NJ Assembly Republicans / News Room / August '07

CASAGRANDE: CORZINE SHOULD FILL VACANCY ON ELECTION LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSION
CORZINE HAS YET TO FILL A VACANCY ON THE FOUR MEMBER COMMISSION LEAVING PARTISAN IMBALANCE

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, a member of the Assembly State Government Committee, today called on Governor Jon Corzine to act on filling a vacancy at the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) that has left the agency with a 2-1 Democrat membership for more than a year.

“This is supposed to be an organization that is above politics, and yet it increasingly seems like Governor Corzine is playing politics by refusing to fill this Republican vacancy,” said Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer. “The commission is supposed to have an equal partisan balance and the governor has waited too long to fill this vacancy.”

ELEC is governed by four commissioners and it is required by law to be bipartisan with two Democrats and two Republicans. Since December 2006 there has been a vacancy as one of the two Republican seats has not been filled.

Governor Corzine is obligated to fill these positions and chose to leave one of the four seats vacant through last year’s election. Corzine’s spokesperson had suggested in mid-January that Corzine would fill the post within weeks if not days. As yet there has been no appointment.

Casagrande said that Corzine should take action immediately so that there is no appearance of partisanship in the election-related decisions the commission will have to make this year.

“This shouldn’t be a difficult task and the Governor should easily be able to find someone to fill this opening,” Casagrande said. “If he fails to fill this position it could damage the credibility of the commission’s rulings during what will be a very closely watched election campaign this fall.”

HANDLIN CALLS ON GOVERNOR TO COMPLETE 2 YEAR-OLD APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD OVERSEEING BILLIONS IN STATE BORROWING AND SPENDING
Calls on Governor to finalize appointments to Financial Policy Review Board created to oversee the Transportation Trust Fund

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (LD-13) called on Governor Corzine to appoint remaining Financial Policy Review Board members so the board can begin its task of overseeing the Transportation Trust Fund reauthorized in 2006.

“It is outrageous that this administration keeps promising accountability, but when it comes time to take even the simplest steps to actually create oversight, nothing happens. The Governor is apparently too busy selling his toll plan to provide oversight for 1.6 billion a year the state is already authorized to borrow and spend.”

In March 2006 the Legislature reauthorized the Transportation Trust Fund. The annual capital program authorization was increased from $950 million to $1.6 billion per year for fiscal years 2007 through 2011 (5 years). The annual bonding cap was increased from $650 million to $1.6 billion for that same period.

As part of the legislation, a Financial Policy Review Board was created to monitor and certify that the Trust Fund Authority adheres to its bonding limitation; does not spend more than the amount spent in FY 2007 on permitted maintenance; and does not appropriate more than 1.6 billion in total in any year.

“In the two years since the TTF was reauthorized this Board has not yet convened because only two of the five appointments have been made. It is absurd that the Governor has yet to appoint enough members to constitute a quorum. This means that there is effectively no oversight of the Transportation Trust Fund and the billions that it is empowered to borrow and spend,” continued Handlin.

“The Financial Policy Review Board was a major portion of the law and I believe its chief intent was to restore the trust in the Transportation Trust Fund. Without the board we have no assurances that the caps are being observed and that our critical dollars are being spent responsibly,” concluded Handlin.

MALONE: STATE SHOULD ELIMINATE POSITIONS THROUGH ATTRITION – NOT EARLY RETIREMENT
STATE ALREADY LOSES 6,000 EMPLOYEES PER YEAR

Assembly Republican Budget Officer Joseph Malone today said that if Governor Corzine is looking to reduce the state payroll, he should explore the idea of not filling positions that are lost through attrition rather than offering an early retirement program that may cost the state $300 million.

“The evidence is overwhelming that these early retirement programs substantially burden our pension system and they end up costing the state significantly,” said Malone, R-Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer. “If the state is already going to lose more than 6,000 employees this year, we should consider not filling those vacancies and shifting personnel where necessary.”

At Wednesday’s Assembly Budget Committee public hearing in Burlington County, Kathleen Davis of the Chamber of Commerce of South Jersey raised the issue of the cost of reducing the state payroll through early retirement as opposed to attrition.

The Department of Personnel reports that in 2006 (the most recent data) the total separations from the state workforce were 6,037 out of 80,213 employees. The majority of these were voluntary through retirement or resignation in good standing.

There has been some suggestion that the $300 million of state spending moved off of the books in this budget proposal was to cover the costs associated with early retirement, which Malone said would not be needed if the state cuts positions through attrition.

“With a state workforce of more than 80,000 employees, I am confident we can shift workers to perform essential duties without replacing all of the 6,000 workers we lose each year,” Malone said. “In the meantime some of the funds tied to the early retirement proposal could be used to implement a more sensible adjustment to the Governor’s municipal aid proposal.”

KEAN, RIBLE, ANGELINI SHARED MUNICIPAL COURT FACILITIES BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
BILL ALLOWS EACH TOWN TO RETAIN ITS OWN JUDGE WHEN SHARING COURTROOM FACILITIES

Legislation sponsored by state Senator Sean Kean, Assemblyman David Rible and Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini that could reduce the cost of local government by encouraging the sharing of court facilities was signed into law by Governor Jon Corzine.

“In light of the governor’s plan to slash state aid to municipalities in the upcoming budget, the state needs to give towns all the tools necessary to share services,” said Kean, R-Monmouth. “This new money-saving legislation is a step forward in reigning in costs at the local level.”

“This law is an excellent opportunity for us to begin to cut costs,” stated Rible, R-Monmouth. “Often, our laws are structured in such a way that actually discourages sharing services at the local level. It’s imperative we take responsible action to start to turn things around. I would hope the Legislature uses this bill signed into law today as a stepping stone to similar cost-saving legislation in the future.”

Under current law, two or more municipalities may agree to provide jointly for courtrooms, chambers, equipment, supplies and employees for their municipal courts without establishing a joint municipal court. A 2006 Superior Court decision, however, held that the same law requires municipalities sharing municipal court services under that provision to also share a municipal court judge.

The Kean/Rible/Angelini legislation, S-335/A-1518, changes the current law to provide that towns sharing court facilities can each make separate appointments for judges and administrators.

“This legislation sends a message to towns that they can share court facilities and services without having to surrender their own judge and court calendar,” said Angelini, R-Monmouth. “It’s a win-win situation and victory for everyone – the state, local governments and our taxpayers.”

O’SCANLON BILL SEEKS TO ELIMINATE POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR LEGISLATORS
MEASURE WOULD PREVENT LEGISLATORS FROM ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES IN THEIR DISTRICT

In an effort to prevent any potential conflicts of interest for legislators who operate their own businesses, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon has introduced legislation to prohibit a member of Legislature from entering into a contract with any public entity located within that member’s legislative district.

“While having people with experience in running their own businesses is an asset to the Legislature, we must make sure that these officials are not using their legislative positions for personal gain and are not allowing the operation of their business to conflict with their legislative duties,” said O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth. “This legislation will make the ground rules clear and will ensure that no legislator enters into contracts with any of the public entities in his or her legislative district.”

