NJ 101.5: Christie uses his red pen
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
BUDGET WATCH: CHRISTIE USES HIS RED PEN (FULL COVERAGE)
Christie Inks Budget, Democrats Cry Foul
(Trenton) Using his line-item and absolute veto authority, Governor Chris Christie slashed $900 million from the state budget the Democrat-controlled Legislature passed and he enacted a $29.7 billion spending plan hours before the fiscal year was to expire.
For the second year in a row, I proposed a constitutionally balanced budget that reduced spending, didn't raise taxes and protected critical priorities for the people of New Jersey," says Christie. "It continued a marked departure from years past when establishment Trenton perpetuated irresponsible, autopilot spending that created a massive structural deficit and was ignorant to the devastating fiscal impact it was having on New Jersey's economic health."
The Governor says Trenton's "spend at any cost mentality" had allowed huge increases in state spending over the last eight years while recurring revenues continued to decline - leading to a gigantic structural budget deficit.
Christie says he gets no joy in cutting Democrats spending plans because many programs are worthy, but he insists the state simply doesn't have the money. He says Democrats used false and inflated revenues projections to support their budget. The Governor claims Democrats, "Decided to deceive the citizens of this state with a budget that makes them look like Santa Claus in an election year. How shocking-politicians deceiving and pandering to voters to get re-elected. I was sent here to end this politics as usual."
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING (REPUBLICANS)
State Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean:"The budget passed by legislative Democrats was political, partisan, and unbalanced from the minute it was introduced. I commend the Governor for taking the bold action necessary to fill the more than $700 million hole he was handed yesterday by the Majority, and for doing so while increasing aid for suburban districts that are treated unfairly by current school funding law."
State Senate Republican Budget Officer Tony Bucco: "Governor Christie made the crucial changes to return fiscal discipline to a budget document that was fundamentally flawed and fiscally indefensible. The document that he returned to the Legislature today, increases property tax relief and continues the essential reforms that will create more private sector jobs and return all New Jerseyans to prosperity."
Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce: "I commend Governor Christie for maintaining the sound and disciplined fiscal budgeting approach which he implemented with the 2011 budget. The Democrats' spending scheme is flawed, laden with waste and not the optimal way to allocate state revenues."
Assembly Republican Budget Officer Declan O'Scanlon: "These cuts deal another sobering reality check to the Democrats who insist on spending money that simply does not exist. The Democrats' budget ignored things like laws, mathematics and reality; the Governor brought them back to earth."
The New Jersey Republican Party Chairman Samuel S. Raia: "Trenton Democrats sent an unbalanced and unconstitutional budget to Governor Christie that increased spending and taxes. But the Governor took out his veto pen and stood up for the taxpayers of New Jersey. Democrats just can't help themselves. By using accounting gimmicks, inflated revenue projections and tax hikes, Trenton Democrats try to find a way to increase spending regardless of the economic realities that face our state."
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING (DEMOCRATS OTHER THAN SWEENEY)
State Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono: "Just like last year, the governor is placing the weight of this budget around the neck of every working family. Our schools are not being made whole, and seniors are still going to see their property taxes go up. All the while, the wealthiest New Jerseyans are still being saved from any of the governor's 'shared sacrifice.' Further, this budget is mean-spirited and vindictive."
Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald: "I'm not sure what Gov. Christie is failing to understand here. Once again, this governor has shown a complete lack of understanding of the daily struggles facing middle-class and poor New Jerseyans. The governor had the means and ability, if he put aside his ideology, to provide significant property tax relief, job creation, access to health care and support for schools in our cities and suburbs, yet instead chose to stick to his mantra of tax cuts for millionaires and tough luck for everyone else."
Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan: "This Governor just doesn't get it. New Jerseyans don't want tax breaks for millionaires. They want meaningful property tax relief, protections for senior citizens, investments in education and access to health care, especially for working families and women. The Governor has once again proven that he does not stand with working class New Jerseyans, whether they live in our cities, rural areas or suburbs. Millionaires continue to be the only ones living the good life under Governor Christie."
New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chairman John Wisniewski: "There he goes again, standing up for the special interests and millionaires, while turning his back on the middle class. With his veto pen today, the Governor said more than any YouTube video ever will about shared sacrifice being nothing more than a political talking point. Maybe that's why his poll numbers are upside down, most notably with women and independent voters abandoning him."
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING (OTHERS)……….
Michelle Jaker, executive director, Planned Parenthood of New Jersey: "Over the past year, Governor Christie has repeatedly refused to fund women's health under the guise of fiscal discipline. His actions today prove that this is nothing more than a politically motivated attack on the tens of thousands of New Jersey women who rely on Planned Parenthood and other family planning providers for quality, affordable reproductive health care."
Better Choices for New Jersey coordinator Bill Holland: "Governor Christie continued his reckless policy of paying for tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations with cuts to essential services on which working families rely. In the space of a few minutes he vetoed critical funding that would help educate New Jersey's kids and keep its streets safe in order to prevent a modest tax hike on the very richest New Jerseyans and preserve a massive $350 million giveaway to the developers of a garish shopping mall."
New Jersey Business and Industry president Phil Kirschner on Christie's veto of the millionaires' tax: "The rhetoric says the tax increase only impacts individuals, but the reality is that this is a tax increase on thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses. Businesses such as partnerships, LLCs, LLPs and S corporations pay income taxes instead of corporate taxes and they are the ones that would bear the brunt of it. These are the small businesses and entrepreneurs that we need to create the jobs of the future and to get our economy growing again. The fact is, New Jersey is surrounded by states with lower income tax rates. This tax increase would simply make us less competitive. While New Jersey's top marginal rate is currently 8.97 percent, New York is dropping its top tax rate to 6.85 percent, Pennsylvania has a flat 3.07 percent tax rate, and Delaware's highest tax bracket is at 6.95 percent."