(TRENTON) — Assembly Transportation Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon after New York NBC 4’s Brian Thompson reported Gov. Christie’s NJ Transit fare hikes are slated for May 1. Numerous media reports have said the hikes could be as high as 30 percent:
“The speed upon which Gov. Christie appears to be moving to saddle hard-working New Jerseyans with what is essentially a 30 percent tax increase is stunning.
“When Gov. Christie promoted NJ Transit fare increases last week, he also mentioned improving efficiency and hiring practices, but a May 1 fare hike would prove that language as nothing more than flowering rhetoric written for the TV camera.
“If Gov. Christie raises fares he will be increasing taxes on working families who have no other choice but to use public transit day-in-and-day-out to get to work. Gov. Christie’s plan is essentially a tax on working people already struggling to make ends meet.
“Clearly, taxing our commuters and derailing public transit raises many questions and we’re going to try to get some answers during Thursday’s Assembly transportation hearing. The public has been denied a transparent debate on this but we’re going to examine it closely.”
Thursday’s Assembly transportation panel hearing on Gov. Christie’s plan for NJ Transit is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Committee Room 11 in the State House Annex.
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