UPDATE: Dept. of Human Services Responds to EMT Protest

TRENTON– The EMT rally scheduled for this weekend on the steps of the State House has been postponed, according to New Jersey First Aid Council, Vice President Barb Aras.
Thursday, May 14, the day after EMT’s protested in the parking lot of Cape Regional Medical Center, The Department of Human Services called the First Aid Council and began discussions that will continue on Monday afternoon, Aras said.
Check back for continuing coverage.
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COURT HOUSE — Area Emergency Medical Technicians staged a protest in the parking lot of Cape Regional Medical Center on May 13 in response to Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s proposal to reallocate EMT training fund money to the general treasury in an attempt to relieve the budget crisis.
About 30 EMT’s and supporters gathered in the parking lot around ambulances.
Lt. Mike Scheeler, of the Stone Harbor Fire Department, stood on an ambulance bumper to start the rally off.
“I’m here because I’m real concerned, and I touched base with all of you about this training fund being robbed by Gov. Corzine,” said Scheeler just before he told the EMT’s how they could find more information on the New Jersey Emergency Medical Services Educator’s Association Web site.
Scheeler passed out pre-written letters that they could send to Corzine voicing their objection to the proposal.
“The fund is not tax dollars and that’s important, this is public funds and Jon Corzine taking this money is a violation of the publics trust,” Scheeler went onto say.
The EMT Training Fund was established by an act of the state Legislature in 1992 to cover the cost of training volunteers for EMT-Basic certification as well as continuing education training needs for re-certification. The program is funded through a 50-cent surcharge on all moving violations and has covered the EMT training costs every year since it’s inception without the need for supplemental funds from state tax revenues.
As part of Corzine‘s controversial budget proposal, Corzine plans to “reallocate” $4 million from this fund to the general treasury in an attempt to relieve the budget crisis.
“It was a difficult decision. But we have to meet our constitutional obligation to balance the budget,” said Tom Bell, a state treasury department spokesman.
“We found that there was a surplus of funds that had been accumulating over the years, and that reallocation of funds will have no effect on the yearly training fund,” Bell said.
According to Bell, the 2010 projection of training fund revenue is estimated between $2.2 and 2.4 millions dollars.
Barbara Aras, of the New Jersey First Aid Council, disagrees with the state treasury’s math.
“I don’t know were they are getting those figures from, I was just reading in the Asbury Park Press, ticket revenues are way down, so I just don’t see how that estimated 2010 revenue projection can be true,” she said.
According to the First Aid Councils website the reallocation would leave only $27,000 in the EMT Training Fund for the fiscal year starting July 1 of this year. Based on last year’s expenditures, that’s a shortfall of at least $ 2.5 million.
Aras says that puts the training burden back on the squads who are all ready hard pressed for donations in this economy.
The First Aid Council has 375 rescue squads that are members, of their members squads they transported 404,489 people to the emergency room last year at no charge a savings to state taxpayers of $35 million dollars.
“That figure dose not include an estimated 120 squads that are not members,” according to Aras.
Mike Donohue, a 15-year veteran of the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and Republican candidate for State Assembly in the First District, was introduced by Scheeler as a “staunch supporter.” Donohue talked about the grass routes campaign that started from a post on his Facebook page that other firefighters and EMT’s saw and “ran with it.”
“This is not a political issue. It’s not about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about doing the right thing and this is not the right thing to take $4 million dollars from this fund and try to balance this budget on the backs of volunteers is wrong,” said Donohue.
Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano (D-1st) started off thanking the volunteers and Donohue for there services and continued to voice his concern for the miss management of surplus funds that he says have time and time again been taken to fill budget gaps.
Donohue interrupted Albano in mid-sentence.
“Can we get money out of the special municipal aid fund out of that $145 million dollars so this doesn’t have to happen?” asked Donohue.
“We’re trying to get it out of any fund right now to make sure that this doesn’t happen, we expressed our concerns to the government, to his office, to the budget committee and the budget chairman that we’re not going to stand and let them take money that belongs to you,” Albano said
They did it with the D.A.R.E program. They do it with the drunk driving program. Anytime there is a surplus of money they’re going to take those funds to fill a hole in the budget. That can no longer happen anymore,” Albano replied.
Albano’s explanation of his position distancing himself, Milam and Van Drew from the Democrat controlled state government struck a cord with Donohue who was puzzled by Albano’s remarks.
“I got a question,” Donohue said. “I mean you guys control the whole government, why can’t you just stop the governor from doings this?”
“We don’t control the whole government. The government is controlled by all eighty legislators, republican and democrat,” Albano replied
“You got the assembly the senate and the governor’s seat,” Donohue said chuckling at Albano’s statement.
Van Drew’s Chief of Staff Allison Murphy then interjected saying “this is not a political rally.”
“I understand that,” Donohue replied.
“This is not a political rally,” Murphy repeated.
“There are still Republicans and Democrats on both sides. Now you’re saying that this is not political, you just made a speech that this is not political,” Albano said.
“I’m asking a question as a constituent,” Donohue said.
“The whole state government is made up of Republicans and Democrats. There are legislators up north that may be Republican or Democrat who have paid fire departments — who have paid EMT’s — who could care less if we take this money and put it in the budget,” Albano said.
“We’re not like other legislators. We are independent legislators that stand up for the people in our district. We don’t follow party lines all the time. We follow where the need is in our district and that’s where we go and we will continue to fight this as long as we can.”
After the rally concluded, Donohue was asked about his exchange with Albano.
“I asked a very simple question,” Donohue said.
“I don’t know why IT was so controversial and they couldn’t answer it. If the Democratic Party, that they are members of, controls the Senate, the Assembly and the Governor’s mansion, why can’t they just stop the governor from doing this? Why can’t they put the political will together as a party to stop their governor from taking this $4 million dollars? I asked that question and it didn’t get answered. I don’t understand it. Their party is the majority party in New Jersey. They control the entire government. Why do we have to be protesting in the streets? That was my point.”
Editors Note: Mike Scheeler is not related to Herald reporter Harry B. Scheeler, Jr.
Contact Scheeler at 609-404-6515 or hscheeler@cmcherald.com