By The Staff | The Save Jersey Blog
“This plan is unfair, it is unjust and it is blatantly unconstitutional,” Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) declared in a joint statement with Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Theresa Ruiz (D-Essex) issued following the announcement of Chris Christie‘s ‘Fairness Formula’ designed to equalize state K-12 school aid on Tuesday.
Senator Sweeney’s neighbors in the working-class Gloucester County suburb of West Deptford might have something say about that, Save Jerseyans.
An analysis of the town-by-town impact of the Christie plan finds West Deptford’s planned 2016-2017 state aid allotment rising from $4,102.91 to $6,500 representing an increase of $2,397.09 or 58% in assistant for each student. It also means massive property tax savings for West Deptford property taxpayers.
‘Massive’ isn’t an exaggeration. Another town in Sweeney’s Third Legislation District, Harrison Township, would pick up $2,261.66 per student for a 53% increase. Up in North Jersey, residents in the similarly-situated Bergen County community of Fair Lawn would see a 815% school aid increase and a $2,200 property tax decrease.
“Fairness” may be a relative term but math is math regardless of the political affiliation of the person grappling with it.
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