Assembly Budget Committee Chair Gary S. Schaer (D-Bergen/Passaic) released the following statement Tuesday, calling Gov. Christie’s proposal to close the looming $800 million budget gap irresponsible:
“With this proposal, the Governor has elevated the lack of fiscal responsibility, which has typified his administration. There’s nothing responsible about kicking the can down the road.
“Simply put, the Governor’s office has no long-term plan to address New Jersey’s fiscal health.
“When the governor said he would fix only those problems that have been foisted upon him today, he has forgotten that he’s been serving as Governor for almost five years now.
“These are no longer merely problems he has inherited. They are problems he has compounded by avoiding clear and obvious fiscal realities.
“The Assembly is serious about solving these problems together and we are eager to bypass the rhetoric and see more details on the Governor’s proposals, but we will not operate in a vacuum that ignores reality.”