Thursday, July 7, 2011

Oliver, Cryan & Greenwald: Assembly Will Hold Hearing This Summer Examining Governor's Budget Cuts and Possible Fixes

Hearings Will Focus on Impact of Cuts to Middle-Class & Poor; Seek Solutions to Damage Wrought by Governor

(Trenton) - Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan and Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald on Wednesday announced the Assembly will convene hearings throughout the summer to examine the impact of Gov. Chris Christie's budget cuts on New Jersey's middle-class and poor.

Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic), Cryan (D-Union) and Greenwald (D-Camden) said the committee hearings will help determine what can be done to fix the governor's cuts.

"Our focus must be on how Gov. Christie's cuts are further hurting our middle-class and poor, children, senior citizens and most vulnerable residents," Oliver said. "I want the Assembly to hear first-hand the impact these cuts will have on working class residents and our most vulnerable. The governor may think it's acceptable to cut help for abused children, health care for women and working families, college aid, nursing homes and endanger public safety, but he may be the only one who thinks that way."

"It's hard to believe this governor would continue to protect tax breaks for millionaires yet cut property tax relief, health care and college tuition aid while devastating assistance for abused children and frail senior citizens, but that's the sad and harsh reality," said Cryan (D-Union). "The Assembly is knows as the People's House, and it will live up to that reputation by taking a hard look at these cuts and what can be done to repair the damage wrought by the governor to our middle-class and poor."

"Working class New Jerseyans were already struggling daily to make ends meet, but now the governor has cut property tax relief, health care, college aid and other services the middle-class, poor and most vulnerable truly need," Greenwald said. "Our focus needs to be on the impact of these cuts, what they will really mean to working class residents and what can be done to reverse them."

The Assembly Democratic leaders said the hearings will hopefully prove to be a bipartisan examination of the cuts and what can be done to fix them.

"We need to take a close and responsible look and decide how best to proceed," said Oliver. "That is our job, and I hope we all work cooperatively to find a way to fix these cuts and help our middle-class and poor."

"Working class New Jersey deserves no less than reasonable discussion and a responsible response," Cryan said. "This is time for everyone to do what's best for middle-class and poor residents struggling to get by."

"The scope of these cuts is so wide-ranging that we all need to work together to find a way to lessen the blow," Greenwald said.

More details will be announced soon.

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