O’Scanlon’s bill, A-2585, supplements New Jersey’s conflicts of interest law to prohibit members of the Legislature from entering into contracts to provide goods or services to, or perform any employment for, any municipal, county, or State public entity located within their legislative districts.

The prohibition would apply to any corporation or partnership controlled by the legislator, and also to any business in which the member owns or controls more than one percent of the stock. Projects started, or contracts in effect before a legislator is sworn in can be completed, but no new for-profit contracts or projects shall be permitted to undertaken.

“As someone who operates his own business I understand the importance of avoiding these potential conflicts and have voluntarily imposed this standard on my own business activities,” O’Scanlon said. “This bill would ensure that this standard is mandatory for all legislators.”

CASAGRANDE SAYS IMPOSING MORE LOCAL TAXES WILL NOT SOLVE STATE’S FISCAL PROBLEMS
REDUCING SPENDING MUST BE THE TOP PRIORITY

Responding to news reports that Governor Corzine is supportive of letting municipal governments in New Jersey impose new local taxes on their residents, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande today said that solving the state’s fiscal problems must start with cutting spending – not finding new ways to tax.

“New Jersey families already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, and letting towns pile more tax obligations on top of that is not a solution,” said Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer. “Rather than cutting unnecessary state spending, and targeting rampant waste and abuse in many of the state’s large municipalities, the Governor seems to prefer pushing the problem off to local officials and letting them impose new taxes.”

As reported today by Millennium Radio News, Corzine is not turning a deaf ear to legislative suggestions that local towns be authorized to impose new taxes. In the report Corzine says that he has, “been in favor of giving additional authorities. In fact, I've signed off on that in some of our larger municipalities on car taxes and auto rentals taxes (and) I believe in impact fees.”

Corzine added that other states already allow for these local taxes and that, “There is even reason to go and look at broader based taxes. We should have that debate.”

“It’s amazing to see the Governor be so tone deaf to the voices of New Jersey citizens, who came out in droves to his town hall meetings with one message: cut spending,” Casagrande said. “Instead the administration is considering brand new forms of taxation. I struggle to figure out who they think will be left in New Jersey to pay these taxes.”

O’SCANLON, CASAGRANDE INTRODUCE LEGISLATION LIMITING SICK LEAVE USAGE, PAYOUTS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande have introduced legislation restricting the amount of sick leave a public employee can use and “cash out” prior to and upon retirement.

“In a time when the state and local governments are facing a severe fiscal crisis, these measures are designed to reign in abuses of the public benefits system,” said O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth. “Sick time is intended to be used when an employee is too ill to come to work. It shouldn’t be used as a future retirement kitty or for additional vacation or personal time.

“Unfortunately, in the past, we have had State and local employees cash in massive amounts of accumulated sick time for tens of thousands of dollars, putting additional strain on State and local budgets,” he explained. “The practice of ‘terminal leave’ also puts additional strain on workers as departments are forced to scramble to cover for the absent employee.”

The two 12th Legislative District lawmakers recently introduced bills A-2581 and A-2583. The first bill, A-2581, prohibits the use of six or more consecutive days of accumulated sick leave by a public officer or employee in the12 months prior to retirement without a medical necessity verified in writing by a physician. The legislation seeks to end a practice known as “terminal leave” when a public employee, in anticipation of retirement, is permitted to use up accumulated days of sick leave, often in large amounts of consecutive days off.

A-2583 limits payment upon retirement to a maximum of $10,000 to state and local public officers and employees for accumulated sick leave respectively.

Current law allows a State employee to receive a maximum of $15,000 for unused accumulated sick leave when the employee retires. In June 2007, the Legislature imposed the $15,000 cap to also include elected and appointed local and school district officials, but that limit does not currently apply to county and municipal employees.

The O’Scanlon and Casagrande legislation would apply the $10,000 limit to all public officials and employees at all levels.

“When a long-time employee retires and puts in for a six figure retirement payout, it’s a cost that can’t be absorbed in a single year municipal budget,” said Casagrande. “Mayors and councils have no choice but to turn to their taxpayers to make up the difference.

“These bills are another step forward in putting our fiscal house in order,” she continued. “For far too long, these sick leave benefits have been abused, ultimately costing taxpayers millions of dollars in lost time and cash out payments. If we are going to begin cutting budgets at all levels of government to get spending under control, we have to get a handle on misuse of public employee benefits. This is a good place to start.”

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS SAY BUDGET PROCESS MUST FOCUS ON APPROPRIATE SPENDING CUTS
PROCESS SHOULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CUTS THAT ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLE

Republican Members of the Assembly Budget Committee today said they will focus their efforts during the budget process in the next three months on making significant spending reductions, but they said those reductions must be fair cuts targeted at wasteful and unnecessary spending.

“Our responsibility is to look at the budget the Governor has proposed and find ways to make it better,” said Assemblyman Joseph Malone, R-Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth and Mercer. “Our challenge is to make changes to this budget without doing anything to exacerbate our fiscal problems, and our goal should be to pass a budget this June that will actually help get our state back on the right fiscal course.”

The budget committee hearings opened today with revenue forecasts from the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) and the Treasurer. The revenue projections indicate that there may be $134 million less available for the FY2009 budget than was anticipated when Governor Corzine addressed the Legislature in February.

“Today’s revenue projections only reinforce why it is vital that we go beyond the level of cuts proposed by the governor and make even deeper cuts to this budget,” said Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon. “This means finding additional areas where we can eliminate spending, but it also may mean replacing some counterproductive cuts the governor has proposed with cuts that will have a real long-term impact on getting our budget under control.”

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow said that she is concerned by the impact the Corzine budget will have on rural areas of New Jersey with cuts in aid to small towns, cuts to State Police coverage for rural municipalities, and the elimination of the Department of Agriculture.

“A serious effort at cutting spending would involve fair cuts across the entire state budget that ask everyone to share the burden equally,” said Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow, R-Hunterdon and Warren. “It is not acceptable to protect funding for unnecessary state programs and for large, inefficient urban municipalities while squeezing rural and suburban regions of the state for more money. All cuts must be fair and defensible. These are neither.”

Referring to reports that the Corzine administration moved $300 million in funding off-budget so that it wouldn’t be included in the $33 billion budget figure the governor announced in February, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth and Mercer, said that dealing with the budget problem will require an honest assessment of the problem.

“We are facing a very complex and difficult fiscal situation and the only way we can tackle this problem is by making significant spending cuts,” O’Scanlon said. “That means making real spending cuts, not playing games with the books to make the budget appear smaller than it actually will be next year.”

McHOSE SAYS DOE REPORT ON PER PUPIL COSTS PROVES MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY

In response to the annual study on school per-pupil costs released Wednesday by the state Department of Education (DOE) that shows a wide disparity between school districts statewide, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose said the numbers confirm that spending large amounts of money per pupil does not translate into better education.

