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Office of Assemblyman Matt Ahearn
38th District Bergen County
305 Route 17 South, Suite 3205
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
Phone: 201-261-8228 Fax: 201-261-1370
www.mattahearn.com
For Immediate Release: July 2, 2003
Contact:
Assemblyman Ahearn
Nancy Fingerhood
Phone: 201-261-8228
Fax: 201-261-1370
Matt Ahearn, (G-Fair Lawn)
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WALK THE PLANK ON THE BUDGET
(TRENTON) -- As the Democrats and Republicans wrangled over the New Jersey
FY 2004 budget for several days, Assemblyman Matt Ahearn (G-Fair Lawn)
described the process as "10 percent public policy, 90 percent
partisan
posturing.".
"The Democrats and Republicans were playing brinkmanship over the
past few
days, rather than working in the best interest of the people," said
Ahearn.
Less than one half of a percent of the total budget proposed in the
Assembly
was in contention, yet it caused a stalemate between Democrats and
Republicans until late Monday night. Most of that money was
allocated
towards pork barrel projects. For example, the Assembly Democrats
version
of the budget contained several perks for South Jersey, such as a program
to
entice Philadelphia corporations to move to South Jersey, and the
appropriation of large grants to South Jersey arts institutions at
the
expense of those throughout the State.
Several of the tax bills under consideration, such as a cigarette tax, a
tax
on hotels and motels and billboard advertisers, were supported by both the
Democrats and Republicans. However, Ahearn viewed those taxes as not
well
thought out and misguided.
The money brought into the State by the tobacco litigation settlement
should
have gone towards public health care, however it was put into the general
fund to balance the budget. "I find it inconsistent that the
Governor wants
to raise cigarette taxes, saying this will discourage smoking. By raising
the tax, Democrats are relying on an addiction to bring in money that will
be going towards the general fund, not anti-smoking programs,"
commented
Ahearn. "Our State government is victimizing its citizens who
are already
victims of 'big tobacco' with this tax." This tax will be paid
by our
tobacco-addicted citizens directly, not by the tobacco industry as
Democrats' rhetoric claims.
A new 7 percent state tax on hotel and motel rooms would have a negative
effect on local businesses in Northern New Jersey. "When a
small local
business in the area needs a consultant from out of town, it is the New
Jersey business that has to pay," said Ahearn. "This hotel
tax doesn't just
affect vacationers in South Jersey. Many small businesses in North
Jersey
will suffer as well."
Ahearn also questioned the validity of the projected revenue from the
billboard tax because it was inadequately researched as to exactly how
many
"billboards" would qualify for the tax. "Is the sign on top
of a mom and pop
restaurant a sign for the store or a 'billboard' that would be
taxed?" He
was also skeptical of the reasoning behind it, saying it was an attempt at
a
political
cover by the Governor, introduced only a few weeks before the budget vote.
The real purpose was to insulate the Governor from ongoing criminal
investigations involving two of the Governor's former aides and others
connected to the Democratic Party organization.
With New Jersey home prices steeper than most other states, increasing
realty transfer fees will hurt home buyers even more. "It seems
absurd to
me to raise the barrier to first time home ownership with higher transfer
fees and at the same time, make cuts in Department of Community Affairs
programs for those who need assistance to achieve the American Dream of
home
ownership," said Ahearn.
"Democratic and Republican Legislators postured and voted on revenue
bills
according to how they think it will help them or hurt their opponents in
the
upcoming election," stated Ahearn. "Politicizing taxes and
threatening a
government shut down that every insider knew would never happen is no way
to
run a government."
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