By The Staff | The Save Jersey Blog
While applauding Governor Chris Christie‘s willingness to tackle a new phase of the pension and benefits reform fight in today’s FY 2017 budget address, Save Jerseyans, Americans for Prosperity state director Erica Jedynak sees room for improvement.
“On the other hand, the governor’s $34.8 billion budget proposal still represents a 20 percent increase—close to $6 billion—over Gov. Corzine’s last budget. AFP believes much more can and should be done to streamline the budget and spend our tax dollars more effectively,” she opined in a statement obtained by Save Jersey.
Governor Christie noted in his Tuesday budget speech that discretionary spending is down $2 billion since he took office despite the rise in overall appropriations, 95% of which he says is attributable to state employee retirement and benefits obligations.
“Of course, the responsibility for addressing New Jersey’s problems is not the governor’s alone. Lawmakers also have a responsibility to their constituents and to taxpayers to work with the governor to resolve our state’s pressing fiscal challenges,” Jedynak continued. “Gov. Christie extended an olive branch today to legislators on the Democratic side of the aisle to work with him in good faith over the remaining days of his term. If they truly care about the well-being and quality of life of our residents, they will accept it.”
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they will not ..they have to keep their puppet masters happy and sweeney is nothing but a puppet
Like I’ve said, Christie campaigned against Corzine by calling him a tax increaser, but has had no problem spending the money generated by those increases.
Nice shot of the Nazi officer standing near the – oh wait, that’s a NJ State Trooper.
A $34.8 billion budget seems a bit high for a state that’s still struggling economically
Say what you want about Christie’s Presidential run, but I think he’s one of the best governors I’ll see in my lifetime. This is as good as it gets with a Democratic Legislature and an activist Supreme Court. This is a spending plan that can realistically pass and isn’t illegal by the NJSC’s viewpoint.
does it matter jersey is broke it’s time to leave