NJ: For all of you that don't think the Governor should cut anything

While reviewing the Governors Budget in Brief summary today, I ran across the following chart. What it depicts is New Jersey budget spending since 2002.



This diagram is more scary that I already thought. If you recall, we compared 10 years of budget in brief last year while reviewing Jon Corzine's budget. And we showed how he was claiming to be reducing the budget while at the same time significantly increasing the size and scope of the state government. Of course, we were using budget in brief number appropriations numbers are a little harder to interpret.

This chart shows the net results of the last three Democrat governors in this state. And you cannot tell me that this state cannot have its budget cut when just 7 years ago the state was spending more that 30 percent less than it is today. And while many disingenuous people will claim that the governor is saving "fat cats" billions while the little guy is being harmed, get a grip. The "fat cats" moved out of New Jersey several years ago and their companies along with them. And all that has been left behind is the only growth industry New Jersey seems to offer-government spending. It's about time our state leaders acted like adults. It's also about time the citizens of the state of New Jersey held all of our elected officials accountable.

So if you read this and are still think this is still all so unfair. Take the time to go and look up the spending history of your state senator and member of the assembly. You know, the person you voted for because you recognized their name or because they were a Democrat just like you. Add up their spending. And then look at the mirror. Because this spending was caused by you.

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Christie has Democrats hopping mad!

It was very interesting this week to see the reaction of Governor Chris Christie's executive actions to get the state's fiscal situation under control. In case you missed it and only read the newspapers, here is the action the Governor took this week (from the Office of the Governor, NJ):

Withholding $475 million in local school aid for the balance of the fiscal year, with the amount of individual aid reductions tied to surpluses in the school districts. The withheld aid will not result in any reduction in approved school spending this year.

• A $62.1 million reduction in aid to county and senior public colleges and universities, also tied to existing surpluses.

• A $12.6 million reduction in hospital Charity Care, representing a 4.2 percent reduction.

• Capture of $158 million in unexpended balances from the Board of Public Utilities‐administered Clean Energy Fund.

• Capture of $13.8 million in surplus balance from the Homestead Rebate program.

• Take a balance of $15.9 million in unused grant money remaining due to reduced service
requirements in the Division of Youth and Family Services. Delayed programs and capital projects total more than $115 million. There was no reduction in municipal aid.

Other programs that sounded good in theory but failed in practice are being scrapped and their balances used in the budget solutions. InvestNJ was designed to spur job growth by giving out tens of millions of dollars to businesses at a rate of $3,000 per new hire. However, it experienced only limited success. Consequently, $57.9 million in InvestNJ funds will be used in the budget solutions.

Funding for the Office of the Public Advocate is being discontinued, and its present balance of approximately $600,000 will be used in the budget solutions. Necessary functions of the Public Advocate will be consolidated into other parts of state government.
Where possible, the Administration focused first on programs where there would not be
any negative effect on programs. That analysis resulted in $454 million in savings or areas of over funding. The targeting of waste and abuse resulted in approximately $70 million in savings.

This is just the beginning – a down payment – on the Administration’s plan to go deeper in finding wasteful spending in the new fiscal year.

After years of watching former Governor Corzine tell us he "didn't take this job to be scrooge", it was refreshing to see an adult approach to governing the state. And if you wondered if these changes are serious, all you need to do it watch the reaction from the Democrats who caused this mess:

NJ Democrats take aim at Gov. Christie's cuts to NJ Transit, school funding
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Democrats critical of Christie's budget
Philadelphia Inquirer

NJ Gov. Christie's state of fiscal emergency decree brings fury from Democrats
NJ.com (blog)

Apparently Governor Christie is stirring up a bees nest. And he is just getting started. Keep it up Governor.

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In-State college tuition for illegals has been dropped

We have noted here the tendency of fiscally challenged New Jersey legislators to use lame duck sessions to stuff through 'feel good' legislation with unfunded mandates while they think no one is watching. We have also noted specifically the poorly conceived bill promoted by Democrats Rice and Ruiz of Essex that would essentially grant a college tuition subsidy (in-state tuition) to illegal immigrants. The in-state tuition system was created as a nod to the taxpayers of our state who FUND our colleges and universities. It recognizes that WE THE TAXPAYER have invested in these institutions and will get a discount when our children enroll in them for that financial support. Illegals do not pay taxes and do not support these institutions therefore are not entitled to the discount. A college education is not a civil right. And now this silly bill is dead (from NorthJersey.com):

The sponsor of a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to pay lower in-state tuition rates at New Jersey’s public colleges called off a vote on it Monday because he lacked the support needed to pass.

“We just don’t have enough votes,” explained Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, adding that it was about four votes short of the necessary 21 during the closing hours of the Legislature’s lame-duck session .

Added Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, who was a co-sponsor of the bill, “I’m hugely disappointed. This was a matter of fairness.”

The bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, Gordon Johnson, D-Englewood, had said that although the Assembly seemed to have enough votes to pass the measure, it would not hold a vote without passage in the Senate .

Perhaps the sponsor's of this bill can now concentrate on promoting a culture of job creation in the state for its citizens and taxpayers and get the state's fiscal house in order.

Read the NorthJersey article here.

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