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Over 160 people, including local officials, educators, and activists turned out Monday for an Assembly Budget Committee hearing to tell how they are hurt by or coping with Gov. Chris Christie's proposed $28.3 billion 2010-11 state budget.
The budget, among other things, would reduce state school aid by $819 million, municipal and county aid by $445 million and would lead to an average property tax hike of $250.
As the hearing was underway, the Associated Press reported that Christie has increased the state payroll by nearly $2 million since taking office while at the same time planning to layoff 1,300 state workers and demanding teachers accept salary freezes.
"The testimony we're hearing today once again emphasizes this plain fact – Governor Christie's budget plan directly targets senior citizens, students and the middle-class with painful tax and fee increases that would make it more difficult to live in New Jersey,'' said Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), the committee chairman. "this much is also becoming very clear – no one is buying Governor Christie's claim that this budget plan is based on shared sacrifice. A budget that hits senior citizens, the middle-class, poor and college students with tax increase after tax increase and fee increase after fee increase is not shared sacrifice."Assemblyman Joe Malone (R-Burlington), the ranking Republican on the panel, said the committee's focus should "be making sure that every cent is spent effectively, efficiently and appropriately to make sure that our most vulnerable residents are not unfairly burdened.
"This budget is a reflection of the worst revenue losses New Jersey has ever experienced and the correction of the mismanagement of billions of dollars over the past eight years, but I am encouraged by some who are finding creative ways to handle diminished revenues through shared services and spending cuts instead of automatically looking to increase taxes,'' Malone said. "This budget has people talking about issues and making difficult decisions that should have occurred years ago.''
Malone added, "We all need to share the sacrifice and make difficult decisions until we finish shrinking and reforming New Jersey government. Offering false hope that there will be some miracle this spring to restore these proposed cuts is just as irresponsible as the previous decisions to continue borrowing and spending public dollars that we did not have, which placed us in such dire circumstances.''
– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