According to the state report – the Comparative Spending Guide – Asbury Park spent $22,276 per pupil in 2007-08, of which 81% came from State taxpayers. Conversely, Hopatcong, which is also a K-through-12 district and has a similar number of pupils as Asbury Park, spent $11,467 per pupil, almost half as much as Asbury Park. State taxpayers only contributed 38% towards Hopatcong. Asbury Park, an Abbott School District that receives huge amounts of state aid, spends more per pupil than any K-through-12 district in the state.

The DOE report is based on administrator costs, classroom instructions and materials.

“What is most significant,” pointed out McHose, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon, “is that when you look at the test scores coming out of these individual districts, Asbury Park’s student performance indicators are much lower than those in Hopatcong yet the state spends nearly $11,000 more per pupil in Asbury Park. It’s obvious that money spent doesn’t equal quality education.”

The latest DOE School Report Card for the 2006/2007 school year shows that in Language Arts & Literacy, Math, and Science, Asbury Park students scored 45.6%, 29.3% and 18.8% respectively. Hopatcong students posted 68.6%, 52.9% and 69.2% scores respectively.

McHose noted that earlier this year, Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a new school funding formula which she said fails to treat all districts fairly as aid will again be distributed disproportionately.

“The new formula does nothing to address the inequality of funding between the Abbotts and rural and suburban school districts,” she stated. “Many school districts with chronic poor test scores will continue to receive massive amounts of state aid. To what end? We all lose – the students and the taxpayers.

“School aid should be distributed fairly among all districts, and we should focus on boosting student performance in our poorer districts – not just boosting aid.”

RUMANA: FEBRUARY JOB FIGURES SHOW EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG IN NEW JERSEY
STATE LOST 1,700 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS WHILE GOVERNMENT PAYROLLS GROW BY 400

Assemblyman Scott Rumana today said that data showing a loss of more than 10,000 private sector jobs in the first two months of this year, but also showing an increase in government payrolls, demonstrates the state’s misplaced priorities.

“Our state has a budget crisis and is losing private sector jobs by the thousands, yet rather than implement policies to make the state more attractive to businesses, government is padding its own bureaucracy,” said Rumana , R-Passaic, Bergen and Essex. “Instead of creating new government jobs that we cannot afford, we should be working to identify ways that we can attract private sector jobs and businesses to New Jersey.”

According to data released by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development the state of New Jersey lost 1,700 jobs in February. This came on the heels of losing 8,600 jobs in January. The total job loss for this year is nearly 10,400 private sector jobs. However the data shows that New Jersey actually added 400 government jobs in February.

Rumana pointed out that as the state’s policies have been chasing jobs and businesses out of New Jersey, the state continues to boost its own payroll – just when the government can least afford to pay for those jobs.

“The Democrat leadership in Trenton has imposed anti-business tax and regulatory policies in recent years that have forced many businesses to leave the state or slash their payrolls,” said Rumana. “We need a new approach. We need to cut spending, slash our own bloated bureaucracy and implement policies that will stimulate economic growth, attract private sector jobs, and thereby boost state revenue.”

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon has introduced legislation that would seek to put an end to pension boosting by public officials by requiring an employer to pay for any unfunded liability in the pension system created by a late-career salary hike, to serve as a disincentive for employers to engage in the practice of boosting.

“It is a far too common practice for public employees to request, and public officials to grant, unusually large salary increases in the final years of an employees career in an effort to boost the salary upon which the employees pension will be calculated. Right now that practice has no real consequences for the complicit officials – the costs are simply spread out into the already overburdened pension system,” said O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth. “This is an example of public officials taking advantage of the system to benefit themselves at a significant cost to the taxpayers. It is unacceptable and it should stop.”

O’Scanlon’s bill, A-2580, allows pension calculations to be based on a compensation increase in excess of actuarially assumed experience for a certain employee, only if the employer pays the unfunded liability created by that salary increase.

This was a recommendation made by the Republican members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public Employee Benefits Reform in 2006, based on the findings of the Benefits Review Task Force, empanelled by Gov. Codey in 2005.

Currently, the Division of Pensions and Benefits is supposed to review increases when the salary of a member of a State-administered retirement system is increased by more than the actuarially assumed average plan experience. This bill would require the employer to pay for the unfunded liability created should a salary increase in excess of that figure be determined.

“The concern is that this practice creates a large unfunded liability for the pension system by boosting pension obligations higher than their employee-employer contributions would support,” O’Scanlon said. “My bill will end that fiscal concern, and in the process, hopefully it will put a stop to the practice of pension boosting altogether.”

MALONE CALLS FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PUT A HOLD ON NEW REGULATIONS UNTIL STATE ECONOMY REBOUNDS

Assembly Republican Budget Officer Joseph Malone today called on Governor Jon Corzine to issue an executive order suspending for one year any plans to impose new regulations while the state attempts to work its way out of an economic slump that it threatening to cost the state more jobs and revenue.

“The New Jersey business community is already struggling through a sluggish economy and the last thing we should do is make matters worse” said Malone, R-Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer. “We should have a one-year moratorium on any new regulations until we can get through the current economic turmoil and start expanding our economy.”

Right now the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is set to adopt a new series of regulations in the coming months, including but not limited to regulations curtailing development in areas adjacent to so-called Category One waters. These regulations would hit New Jersey builders particularly hard at a time when the economy is already stagnant.

New Jersey created just 4,700 new positions in 2007 which is well below the 29,400 new jobs that were originally expected. In addition, the state lost 9,500 jobs in January of this year.

An October 2007 survey of New Jersey business owners indicated that nearly half of the state’s business owners expect economic conditions in New Jersey to get worse during the first six months of 2008, and confidence in the state economy among these leaders is at its lowest level since the 1991-92 recession.

Malone said that the state economy will continue to struggle, and that the state will continue to lose jobs, if new regulations are imposed on businesses and developers that make it cost prohibitive for them to work in this state.

“We can’t keep taking steps to strangle this state’s economy and then expect it to thrive,” Malone said. “Given the serious nature of our economic problems, a one-year regulatory time-out would be appropriate.”

CORZINE TOLL ROAD PLAN DEAD? DeCROCE SAYS PUBLIC MUST REMAIN VIGILANT
MUNICIPALITIES & COUNTIES CONTINUE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPPOSITION

Eight months after Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce wrote to the governing body of every municipality and county in New Jersey encouraging them to oppose Governor Jon Corzine’s proposal to hike tolls and increase state debt, his office continues to receive resolutions in opposition to the scheme.

“So far, I have received resolutions from 57 municipalities and seven boards of freeholders opposing Corzine’s plan,” noted DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “I am not surprised the resolutions haven’t stopped. Local officials know this plan is bad for the taxpayers, bad for our economy and bad for their own roads. As they say, it’s not over until it’s over – and this plan can still come back in one form or another. The public must remain vigilant.”

Among the governing bodies passing resolutions opposing the governor’s toll hike and debt proposal within the past month are the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders, Florham Park, Lincoln Park, Mendham Township, Sea Bright and Shrewsbury Borough.

