(Trenton) - Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D-Hudson/Bergen) released the following statement Monday after the Christie administration called upcoming hearings on the impact of the governor's budget cuts to children and senior citizens "a waste of New Jersey taxpayers' time and money."
Hearings are set for both Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday's hearing on cuts to children's programs will be held at 10 a.m. in Committee Room 11 on the 4th floor of the State House Annex in Trenton:
"It's not surprising that this governor's office considers testimony on cuts to vulnerable children and senior citizens to be a waste, but that doesn't make its continued insensitivity any less disturbing. It's very disappointing that the lieutenant governor would join in on such let-them-eat-cake rhetoric.
"How does holding a public hearing on brutal cuts to children and seniors amount to a waste of time and money? Is it because the lights in the committee room might have been off if we weren't there? Or is it the wear and tear on the microphones? Dirt on the carpets?
"Of course not.
"Clearly, this governor's office is panicking and doesn't want the public to see who these cuts are directly hurting. What does it consider a valid use of taxpayer money? Hiring someone to post on Twitter? Blowing education grant applications?
"These hearings will gauge the impact of unprecedented cuts to children and senior citizens, among others, to see what, if anything, can be done to repair the damage. Public debate is what democracy is all about, and the governor's office should welcome it. I at least hope my legislative Republican colleagues will finally reject the Christie administration's rhetoric and join with us cooperatively to properly examine these cuts."
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