Families Held Hostage in the Budget Battle!

Give the Governor’s Budget Proposals a Chance!

(TRENTON) After attending Governor Christie’s Budget Address to the joint session of the legislature, it became apparent to Len Deo-President of New Jersey Family Policy Council, that New Jersey’s families are being held hostage by the budget impasse between the Governor and the State Legislature.

“Governor Christie hit the nail on the head when he stated that this is not a red issue or a blue issue, but a black and white issue,” stated Deo. “The legislature should give the Governor’s proposals a chance. One would suspect that there may be fear that the proposals would actually work and therefore give the Governor an edge politically. This is absurd and a shame,” Deo continued.

Assembly Budget Chairman Greenwald, since 2002, recently stated that property taxes in New Jersey may force his family to leave the state in the future as well! If legislators recognize this, then why is it taking so long for them to come together with the Governor and solve these problems on behalf of New Jersey’s families who long to see restraint and even reductions in property taxes!

Greenwald recently stated that “the property tax is blind to a family who has lost a job.  It is blind to a family who has had a pay cut.  It is blind to a family whose health insurance costs have gone up.  Unless we have a conversation about changing that tax, we are continuing to band-aid over the number-one crisis in this state.”

We cannot continue to operate as we have in the past. Governor Christie’s “new normal” is taking us away from the failed policies of the past, which saw annual budget growth and spending, far outpacing the rate of inflation. This has brought our country and many states to the brink of financial collapse. New Jersey families have been forced to make the cuts and sacrifices necessary to keep afloat during these difficult economic times. The partisanship in Trenton is a cancer and needs to be removed. The focus for the legislature should be putting our fiscal house back in order. Many mayors are urging the legislature to pass the proposals known as the tool box so they can fulfill the promises started in Trenton to their local taxpayers. “Taxes are a family issue and they matter more than you can imagine,” concluded Len Deo.