“They understand how Corzine’s plan will chase more taxpayers out of New Jersey,” DeCroce said. “They know how unaffordable it will make the lives of people. They realize the toll this plan would take on their own transportation network by driving traffic, including heavy trucks, onto local roads.

“What’s more, they know the answer to the state’s fiscal problem is not more taxes and tolls but less waste and spending.”

The full list of municipalities on record in opposition to Corzine’s toll road scheme follows:

Barnegat Township
Bloomfield Township
Boonton Town
Brigantine City
Chatham Borough
Chatham Township
Clifton City
Closter Borough
Colts Neck Township
East Windsor Township
Edison Township
Egg Harbor Township
Englishtown Borough
Florham Park Borough
Folsom Borough
Freehold Township
Glen Gardner Borough
Green Brook
Hampton Township
Hanover Township
Hardyston Township
Highlands Borough
Hoboken City
Kenilworth Borough
Lavallette Borough
Lincoln Park Borough
Linwood City
Long Beach Township
Lower Township
Manalapan Township
Mendham Township
Millburn Township
Millville City
Millstone Township
Montvale Borough
Montville Township
Neptune City
Netcong Borough
North Brunswick Township
North Haledon Borough
Parsippany-Troy Hills
Pequannock Township
Rochelle Park Township
Rockaway Borough
Roselle Park Borough
Sea Bright Borough
Shrewsbury Borough
South Brunswick Township
Springfield Township
Stone Harbor Borough
Tinton Falls Borough
Totowa Borough
Union Beach
Watchung Borough
Wayne
Woodbridge Township
Woodcliff Lake Borough

Atlantic County Freeholders
Bergen County Board of Freeholders
Ocean County Board of Freeholders
Monmouth County Board of Freeholders
Morris County Board of Freeholders
Somerset County Board of Freeholders
Warren County Board of Freeholders

O’SCANLON TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION CALLING FOR INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PROCESS
BILL GIVES VOTERS MORE DIRECT INPUT ON STATE ISSUES

Following through on a campaign promise to give voters a more direct voice in managing the direction of the state, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon introduced legislation Thursday to create an Initiative and Referendum (I&R) process in New Jersey.

“This measure seeks to restore political power to the people of this state so they can act on important issues when their elected officials fail to do so,” said O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth. “Too many times the political power brokers in New Jersey have used their influence to block the will of the people. This I&R process will give taxpayers the power to change the status quo.”

For constitutional amendments, the number of signatures required to get an initiative on the ballot must equal at least 10 percent of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election, and for changes in State law, the number of signatures must be equal to at least 6 percent of the last gubernatorial total. Petitioners have one year after their petition is certified to get the required number of signatures.

I&R petition sponsors can obtain a declaratory judgment from the State Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the proposed ballot question preventing the I&R process from being rendered moot by a subsequent finding of unconstitutionality.

The legislation seeks to address regional concerns that have scuttled I&R proposals in the past by dividing the state into four regions and requiring that signature thresholds be met in each of those regions – based on turnout within those regions – for a question to be placed on the ballot.

There would be certain issues not eligible for I&R. The siting of private or public facilities would not be permitted through the I&R process, nor would any law or constitutional amendment that violates Article IV, Section VII of the Constitution such as enacting any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or any private, special or local law relating to taxation.

“I believe we would already have strong ethics reforms such as a comprehensive ban on pay-to-play and a complete ban on dual office holding if I&R existed in this state,” O’Scanlon said. “Giving citizens the power of I&R will force the Legislature to be more responsive to their constituents, and when they are not, it gives the people the power to take matters into their own hands.”

CASAGRANDE SAYS SHE REMAINS COMMITTED TO WORKING FOR MEANINGFUL ETHICS, BUDGET REFORMS
ASSEMBLY DEMS TABLE HER AMENDMENTS CALLING FOR MORE STRINGENT MEASURES

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said she will continue to work for the meaningful ethics and budget reforms New Jersey residents want and deserve following approval today of ethics and budget legislation she says doesn’t go far enough.

Before voting on the measures - ACR-159, Legislative Code of Ethics reform, and ACR-164, Budget Process transparency reform - Assembly Democrats tabled amendments offered by Casagrande that were designed to strengthen the two pieces of legislation.

“The people of New Jersey are clamoring for real ethics and budget reform from their representatives in Trenton,” said Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer. “I am committed to enacting the meaningful changes that they demand. While my amendments were defeated today, I will continue to work so that the reforms we made today are the beginning, not the end, of the process.”

Casagrande’s amendments to ACR-159 would prohibit legislators from advocating for direct legislative grants to employers and prohibit attorney-legislators from performing certain legal services financed by state legislative grant funds.

“These amendments would address the kind of behavior that was brought to light in the federal indictments against former state Senators Joseph Coniglio and Wayne Bryant,” she explained. “The Legislative Code of Ethics should have prohibited those arrangements and my amendments would have allowed the Legislature to police itself.”

Casagrande’s amendments to ACR-164 would require fair, bipartisan review of last minute budget change requests and almost immediate disclosure of late filed budget change requests.

“With the kinds of cuts we know are in this budget, the process for making changes to the governor’s budget proposal must be totally transparent to make sure that additional spending is not added at the last minute,” said Casagrande. “The taxpayers need to be confident that we are spending that money wisely.”

MERKT SAYS PAID FAMILY LEAVE PROCEDURAL FLAW REQUIRES ‘EMERGENCY’ VOTE IN SENATE
BECAUSE BILL MUST ORIGINATE IN THE ASSEMBLY, SENATE WILL NEED TO PASS EMERGENCY TO VOTE MONDAY

Assembly Republican Parliamentarian Richard Merkt today said that because of a procedural flaw in the movement of the paid family leave legislation through the Legislature, the bill will require a 3/4 emergency vote in the State Senate to pass this coming Monday.

“This bill has been determined to be a ‘revenue raising’ bill,” said Merkt, R-Morris. “That means that the bill must originate in the General Assembly, which is why the Democrats made a procedural maneuver today requiring them to suspend the Assembly Rules.”

Under the New Jersey Constitution, revenue raising bills must originate in the General Assembly. Therefore, the paid family leave bill voted on today in the Assembly could not be substituted by the previously passed Senate bill – meaning that the Senate will be taking action on the Assembly bill Monday on the same day it is given second reading.

No bill may proceed from second reading to third reading within one calendar day unless the house passes an ‘emergency’ allowing action on the bill – a move that requires a 3/4 vote of that house.

“Legally, this bill will not be able to win final approval from the Senate Monday without this emergency vote,” Merkt stated. “Given that a Senate version of this bill passed by a single vote last time, it seems unlikely an emergency vote will succeed.”

RUSSO AND RUMANA SAY PAID FAMILY LEAVE WILL HURT WORKERS BY CHASING JOBS FROM NJ
PLAN WILL HURT STATE ECONOMY AND MAY NOT BE FISCALLY SUSTAINABLE

Assemblymen David Russo and Scott Rumana questioned the fiscal sustainability of the paid family leave bill approved by the New Jersey General Assembly today and said the plan will make New Jersey less economically competitive for businesses ultimately costing the state more jobs.

