(TRENTON) — Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee issued a multimedia package Thursday discussing how Gov. Christie’s proposed budget protects millionaires while targeting the middle-class, seniors and the poor with $1.1 billion in tax hikes.
The multimedia package consists of a video on the committee’s hearing, audio of the same, a transcript of statements from Democratic legislators on the panel and a press release discussing the hearing in more detail.
The video can be accessed directly via our Web site — www.assemblydems.com — or by clicking here.
The audio file is available upon request.
A press release on the budget public hearing can be found at either www.assemblydems.com or by visiting the Assembly Democrats on Facebook.
A transcript of statements from the legislators is appended below:
Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson (D-Bergen):
“Well, my primary concern right now is the lack of cooperation we have from the Executive Branch. It’s now the 26th of May and we still have had very little or no dialogue between the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch of government.”
Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli (D-Gloucester):
“We have now spent a lot of time – hundreds of hours of testimony related to how this budget affects rank-and-file, working-class, middle-class, lower-class, the poor in New Jersey. And one thing has become very clear: the sacrifice the governor has called for is not across the board.”
Assemblywoman Nellie Pou (D-Passaic), Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairwoman:
“While the governor has, in fact, already taken the step of vetoing the millionaire’s tax, he has absolutely not taken that same approach in doing away with many of the tax increases that are being imposed upon many of our most vulnerable residents.”
Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D-Hudson):
“In the governor’s proposed budget, including the supplemental budget, there are lots of things that they call fees and increases and rates, but they’re taxes. If you have to pay them, if you have no choice about them, it’s a tax.”
Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald (D-Camden), Assembly Budget Committee Chair:
“During the millionaire’s debate, the Republican Party stood up and said the state doesn’t need any new taxes. Yet, they’re going to be asked to vote for a budget that is going to increase the tax on hospitals, it’s going to increase the tax on ambulatory care centers, it’s going to increase an income tax on working poor families, to generate $45 million.”
Quigley:
“They’re taxes on the poor, taxes on the middle class, taxes on everybody but millionaires. I don’t think that’s right. There are people that we represent that are going to be paying more money out of their pockets in this tough economy if the governor gets his way.”
Burzichelli:
“The fact that we’ve yet to be able to convince him that the senior rebates, in particular, have to be reinstated is still something that is important to many of us here.”
Greenwald:
“The reality is: let’s stop playing the games and call this what it is, so that we can work together to solve the problems and really address it so that we’re protecting the most vulnerable.”
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