Bucco Budget Update

Bucco

Important Information that We Will Use in the Final Budget Proposal

By Asm. Anthony M. Bucco | The Save Jersey Blog

Anthony BuccoDear Friends,

The Assembly Budget Committee is now more than halfway through our review of the Governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2014.

So far, we have held three public hearings (one in each region of the state) and have heard testimony from the State Treasurer, the Office of Legislative Services, the Department of Education, the School Development Authority, the Department of Human Services and Medicaid, Higher Educational Services, the Economic Development Authority, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Agriculture.

Each department has provided us with important information that we will use in the final budget proposal. Here are some highlights:

The Governor’s budget provides a record level of funding to K-12 education. However, unlike previous administrations, Governor Christie is demanding accountability from our schools while focusing on improving student performance.

Last year, when the Department of Human Services came before the Budget Committee with proposals to make child care funding assistance more efficient and accountable, our Democratic colleagues publicly lamented that we were doing our children a disservice. Yet one year later, the Department reported that while spending $40 million less they were able to provide the same level of service to the same number of kids and at the same time they reduced the waiting list for assistance by 90 percent!

The FY 2014 budget provides $33.9 million in increased aid to higher education and student assistance. The total expenditure for higher education this year will total $405.1 million. Combined with the $750 million bond approved by the voters for facilities improvements, and the strategic realignment of our state’s higher education system, our students in New Jersey will continue to reap the benefits of Governor Christie’s focus on improving our already strong higher education system.

Since February 2010, New Jersey has created 127,800 new private sector jobs. The Economic Development Authority, or EDA, oversees many business growth incentives, like Grow New Jersey and the Business Retention and Relocation Assistance Grant, which I sponsored, that have helped New Jersey based companies like Lockheed Martin win important contracts and allowed them to grow their businesses and hire New Jersey workers.

I sponsor a bipartisan proposal that will soon give the EDA the tools to streamline these programs and make them more effective and enable them to have a broader impact.

It’s also important to know that our Department of Labor is working hard to help unemployed workers to find new jobs. The Jobs4Jersey.com program is a useful web portal to connect job seekers and employers. The OnRamp system matches job openings with workers who have the right skills, rather than the right job titles. It has matched hundreds of workers with job openings.

If you want to use Jobs4Jersey but do not have access to the web at home, we have a kiosk in my District Office and it is available from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. My staff can teach you how to use the program.

I look forward to the completion of the budget process, as we have many important departments yet to appear before the committee.

Sincerely,
Tony

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