“Under this bill, if more than one percent of those who pay into the TDI fund through payroll taxes choose to utilize the paid family leave option, the program will be under-funded,” said Russo, R-Bergen, Passaic and Essex. “This will eventually lead to either higher taxes to fund the program, or a raid on some other government account.”

The paid leave act would be funded through an assessment paid by workers equal to 0.09% of the portion of each worker’s wages subject to TDI taxes. It is estimated this will total about $30 to $40 per year for the average employee.

The average cost of providing paid leave to an employee is estimated to be approximately $3,000, meaning that on average, 100 employees will have to pay into the fund each year to cover the cost created by one employee utilizing the fund.

Rumana noted that the bill will impose a new financial and regulatory burden on New Jersey businesses that none of our neighboring states – and only two others in the nation – require of businesses, which will likely chase many businesses away from our state.

“New Jersey lost 9,500 jobs in January of this year and this bill will only cost our state more jobs,” said Rumana, R-Passaic, Bergen and Essex. “This bill is supposed to help working families, but we aren’t helping the working people if they don’t have a place to work.”

McHOSE-KARROW-DOHERTY BILL SEEKS TO PUT TIGHTER CONTROLS ON STATE BORROWING
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WOULD EXTEND VOTER APPROVAL REQUIREMENT TO ALL BORROWING, INCLUDING SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

Assembly Budget Committee members Alison Littell McHose and Marcia Karrow, and Assembly Appropriations Committee Member Michael Doherty, today introduced legislation to amend the state constitution to require that all borrowing – including any proposed borrowing for school construction purposes – must go on the ballot for voter approval.

“The reckless fiscal policies of recent years are the primary cause of the long-term fiscal crisis we now face,” said McHose, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon. “Nothing is more demonstrative of these reckless policies than the excessive borrowing of the past six years, most of which has circumvented the existing constitutional requirement of voter approval.”

Although legislation is now advancing through the Legislature aimed at requiring voter approval for state debt, that bill may not be applicable to debt issued for school construction purposes, because the language doesn’t clearly address the impact on court imposed education mandates. The McHose-Karrow-Doherty amendment would make clear there are no exceptions to voter approval of debt for school construction purposes.

Governor Corzine has said he plans to push forward with borrowing at least $2.5 billion to fund school construction projects in the state’s Abbott school districts. The plan was revealed last month as the New Jersey Supreme Court heard arguments from lawyers representing children in the Abbott districts.

“State debt has more than doubled in the past six years, and that never would have happened if the voters had the power to approve all state borrowing,” said Karrow, R-Hunterdon and Warren. “We need to stop the runaway borrowing, stop the excessive spending and get our fiscal house in order.”

“The taxpayers of this state who will be burdened by this debt should have the final say on these matters,” said Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon. “This constitutional amendment will prohibit borrowing without voter approval – and will make clear that there should be no loopholes.”

CITING WASTE AND ABUSE, CARROLL INTRODUCES BILL TO REDUCE NUMBER OF BPU MEMBERS

Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll introduced legislation today that would decrease the number of Board of Public Utilities (BPU) members from five to three in an effort to reduce wasteful state spending.

“This state needs to cut spending. The governor knows it, the Legislature knows it and the taxpayers are demanding it,” said Carroll, R-Morris. “I can’t think of a better start than by returning this board to its traditional size and eliminating two superfluous and expensive positions.”

Carroll’s bill, A-2543, would decrease BPU membership from five to three citizen members and reduce from three to two the maximum number of members who may be of the same political party.

The BPU has been enveloped in controversy for the past few years with rampant allegations of waste and abuse. An audit by the Treasury Department of the BPU’s $100 million clean energy program found that program to be rife with abuse.

Among the problems alleged were the depositing of program funds in a bank account outside the state’s financial systems with no controls, funds being wasted on unnecessary bank fees, program staff awarding funds through grants to friends and neighbors, contracts being awarded with no competitive bidding or review process.

As a result of these problems, a career BPU employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation by BPU officials for his role in disclosing these questionable practices. That lawsuit led to BPU and the state hiring four private law firms – at taxpayer cost - to defend the agency and its officials.

Carroll, noting that BPU members receive, among other perks, a $125,000 annual salary, use of a state car with E-Z Pass, a free Blackberry and pension benefits, said, “When Governor (Jon) Corzine revealed his proposed budget, he immediately called for cuts to areas such as aid to municipalities and the elimination of some property tax rebates. This Board represents low hanging budgetary fruit. Cutting unnecessary and expensive political appointments should rank high on the budget cutting agenda.

“If the governor and his Democrat allies are serious about making responsible spending cuts, then the BPU is an excellent place to begin,” he continued. “I urge them to move this legislation along in the best interests of this state and its taxpayers.”

UNITED GOP TO GOVERNOR: NO SCHOOL BORROWING WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL
ALL 17 SENATE AND 32 ASSEMBLY GOP LEGISLATORS WILL VOTE AGAINST BORROWING THAT DOESN’T GO TO BALLOT

Senate and Assembly Republicans today announced that they have agreed unanimously to demand that Governor Corzine seek voter approval before going ahead with a plan to borrow $2.5 billion more for school construction bonds.

“Every Republican Senator has expressed her or his opposition to the governor’s plan to borrow an additional $2.5 billion without voter approval,” said Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean Jr. “We have made a commitment to the working families of this State to ensure they have a voice in the financial future of this state.”

“The Republicans in the General Assembly realize that the real solution to our budget problems is to begin acting in a fiscally responsible manner,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “This includes putting an end to the reckless borrowing of recent years, and that means not approving any more borrowing, including for school construction, without voter approval.”

Republicans in the Senate and Assembly said that borrowing billions of dollars a year without voter approval is one of the ways New Jersey landed in its current financial crisis. Kean and DeCroce said that Governor Corzine needs to know the Republican caucus is united on this issue and will vote against all bonding initiatives that are not submitted to the voters.

In his State of the State address, Governor Corzine announced that all future state borrowing would be approved by voters. Just weeks later, he proposed a plan to the State Supreme Court to borrow $2.5 billion for school funding, without putting it on the ballot.

Then two Democratic senators introduced a bill that would increase Governor Corzine’s borrowing proposal from $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion, all without voter approval.

“When given a voice on the issue of state borrowing last November, the people sent a strong message that they have had enough,” DeCroce said. “Enough of the reckless taxing, borrowing and spending.”

“In addition, the Lance-Lesniak measure calling for a constitutional ban on borrowing without voter approval, SCR-39, needs to move forward immediately,” Kean said.

