Local Legislators Offer Eight-Point Plan to Balance State Budget

MILLVILLE –– Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam and Senator Jeff Van Drew (All D-1st) held a press conference here Monday proposing an “eight-point plan for fiscal sanity and balanced budget.”
The lawmakers’ package of bills included measures that were part of Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s proposal for the state, but also included some new ideas that “would save taxpayers billions.” The plan includes suspending non-senior and non-disabled property tax rebates, constitutionally mandated belt tightening, empowering the comptroller, stopping paper waste and capping state spending.
Van Drew told the Herald that he and his colleagues didn’t just want to say they opposed the governor’s plan to increase tolls and restructure state debt without offering some suggestions of their own.
They were apparently following former U.S. Senator Bob Franks’ advice that “mere opposition is not a meaningful public policy.” Franks made that statement to his Republican associates who would stand against the governor’s plan just because it came from Corzine, a liberal Democrat.
“The state has to run in a more fiscally responsible way and because some of the past spending habits of both Democrats and Republicans, we believe some of these spending habits must be changed constitutionally,” Van Drew stated in a press release. “This plan requires courage and discipline.”
As listed in the press release, their point-by-point plan includes:
• Stop spending money we don’t have — Bill No. SCR 79.
Constitutionally we should only be allowed to spend or base a budget upon recurring revenues. We should never be able to spend beyond the revenues we take in. No more one shot fixes in budgets. This was included in the Governor’s proposal.
• Stop borrowing without voter approval — Bill No. SCR 78.
“We are introducing a Constitutional amendment — legislation that would prohibit the state from borrowing money and incurring debt – without voter approval – unless there is an existing and direct revenue stream. The misuse of authorities and their ability to borrow money to plug budget caps can simply no longer be tolerated,” said Milam.
This was also part of the Governor’s proposal.
• Constitutionally mandate a 4% cap on state government –– Bill No. SCR 50.
This bill would amend the state Constitution by placing a 4 percent cap on state spending. If counties, towns, and schools are required to live under a 4 percent cap, we certainly should expect the same of our state, the release stated.
“We have capped our Counties, Municipalities, and Schools—we are being hypocritical if we do not cap ourselves. We must lead by example,” said Van Drew.
• Mandatory reduction of the number of employees in the executive branch by 10 percent — Bill No. S 421.
According to the legislators, the number of employees in the executive branch grew by 23 percent in the last 10 years.
“This should be easy to do,” Albano stated. “The number of state workers has grown by over 20 percent over the years. Through attrition – not filling vacancies we can achieve this goal without hurting our constituents or the function of state government. We must cut the fat.”
• Constitutional Rainy Day Fund –– Bill No. SCR 49.
Under this legislation when revenues are significantly higher than expected – the state would be forced to save for tougher times ahead.
“The residents of New Jersey would not be going through a fiscal crisis of the current magnitude if a constitutional rainy day fund had been in place in the past – but instead we spent it all,” Milam said. “We must insure that never happens again.”
• Reduce State Government bureaucracy by 10 percent –– a bill will be introduced Feb. 21.
We are introducing legislation that would mandate that the new state Comptroller audit every state department, division and Cabinet level position, and produce a plan that will reduce the cost of running the state bureaucracy overall by 10 percent.
• Suspend non-senior and non-disabled property tax rebates — a Non-binding question on the ballot to ascertain voter sentiment will be introduced with an estimated savings of $1.3 billion.
“It doesn’t make sense to increase taxes, fees, and tolls, only to process and send a small part of the money back to the taxpayers. I believe our voters are telling us that sending a rebate check back in the mail doesn’t compensate for the financial pain felt by the constant rising taxes, fees, and now tolls,” said Van Drew.
“If we are wrong, let the voters tell us,” Albano said.
• Stop wasting money on printed materials which are seldom read — Bill No. S 230.
This bill would require the state to replace the costly and unnecessary printing of official reports and other documents with the same information to be made available online
“In this age of e-mail and Internet-based communications, these publications have outlived their usefulness,” said Van Drew. “The days of glossy paper, colored pictures, and fancy bindings are over: we simply can’t afford it.”
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com