New coalition says invest in the future instead of cutting services;

Challenge to legislators: There is a better way

NEW BRUNSWICK, May 1, 2008 — A broad coalition of organizations today brought the push for avoiding shortsighted budget cuts to Middlesex County as part of a statewide effort to get New Jersey back to investing in its future.

The Better Choices Budget Campaign, which includes environmental, housing, labor, health, education and community organizations, called on legislators and Governor Corzine to consider revenue alternatives before passing a budget that cuts deeply into health care, higher education, parks, social services, tenant protection and many other areas crucial to New Jerseyans’ quality of life and ability to advance economically.

At a press conference held at Rutgers Gardens on the Cook College campus, speakers warned of a number of proposed state budget cuts that would make college in New Jersey less accessible and also reduce the quality of life in Middlesex County, including, as examples:

• Family welfare cuts that would end counseling for hundreds of battered women in the New Brunswick area
• Higher education cuts that could eliminate faculty positions at Rutgers
• Health care cuts that would make medicine unaffordable for senior citizens

“We’re here today to talk about alternatives to the proposed state budget cuts; alternatives that are badly needed because the cuts will take Middlesex County in the wrong direction,” said August Schneeberg, President of Rutgers Labor Association. These cuts might seem to help balance the budget in the short term but they will weaken our communities, drive up property taxes, undermine the future for our families, and hurt our seniors, children and most vulnerable residents.

According to Daniel Santo Pietro, Executive Director at Hispanic Directors Association, the proposed cut of $900,000 to the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development in DCA will destabilize programs such as Drop Out Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention, Multi-Purpose Community Counseling, Youth Employment Readiness, and Youth and Senior services. In particular, one of their agencies in New Brunswick that serves between 140 and 180 battered women a year providing counseling and connecting them with legal assistance, shelter and other family support systems is endangered of elimination leaving women and their children without a place to get help. He said, “Working families in Middlesex County rely on these services to take care of their most basic needs.

“We challenge our legislators including Senator Buono to consider carefully their approach to resolving our fiscal woes without putting an unfair burden on those who struggle to keep bread on the table and a roof over their children’s heads,” Said Pietro. Sen. Barbara Buono of Middlesex County chairs the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Proposed cuts in state aid to New Jersey’s public colleges will mean less financial aid for students, higher tuition and a less competitive New Jersey economy, said Josh Ontell, senior class president at Rutgers. Rutgers University is facing a $38 million cut in state aid. Two years ago, when Rutgers was faced with similar cuts in state aid, the school was forced to cancel faculty searches; could not offer positions to faculty working on one-year contracts; hundreds of class sections were cancelled; six intercollegiate athletic programs were eliminated; and operating hours of the library and various offices that serve students were reduced. “High-quality, affordable colleges and universities in New Jersey are essential to our state’s growth, and our legislators must make better choices,” he said.

Sy Larson president of AARP in New Jersey and an East Brunswick resident, said the proposed state budget would increase co-payments for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program, which helps low-income senior citizens buy prescription drugs cheaply. “One person told us that after a stroke he was on 13 different pills a month. The cost was so prohibitive that he had no choice but to cut the dosage. A 40% increase will only further aggravate the situation for our seniors who are already cash-strapped.” he said. “If New Jersey is going to provide opportunities for our children and seniors and a high quality of life for all its citizens, we need to invest more in good schools, health care, and preserving open space—the parks, beaches, and farmland that make New Jersey beautiful.”

The Better Choices Budget Campaign is knocking on doors, handing out leaflets at public places, holding community events in legislative districts, conducting in-district lobby visits and coordinating letter-writing, phone calls and email drives. A website is being launched where people can download materials and get their neighbors involved. This action is part of a two-pronged strategy that also includes a long-term effort to get New Jersey back on a path of investing.

Jon Shure, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective in Trenton, said the campaign believes New Jersey needs a wide-ranging discussion about its needs and priorities, and how to pay for them. “Better Choices means looking at sensible revenue options to fund the services and investments our state depends on,” he said. “There are fair, realistic and environmentally sound ways to meet New Jersey’s needs.” The Campaign is looking at such options as increasing the state income taxes on the top 10% of households; more closely tying driving-related fees to fuel efficiency and vehicle value; closing corporate tax loopholes and reevaluating business subsidy programs; and adjusting taxes on gambling and alcoholic beverages.

The Better Choices Campaign represents 26 organizations across New Jersey that so far have endorsed the campaign’s call for investing in New Jersey’s future.

Better Choices Budget Campaign Endorsing Organizations (as of 5/1/08):

AARP

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, NJ Council 1

Bergen Community College Environmental Club

Bergen Grassroots

BlueWaveNJ

Center for Women and Work at Rutgers

Communications Workers of America, District 1

Council of New Jersey State College Locals, AFT

Fund for an Open Society

Health Professionals and Allied Employees, AFT

Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey

Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey

New Jersey Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

New Jersey Citizen Action

New Jersey Environmental Federation

New Jersey Immigration Policy Network

New Jersey Policy Perspective

New Jersey Tenants Organization

New Jersey Work Environment Council

New Jersey Working Families Alliance

New Jersey Institute of Technology Student Senate

People’s Organization for Progress

Roosevelt Institution, Rutgers-New Brunswick/Piscataway Chapter

Rutgers Labor Association

Sierra Club, New Jersey Chapter

United Presbyterian Church in Paterson