MERKT SAYS OLS OPINION IS ONE MORE REASON TO OPPOSE PAID FAMILY LEAVE BILL
OPINION SAYS BILL MAY RAISE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES WITH CLAUSE ‘PROTECTING’ SMALL BUSINESSES

Assemblyman Richard Merkt today said that in addition to numerous economic problems created by the paid family leave bill being considered today, a new legal opinion produced by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) regarding potential problems with the bill raises additional concerns about the measure leaving businesses susceptible to lawsuits even if they comply with the act.

“Even with the attempts to amend this bill to address the concerns raised by the Attorney General, this OLS opinion indicates that the bill may still open up businesses to costly litigation,” said Merkt, R-Morris. “This opinion confirms that this new law will create a significant legal risk for businesses, even if they believe they are in compliance with its provisions.”

An opinion presented two weeks ago to Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner David Socolow by the Attorney General’s Office, stated that the paid family leave bill as then drafted could leave small businesses susceptible to lawsuits.

The bill would require employers to give employees up to six weeks paid leave to care for a newborn or sick relative, but the legislation would supposedly allow businesses with less than 50 employees to tell workers they won’t be guaranteed their jobs when the leave ends.

According to the opinion from the Attorney General, an employee in that circumstance might have a cause of action for reemployment, thus opening the business to a costly lawsuit. The bill was amended in committee Monday in an attempt to address those concerns. But a March 13th opinion from OLS indicates that even with those amendments the bill still might raise constitutional concerns.

The OLS opinion states that it appears this bill, “ would likely lead to liability for employers discharging employees for seeking or obtaining the paid family disability benefits it provides,” and that the amendments in committee, “give rise to constitutional concerns involving the equal protection clauses of the federal and New Jersey Constitutions.”

“This legal opinion confirms that this new law could become a litigation nightmare for New Jersey businesses, large and small,” Merkt stated. “Not only will this bill impose a new payroll tax and chase jobs from our state, but it will open up New Jersey businesses to significant legal exposure.”

BRAMNICK SAYS CORZINE MUNICIPAL AID CUTS FAIL TO ACCOUNT FOR GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
CUTS SHOULD NOT BE TARGETED BASED ON SIZE OF TOWNS, BUT ON WHETHER THEY COULD OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY

Assembly Republican Whip Jon Bramnick today said he is concerned that the municipal aid cuts proposed by Governor Corzine are misdirected because they are targeted at towns solely based on population size rather than on any analysis of whether the municipalities could be run more efficiently.
            “What Governor Corzine’s proposal fails to account for is that many of these small towns are operating very efficiently right now, and many already have shared service agreements,” said Bramnick, R-Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex. “While cutting aid to inefficient towns to encourage them to share services or operate more efficiently may not be a bad thing, there is no evidence the governor has taken efficiency into account in proposing these cuts.”
            In his Fiscal Year 2009 budget Corzine has cut nearly $190 million in municipal aid, a cut targeted largely at small municipalities with populations of less than 10,000. Corzine has said the aid cuts are aimed at forcing small towns to merge or share services in order to cut the cost of local government.
            Bramnick said the proposal is flawed because the aid cuts are based on population size which is not necessarily reflective of the efficiency of governing units. He said a better approach would be to study municipalities in the state, identify where there are inefficiencies, and make aid cuts accordingly.
            “Smaller governments are not inherently inefficient or more costly to the state,” Bramnick said. “Taking such a broad-brush approach not only fails to address the real problem, it will create new problems by punishing property taxpayers in already efficient towns. The governor needs to reconsider his approach to this problem before he takes a step that will have dire consequences for many of these towns and their taxpayers.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... SHOULD CORZINE BE ON THE ROAD WHILE NEW JERSEY IS ON THE ROPES?

Why not solve our problems?
Editorial, Gloucester County Times, March 12, 2008

Now that Govs. Ed Rendell and Jon Corzine have appointed themselves as master negotiators and fund-raisers for things that don't affect their own states directly, can we ask one thing?

Can they get Florida and Michigan to take some of the Delaware River dredge spoils from the long-debated shipping channel deepening project? After all, if Pennsylvania and New Jersey's governors have nothing better to do than solve Hillary Clinton's delegate-math problems, shouldn't their own citizens get something out of it?

Rendell, appearing on "Meet the Press" Sunday, and Corzine, in later interviews, offered to raise half the estimated $30 million needed to run "re-votes" in the Michigan and Florida Democratic primaries. Democrat Party officials had decided long ago that balloting in those two states wouldn't count toward any convention delegates, since they broke an agreement against holding the primaries too early.

On Tuesday, the Washington Post ran an op-ed article under Corzine's and Rendell's bylines reinforcing their solution to the Michigan-Florida "problem."

Weren't these the same governors who couldn't end the Delaware River Port Authority's dredging stalemate (Pennsylvania wanted the dredging; New Jersey didn't) for almost two years? Funny how something like primary results hundreds of miles away can unite them so quickly.

Granted, Corzine and Rendell are better off spending their spare time working for Clinton's campaign than the way their counterpart in New York apparently spent his. But Corzine's poll numbers are sinking and his toll-hike plan to address state debt is in the toilet. Maybe he can find a good cause for raising $15 million closer to home.

Assemblyman Richard Merkt, R-Morris, notes that Gov. Corzine, in support of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy, has made jaunts to Iowa, Nevada, Wisconsin and Ohio and is now fussing over possible “do-over” Democratic primary elections in Florida and Michigan.

Gov. Corzine “should spend less time worrying about Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and more time working on this state’s problems,” says Merkt.

Given Corzine’s gubernatorial performance thus far, his working on New Jersey’s problems seems to translate into exacerbating New Jersey’s problems. If the governor is going to insist on mucking something up, we’d rather he mucked up the Clinton campaign than further mucked up the state’s perilous fiscal condition.

Come to think of it, isn’t there an election in Ulaanbaatar, Urganch, Qyzylorda or some such place that the governor could get himself deeply involved in?

Hey, gov, what about your own state?
Editorial, Courier-News, March 12, 2008

Gov. Jon S. Corzine has become one of the most vocal proponents of holding “do-over” Democratic primaries in Michigan and Florida that would very likely boost the presidential candidacy of his preferred choice, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Along with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell – another Clinton backer – Corzine has even pledged a leading fund-raising role to pay for the revotes.

Corzine’s free to support whoever he wants, of course. And we don’t believe Corzine either should or needs to spend every waking moment examining New Jersey’s immediate problems.

Still, there’s something a little unseemly about this entire affair, particularly the governor’s greater concern for empowering voters in other states rather than the state he runs.

Delegates in Michigan and Florida were stripped of nomination votes by the national Democratic party when those states held their primaries too early in the process. In an ordinary presidential year that would have mattered little. But the tight contest between Clinton and Barack Obama makes those delegates potentially significant. And since Clinton won both primaries, she’s certainly the candidate with the most to gain.

Corzine, of course, isn’t pitching it that way. He says he wants to help forge a party “solution” that would avoid a perception that backroom deals with undeclared superdelegates and arcane convention machinations ultimately decided a nominee, hurting the victor in the general election. He also says it’s important to give Michigan and Florida residents a vote in the selection.

