DeAngelo & Benson: Christie School Aid Veto a Short-Sighted Move with Long-Term Ramifications

14th Legislative District to Lose Out on $23 Million in Aid

(Trenton) - Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson (both D-Mercer/Middlesex) today called the Governor's decision to veto the additional aid for suburban schools included in the democratic budget a short-sighted move with long-term ramifications on the children in the state.

"Under the plan, children and schools everywhere - whether in the suburbs, rural areas or cities - would have benefited, as would property taxpayers," said DeAngelo. "Investing in education and property tax relief should be shared priorities regardless of political party. Unfortunately the Governor doesn't seem to share that sentiment and has failed repeatedly now to adhere to our school funding formula law. Because of this, nearly all of the towns in the 14th district face substantial losses in aid. Once again, the Governor has chosen the millionaires of this state over students and struggling low and middle income homeowners."

The democratic budget plan increased the state's investment in education by over $1.5 billion total, with roughly 70 percent of the increased aid allocated to suburban and rural school districts and nearly 30 percent funded by an increased income tax on millionaires.

Through his line-item veto, the Governor cut nearly $493 million in aid to non-Abbot school districts, a majority of which would have aided suburban and rural districts that have been decimated by the Governor's cuts in education last year, forcing teach layoffs and property tax increases. The lawmakers noted that under the new legislative map, the fourteenth district, alone, will lose out on roughly $23 million under the Governor's veto.

"Taxpayers throughout New Jersey can look at the numbers and see exactly how much relief would have rightly come to their local schools and property tax bills under the budget we passed," Benson said. "Districts like Hamilton, East Windsor, and West Windsor/Plainsboro are all losing between $3 and 4 million under the Christie cuts. The Governor has repeatedly chosen pathways that devalue public education in our state. This, once again, is another example and an unfortunate and sad reality for the students and struggling middle class taxpayers in our state."