Senator Phil Haines, (R-8), a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee issued the following statement regarding the passage of the fiscal Year 2009 budget today:
“I am disappointed by the Trenton Democrats’ choice of budget priorities. New Jersey is already unaffordable for many middle class families and this budget will exacerbate the problem. Quite simply, this budget is balanced on the backs of South Jersey property tax-payers.
“Especially troubling is the decision to borrow, without voter approval, an additional $3.9 billion for a court-mandated school construction program. Only a few years ago the state blew through $8.6 billion for school construction without much to show for it. That program was marked by numerous allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. I have no reason to believe that this program will be any different.
“Sadly, this budget reduces municipal aid to all of the towns in our district. This decision is nothing more that a thinly veiled effort to shift state obligations to the municipal level and it will force local officials to either cut essential services or raise property taxes.
“Adding insult to injury this budget will force many of these same towns to pay, for the first time, for patrols by the New Jersey State Police. The large cities of Camden and Irvington will not have to pay for their State police patrols.
“Any one of these illustrations is reason enough to vote no on this budget. Together they represent an enormous step backward for South Jersey property taxpayers.”
Link to Post:
http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/haines/haines-corzine-budget-will-raise-property-taxes/579
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