Efforts to Reduce Poverty, Rebuild New Jersey’s Middle-Class Rejected by Christie
Assembly Budget Committee Chair Gary S. Schaer (D-Bergen/Passaic) issued the following statement Thursday in response to Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of several items in the Democratic budget aimed at combating poverty and rebuilding New Jersey’s middle-class:
“A budget, fundamentally, is about priorities. The governor, once again, has made his unmistakably clear.
“New Jersey cannot move forward by leaving its most vulnerable residents behind. The return on investments like preschool expansion, adult education, charity care, ‘breakfast after the bell’ and the Senior Freeze is proven. Contrary to the governor’s belief, providing people with the hand up they need is not incompatible with fiscal responsibility. In fact, both must be central to any plan for our state’s progress.
“The governor had an opportunity before him to fund initiatives that would have enabled people to take better care of themselves and their families, and sadly, that opportunity has been squandered.
“While the governor’s cuts are disappointing to say the least, working families in New Jersey can rest assured that they will remain my focus as Budget Committee chair going forward.”