Those are valid concerns, but is there any reason to think Corzine would care nearly this much – and be leading the fund-raising efforts as well – if Obama had won those primaries? And why is that he’s so concerned about the “voice” of residents in other states when he doesn’t want to provide the same opportunity to New Jerseyans on his toll-hike plan?

Corzine’s scheme to jack up tolls over 75 years and borrow against the anticipated revenue to pay down debt represents a massive financial restructuring, the effects of which would be felt for decades to come. Putting such a plan before voters would certainly be reasonable to consider. But the governor also knows his proposal would fail, overwhelmingly.

So Corzine, clearly believing he knows better than the public what’s best for the public, doesn’t want to give residents that chance. Instead, he’s been trying to convince enough friendly lawmakers to support the idea.

We’re not bothered by Corzine preaching democratic values elsewhere, ulterior motives or not. We just wish he’d practice at home more of what he preaches for other states.

CASAGRANDE VOWS TO FIGHT FOR ETHICS, BUDGET REFORMS
ASSEMBLY STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE TABLES TWO OF HER AMENDMENTS

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande said that although two amendments she proposed today to watered-down ethics and budget legislation were not considered by the majority Democrat members of the Assembly State Government Committee, she will continue to advocate for comprehensive and stringent ethics and budget reforms.

Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer, introduced amendments to ACR-159, which would adopt a permanent Legislative Code of Ethics and amend the temporary Code to conform with statutory changes, and to ACR-164, which would require legislators and the state treasurer to file written requests for any changes sought to the governor’s budget proposal before the budget bill is considered by the Legislature.

The amendments to ACR-159 would prohibit legislators from using their office to seek specific grants or loans for an employer, or for any other source of personal or family income, if those grants or loans are directly awarded by the Legislature. It would also authorize the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to require a legislator to disclose the public and non-profit clients of their businesses.

“The ethics reform amendments I offered today go directly to the cases of the alleged abuses of former state Senators Wayne Bryant and Joseph Coniglio,” said Casagrande. “The Legislative Code of Ethics should be strong enough to prohibit the kinds of behavior that we all know are against the spirit of public service.”

Casagrande also proposed the following five substantive changes or amendments to ACR-164 that would:

“We owe the people, whose money we spend in the budget, the greatest transparency in how that document is prepared,” stated Casagrande. “For far too long, last minute changes, Legislative pork, and Christmas tree items have adorned the budget. The amendments I proposed today would make permanent the glimpse we’ve seen in the last year into the creation of a transparent budget.”

ROONEY SAYS PSE&G NEEDS TO RECONSIDER SALE OF BERGEN POWER PLANT CAPACITY TO NEW YORK
SUGGESTS UTILIZING HUDSON FACILITY, WHILE KEEPING BERGEN PLANT FOR EXCESS CAPACITY IN STATE

Assemblyman John Rooney today called on officials with Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) to reconsider their plans to sell off the entire capacity of their Bergen II power plant to New York City, a move that would require the use of 660,000 volt transmission lines stretched several miles across Bergen and Hudson counties.

“This plan not only has negative environmental impacts, but it also will diminish property values in the areas where these high-voltage transmission lines will run,” said Rooney, R-Bergen. “If we are going to upgrade the Jersey City generating facility anyway to deal with our need for excess capacity at peak times, it would make more sense to use that facility to generate the power PSE&G wants to sell to New York.

“If they use the Hudson I facility, the lines can be run right under the Hudson River into New York instead of requiring new high voltage power lines stretching across both Bergen and Hudson counties.”

Currently, the Bergen II power plant in Ridgefield operates on average at 40 percent capacity. The plant essentially picks up the state’s excess capacity during peak usage times, but PSE&G is proposing to sell off the plant’s entire capacity to New York City.

In order to pick up the slack for additional capacity, PSE&G is proposing to upgrade its Hudson I plant in Jersey City – a plant that had been scheduled to be deactivated. They also propose constructing a new Bergen power facility at the same location as Bergen II. The PSE&G plan is opposed by the Board of Public Utilities, Public Advocate and the operators of the PJM power grid.

“This plan may boost PSE&G revenues, but it will be harmful to the residents of Bergen and Hudson counties,” said Rooney. “In light of the overwhelming opposition, I think this plan needs to be reconsidered.”

DOHERTY CALLS FOR FORMATION OF COMMISSION TO STUDY NJ WATER SUPPLY
CITES AP INVESTIGATION THAT FOUND TRACES OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN WATER SUPPLIES

Assemblyman Michael Doherty introduced legislation today calling for the formation of a commission to study the state’s water supply after an Associated Press investigation found a wide range of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies in various locations around the U.S., including North Jersey.

Noting that the water supplies were contaminated through runoff and treated wastewater (treatments do not remove all drug residue), Doherty said the new findings are alarming and called on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support his bill.

“This legislation transcends party lines. It’s a safety issue that concerns every resident of this state,” explained Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon. “The pharmaceutical industry has exploded during the past few years. More and more people are using prescription drugs for a vast variety of physical as well as psychological ailments. Unfortunately, the byproducts are ending up in our water supplies. As a result, the Legislature should move quickly to establish an independent commission to study the safety of the state’s water supplies.”

According to The Record, an extensive investigation by the AP found minute traces of several drugs, including pain, asthma, epilepsy, and cardiac medications as well as antidepressants in the drinking water supplies of more than 40 million Americans. In North Jersey, U.S. Geological Survey researchers found cardiac and mood-stabilizing drugs, caffeine and codeine at the Passaic Valley Water Commission treatment plant. Although scientists are yet uncertain of the long-term effects of chronic exposure, “recent studies have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.”

Doherty called for a similar study last year following a Baylor University study which proved antidepressants, which entered the water in urine or from pills flushed down the toilet, can accumulate in the tissue of fish and other aquatic creatures.

“These studies are definitely cause for alarm, especially in a state that supposedly has gone to great lengths to protect its water,” said Doherty, referring to the 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. “How many more of these reports do we need before we take action? Clearly, studies are needed here in the Garden State to determine if we are ingesting a drug cocktail without a prescription every time we turn on our tap water.”

MERKT: TIME FOR CORZINE TO STOP STUMPING FOR HILLARY AND START MANAGING OUR STATE
WITH STATE’S MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS, GOVERNOR SHOULDN’T HAVE SO MUCH SPARE TIME TO BE CAMPAIGNING FOR HILLARY

Assemblyman Richard Merkt today said that with the countless challenges facing the state of New Jersey, it might be time for Governor Jon Corzine to spend less time worrying about Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and more time working on this state’s problems.

“Governor Corzine was elected to be the chief executive of our state, not to be Hillary Clinton’s chief campaign strategist,” said Merkt, R-Morris. “Whether it be flying around the country to support Hillary, or traveling to Davos to discuss world economic issues, it appears that Corzine is capable of doing everything but the job he was elected to do.”

Corzine this weekend joined Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell in calling on the Democratic Party to hold new presidential primaries in Florida and Michigan and said that he would be willing to help spearhead a fundraising effort for the primaries.

