BECK, O’SCANLON AND CASAGRANDE TO REFORM MINDED DEMS: WE’RE HERE TO HELP

12th District legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, responding to news reports that Democrats were unable to agree on Gov. Corzine’s budget, today sent a letter asking reform minded Democrats to work with Senate and Assembly Republicans to pass a “reform coalition budget” combining elements of the Governor’s plan and the Republican alternative plan unveiled last Thursday.

“There are 31 Assembly Republicans and 17 Senate Republicans who support the Republican alternative plan we put out last Thursday”, said Casagrande, “and from the sound of it, it seems like there are a few Democrats who are on board with some of the reforms we suggested. Maybe it’s time for a reform coalition of like-minded legislators from both parties to meet in the middle and pass a budget that reflects the true priorities of a majority of New Jerseyans.”

Assuming all Republicans voted for the coalition budget, it would require only 10 Assembly Democrats and 4 Senate Dems to vote for the compromise plan for it to pass.

Beck said a letter was sent from the District 12 team to Democratic legislators today requesting that they give serious consideration to the Republican proposals and work to reach a compromise budget.

“When the Governor announced that the debate this year would be over what to cut, and not whether or not we should cut, I took him at his word. Needless to say I was disappointed that the Governor dismissed our alternative budget plan without even reviewing it. This is the fourth year we’ve submitted a list of spending cuts to our Democratic colleagues and, in defiance of logic and reason, not one of our suggestions has been incorporated into the budget. I am hopeful that by reaching out to some of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle, this year we can find enough of them who are willing to put policy over politics and pass a budget with spending cuts that make sense.”

O’Scanlon closed by saying “From the Governor on down, the Democrat leadership in Trenton has said the same thing from the beginning- ‘if you don’t like this budget or these cuts, then suggest your own’. Well, we did that. Unfortunately, the Governor dismissed them all out of hand. The legislative leadership said all the right things about considering reasonable suggestions, yet here we are again, with Democrats meeting behind closed doors to decide what the budget is going to be, take it or leave it. This is the same process which has led us to where we are now, a financial mess. It’s time for a new way. If the Democratic legislators who have indicated support for true and lasting reform want to meet me and my Republican colleagues halfway and form a true reform coalition, it would be the beginning of a new day in New Jersey politics. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to strongly consider this bold step in the right direction, in the interest both of the state’s finances, and proving to the public that our two parties can work together to do what’s right for our state and its citizens.”

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