revenues from toll increases. 
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“Prominent Democrat Senators have now pronounced as DOA in the Senate any gas tax increase, any toll increases for debt, and now the Governor's ill advised and quite likely unconstitutional PBC. It's clear that the members of his own party are now following of the lead of republicans in the legislature in rejecting the Governor's vision,” Kean said in a statement released today.

ASSEMBLY PASSES FY2008 STATE BUDGET

$33.5 Billion Fiscal Plan Has No New or Increased Taxes or Fees,
Includes Significant Business Tax Cuts, Record Levels of Property Tax Relief

(TRENTON) - The Assembly today passed a balanced $33.5 billion fiscal year 2008 state budget that avoids any new or increased taxes and that provides historic levels of property tax relief and tax cuts for businesses and financially at-risk working families.

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today unaminously signed off on a plan sponsored by Senator Barbara Buono that would ask the voters if they want to dedicate 1 percent of the 7 percent sales tax to property tax relief.