Prior to launching this new fundraising endeavor, Corzine made two trips to Ohio to campaign for Hillary in the week before that state’s primary, and has also traveled to Nevada, Iowa and Wisconsin on her behalf during the primary campaign.

“New Jersey’s budget is a fiscal mess, we have a faltering state economy, and no end in sight to the culture of corruption that continues to land one elected official after another in jail,” Merkt said. “With everything that is on the governor’s plate, I think the people of New Jersey would appreciate it if he spent less time on the Hillary campaign and more time addressing these problems.”

Merkt noted that if the governor’s latest poll numbers are any indication, the people of New Jersey think he has more work to do here in New Jersey as well.

Call for mergers a smoke screen
Editorial, The Jersey Journal, March 7, 2008

No one is happy with Gov. Jon Corzine's $33 billion budget, about $200 million less than this year's spending blueprint. The huge fiscal cuts can only mean less state aid and increases in local taxes.

For some reason, it is now popular to blame municipalities for not merging or failing to share the cost of providing local services. Forget that the biggest spender of tax money is the state government.

Under Corzine's proposed budget, every city and town is facing state aid cuts but this administration is keen on trimming the bulk of assistance from smaller communities where there is little political muscle. In Hudson County, it is the Harrisons and Guttenbergs who will feel the pinch.

Newark and Jersey City will see some aid cuts but they are also less efficient, per capita, in providing government services than smaller towns.

All this talk about municipalities failing to consolidate is what is known in Hollywood as a McGuffin. Alfred Hitchcock movie fans recognize it as that plot device that catches one's attention and drives a story. It is what screen characters are concerned with, a stolen war plan or a secret message, but in reality its only purpose is to propel the action on film.

The concept of small towns sharing costs is the McGuffin that is meant to drive the idea that rising taxes could be avoided by something other than a frugal state government. For decades, it is Trenton that could not control spending and is guilty of borrowing huge sums of money. It is the state Local Finance Board that is guilty of approving late local budgets and rubber-stamping many an ill-conceived fiscal plan.

While Corzine's proposal includes eliminating three state departments and several thousands of jobs, is state government really doing all it can to tighten the budget? On paper, he is restructuring the state's debt and not, as claimed, paying it down.

In the end, the Legislature may foolishly find the governor's proposed and maligned highway toll rate plan makes for a better screenplay for this disaster movie.

DOHERTY SAYS PAID FAMILY LEAVE BILL IS BEING PUSHED THROUGH LEGISLATURE WITH DECEPTION
SUPPORTERS WITHHOLDING DETAILS, FUDGING NUMBERS

Assemblyman Michael Doherty today said that supporters of a paid family leave bill now advancing in the Legislature are not being forthright about the proposal and its impact on New Jersey taxpayers and businesses.

“What we are dealing with here is a campaign of deception to mislead the public and legislators about this bill and its impact on our state,” said Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon. “The supporters of this bill have not been forthright with the Assembly Labor Committee or the public about the bill’s fiscal impact, nor about its potential legal impact.”

Doherty said there were several examples of the supporters of the bill attempting to mislead the public and members of the Legislature, the most recent revealed yesterday with the release of opinion presented to Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner David Socolow by the Attorney General’s Office stating that the paid family leave bill as currently drafted could leave small businesses susceptible to lawsuits.

Doherty noted the opinion from the Attorney General was issued on February 27 and yet it was not revealed to the members of the Assembly Labor Committee at the hearing last Thursday, February 28 despite questions being raised on that exact issue.

At the same hearing, Commissioner Socolow was asked about whether a provision allowing employees to take leave to provide “psychological comfort” to family members had been removed from the bill. Socolow told the committee it had been, but it is still in the legislation as it heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Doherty said that perhaps the biggest deception in the bill is that it can be financially supported with the current proposed payroll tax totaling about $30 to $40 per year for the average employee.

“The bill as structured would require the contributions of 100 taxpayers to support paid leave for one individual,” Doherty said. “This means that if more than one percent of the working population decides to take advantage of this opportunity, the system will not be fully funded. This will almost certainly require enacting a bigger tax hike in the near future to sustain the program.”

Doherty said that no legislator should support this bill until its supporters begin being honest about its impact.

“If the commissioner is willing to mislead us about what is in the bill and withhold legal opinions on its impact, why should we trust anything anyone says in support of this bill?” Doherty asked. “It is time for us to demand some honesty from the supporters of this legislation and get some real answers instead of misleading, inaccurate rhetoric.”

WEBBER SAYS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OPINION CONFIRMS PAID FAMILY LEAVE CONCERNS
OPINION RAISES CONCERN ABOUT LEGAL EXPOSURE OF SMALL BUSINESSES WHO DON’T RETAIN EMPLOYEES

Assemblyman Jay Webber today said that an opinion from the Attorney General regarding legal problems with the paid family leave bill confirms that he was correct when he stated at last week’s Assembly Labor Committee meeting that the measure would leave small businesses susceptible to lawsuits even if they comply with the act.

In an opinion presented to Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner David Socolow, the Attorney General’s Office states that the paid family leave bill as currently drafted could leave small businesses susceptible to lawsuits.

“The exact issue raised by the Attorney General in this opinion is the concern we raised at the Labor Committee hearing last week, only to be told this wasn’t a problem,” said Webber, R-Morris and Passaic. “This opinion confirms that we were correct and that this bill, as currently drafted, will create a significant legal risk even for businesses that believe they are complying with the legislation.”

However, according to the opinion from the Attorney General, unless the bill is amended, an employee in that circumstance might have a cause of action for reemployment, thus opening the business to a costly lawsuit.

“This opinion confirms what we have been saying all along, which is that on top of creating a new payroll tax, this bill is a new ‘tort tax’ on small businesses,” Webber stated.

Webber said that if this opinion was available before last week’s hearing, it should have been offered to the members of the committee.

WEBBER LEGISLATION BANNING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LEGISLATIVE AIDES CLEARS COMMITTEE

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Jay Webber that would prohibit a legislative aide who works, or worked, directly for a member of the Legislature in a district office from making a political contribution to that Legislator, was approved Thursday by the Assembly State Government Committee. The bill also penalizes Legislators who accept contributions from their aides.

“While some of these contributions may be well-intentioned, they allow for a form of kickback whereby a legislator pays the salary of the aide with taxpayer funds, and the aide then kicks back those dollars to his or her boss by way of campaign contributions,” said Webber, R-Morris and Passaic. “The Legislator gets contributions, and the aide keeps a cut of the money while, in some instances, accruing years of public pension credits, and health benefits too.”

The bill, A-2447, provides that an individual who is employed, either full-time or part-time, by a member of the Legislature to work in the Legislator’s district office cannot make a contribution of money or other thing of value to the Legislator’s candidate committee or joint candidates committee. The bill also bars members of the legislative employee’s immediate family who live in the employee’s household from making such contributions, and it prohibits Legislators from soliciting or accepting all such contributions.