Despite all the boasting, Gov. Christie has New Jersey in the same fiscal shape as a year ago Today, Governor Christie will have to find a way to close a $10.5 billion structural gap in the state budget he presents to the Legislature. The shortfall represents more than one third of this year's budget — 37 percent. New Jersey's budget is in worse shape than Texas or California or almost every other... [more]
Despite all the boasting, Gov. Christie has New Jersey in the same fiscal shape as a year ago
Today, Governor Christie will have to find a way to close a $10.5 billion structural gap in the state budget he presents to the Legislature.
The shortfall represents more than one third of this year's budget — 37 percent. New Jersey's budget is in worse shape than Texas or California or almost every other state in the nation. According to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, only Illinois and Nevada anticipated shortfalls that represent a larger share of their current year budgets.
If all of this sounds familiar, it should.
New Jersey is in almost exactly the same fiscal shape it was a year ago, when Christie faced a $10.7 billion structural gap. He balanced the state budget by putting an end to property tax rebates and slashing state aid to public schools, actions that created more pressure on the exploding growth of local property taxes. Christie also chose to "defer" paying $3 billion due the state's pension fund; raided the state's clean energy account and cut social safety net programs for seniors, the disabled, the poor and the homeless. At the same time, Christie gave corporations and the wealthiest New Jersey taxpayers substantial tax breaks.
Despite all the boasting about turning Trenton upside down, the state's structural gap hasn't gotten any smaller and its revenue outlook remains bleak. It's as if the governor had the state on a strict diet for the past year and only lost a pound or two.
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/commentary/despite-all-the-boasting-gov-christie-has-new-jersey-in-the-same-fiscal-shape-as-a-year-ago[less]
Response by somewhereelse
about 15 years ago
Posts: 7435
Member since: Oct 2009
> espite all the boasting, Gov. Christie has New Jersey in the same fiscal shape as a year ago
Which sounds like a victory given that everywhere is is falling further into the toilet (NY included).
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Response by Socialist
about 15 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
That's because other states properly fund their pensions and don't shift the financial burden onto muncipalities. When the taxes on my McCrapsion went up last year, there was a letter included in the tax bill from the town that bascally said "We had no choice to raise taxes because the governor has saddled us with more expenses."
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Response by alanhart
about 15 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
It should have said "the GOP plan at least since Reagan took over is to cut taxes on the rich at the federal level, then push the resulting problems down to the state level, then cut taxes on the rich there, and shift resulting problems down to the county/town level, then cut taxes there and start harvesting fear and anger to enable even more tax cuts for the rich, at the expense of everyone else. Pay up."
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Response by Socialist
about 15 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
That's true. No arguments here. When the Republicans plan to push expenses down to the state level, they call this "State's Rights." State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery and Jim Crow laws. Not sure why Republicans love State's Rights so much... at least use a different term.
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Response by huntersburg
about 15 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
State's perogative?
Commonwealth's rights?
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Response by somewhereelse
about 15 years ago
Posts: 7435
Member since: Oct 2009
> State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery
Yeah, by the Democrats.
Like clockwork... Alpo always makes the best arguments against the side he is supporting... as if Alpo being on your side isn't ample evidence you are wrong in the first place.
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Response by Socialist
about 15 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
nice cherry picking my quote. I said "State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery AND Jim Crow laws." Except for Eisenhower, Republicans supported Jim Crow laws.
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Response by somewhereelse
about 15 years ago
Posts: 7435
Member since: Oct 2009
"cherry picking", one more thing Alpo doesn't understand.
Alpo, YOU brought up slavery, genius, not me.
WHOOPS!
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Response by MidtownerEast
about 15 years ago
Posts: 733
Member since: Oct 2010
Well, as might as I like to slag Socialist again, the "Democrats" who were raising those states' rights arguments in the slavery battle were Southern Democrats, akin to Blue Dog Democrats now. Everyone knows (or should know) that the parties switched labels long ago. The Republicans had a progressive wing that started to die right after TR and the Democrats started becoming more progressive heading into the 20th Century (with the populism of WJ Bryan giving way to the progessive Wilson giving way to the modern Democrat FDR). To the extent the labels Republican and Democratic are ever useful or descriptive, they were far less so in the 1830s-60s so you can't draw such a straight line.
> espite all the boasting, Gov. Christie has New Jersey in the same fiscal shape as a year ago
Which sounds like a victory given that everywhere is is falling further into the toilet (NY included).
That's because other states properly fund their pensions and don't shift the financial burden onto muncipalities. When the taxes on my McCrapsion went up last year, there was a letter included in the tax bill from the town that bascally said "We had no choice to raise taxes because the governor has saddled us with more expenses."
It should have said "the GOP plan at least since Reagan took over is to cut taxes on the rich at the federal level, then push the resulting problems down to the state level, then cut taxes on the rich there, and shift resulting problems down to the county/town level, then cut taxes there and start harvesting fear and anger to enable even more tax cuts for the rich, at the expense of everyone else. Pay up."
That's true. No arguments here. When the Republicans plan to push expenses down to the state level, they call this "State's Rights." State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery and Jim Crow laws. Not sure why Republicans love State's Rights so much... at least use a different term.
State's perogative?
Commonwealth's rights?
> State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery
Yeah, by the Democrats.
Like clockwork... Alpo always makes the best arguments against the side he is supporting... as if Alpo being on your side isn't ample evidence you are wrong in the first place.
nice cherry picking my quote. I said "State's Rights ironically was the same defense used to justify slavery AND Jim Crow laws." Except for Eisenhower, Republicans supported Jim Crow laws.
"cherry picking", one more thing Alpo doesn't understand.
Alpo, YOU brought up slavery, genius, not me.
WHOOPS!
Well, as might as I like to slag Socialist again, the "Democrats" who were raising those states' rights arguments in the slavery battle were Southern Democrats, akin to Blue Dog Democrats now. Everyone knows (or should know) that the parties switched labels long ago. The Republicans had a progressive wing that started to die right after TR and the Democrats started becoming more progressive heading into the 20th Century (with the populism of WJ Bryan giving way to the progessive Wilson giving way to the modern Democrat FDR). To the extent the labels Republican and Democratic are ever useful or descriptive, they were far less so in the 1830s-60s so you can't draw such a straight line.