(TRENTON) — Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee Chairman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) issued the following statement Friday in response to Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of the majority of the Democratic Legislature’s “Back to Work NJ” jobs creation package:
“The governor’s actions today on our Back to Work NJ package are completely baffling.
“His almost unilateral veto of the package will only ensure that more New Jerseyans remain out of work longer and that our state will take longer to recover from our continuing economic troubles and be weaker for it when we do.
“Worse, his administration’s failure to offer any significant job creation alternatives indicates that putting people back to work is not a priority.
“Legislative Democrats have said time and again that the best economic stimulus we could give our residents was a job. This package would have done just that.
“Unfortunately for the tens of thousands of unemployed in our state, Gov. Christie refused to listen.”