By Mayor Mike Halfacre, Fair Haven
The New Jersey Republican delegation to the cesspool that is our State Government has come up with an alternate proposal for the State’s 2008-2009 budget, and it is a strong example of what a sane, common-sense approach to the budget process should produce.
It is unfortunate that our Governor, and members of his political party, who continue to talk about tax hikes, toll hikes, and cutting aid to those municipalities that are most efficiently run, are paying little or no attention to this sound fiscal plan. It is especially ironic that Corzine, who repeatedly claims to want to “put New Jersey back on sound fiscal footing” has produced a budget that rewards those larger municipalities and bloated bureaucracies that have put New Jersey in the fiscal predicament we find ourselves.
The Republican budget restores all of the municipal aid that Corzine stole from small municipalities in order to fund his ongoing drive to pander to the large, democratically controlled cities, and provides modest adjustments so that no one municipality, large or small, is unduly punished for the excessiveness of the past.
The Republicans have met the governor’s challenge to stay within the $33 billion dollar budget, actually coming in at $100,000,000.00 below the “magic number”, at $32.9 Billion.
Some highlights:
Common sense ideas, such as reducing money that goes into the “Special Municipal Aid Program”, a slush fund that has more than tripled in funding over the past six years, will be reduced to 2002 levels, saving over $100,000,000.00. This program has been the subject of a scathing State Auditor’s Report and has been cited for allocating funding without applications or merit-based criteria.
The former Abbott schools will have to get by on smaller increases then sought by Governor Corzine. In the wake of the Union City schools fiasco, and the Keansburg fiasco, it is clear that there is little to no accountability coming out of the Department of Education for these 31 largest and poorest school districts. So why does Corzine seek to increase the amount of aid above and beyond inflation for these districts? The Republicans propose limiting Abbot aid increases to 2%, another savings of over $100,000,000.00. (Note, not a decrease or even flat funding, but a smaller increase)
A hundred million here, a hundred million there, it starts to add up.
For more details, go to the Republican delegation website:
http://njassemblyrepublicans.com/pdf/Summary%20Budget%20Savings.pdfv
Our Monmouth County elected Republicans will be holding a press conference in Freehold on Wednesday, June 11th at 1:00 p.m. to highlight this budget proposal.
Everyone in the State who cares about our future should either attend to show their support, or write to their own legislator to demand this plan be seriously considered and implemented.
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9 comments:
Mike Halfacre is consistently one of the most eloquent and forceful champions of small government in general and fiscal conservatism in general in this area
Can we run this guy a few fundraisers so he can take down Rush Holt someday???
I think that is a great idea. But first, let's see how Allan Bateman does this year.
Mayor Halfacre,
Before you cut the aid to cities, can you do me a favor? Will you first move the County Methodone clinic, The AIDS Clinic and say, 500 federal housing tenements from Asbury Park to Fair Haven, and THEN cut the aid?
You see, once the Feds, the State and the County stop dumping the problems they don't want to deal with in AP, and start dumping them in FH, then I'll be with you - I won't want to spend the money on the aid either.
Oh, and Abbotts? I've already told everyone you can get rid of the most expensive one (AP) by reversing a 1996 DOE ruling that bused the wealthier white kids away. Reverse the ruling and AP will lose its Abbott designation.
Until someone does that simple thing, I don't believe they want to get rid of the Abbotts. I think it's all talk - because the solution is simple.
So in the meantime, don't be late with my $60 million Abbott check.
Sincerely,
City of Asbury Park
No offense. But I think the mayor is talking too much about Trenton than his very own town of Fair Haven. Before one can phathom the idea of running for higher office, one must settle debts with the office he or she may have.
But then again ambition can blind the very bright to do many dumb things.
there will be a new adjective for losing badly in monmouth. it will be called getting 'batemaned'
Hey Art, where's the press conference going to be held?
Hey Melissa,
Mayor Halfacre tells me the press conference will be on the steps of the Hall of Records.
Hahaha. That should be fun.
JustifiedRight....Before you start blaming everyone else for your problems ,take a look at your last few mayors and councilman ....they could teach Sharp James a few new tricks!
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