Republicans Respond To Corzine’s School Spending Proposal With Facts

At last. The Republican Party is beginning to respond to Corzine’s proposed school spending program.

We also hope Republicans have plans to expose the false premises on which Governor Jon Corzine has based his adequate school spending and state aid proposals.

There’s a difference between property tax relief and fueling increased spending.

Facts About Corzine's School Funding Proposal

The proposal increases state spending by $532 million which state taxpayers will have to pick up - when our State budget is already so strained. It is a 7.3% increase in the $7.8 billion portion of the State budget dedicated to school aid. The increase will trigger higher State taxes or encourage the toll road gimmick.

Four Democrat machine counties (Hudson, Camden, Essex, and Middlesex) are getting larger increases than any other county in the entire State. These four counties receive increases of $210 million - almost half half the total funding increase.

Union City, with less than 70,000 residents, will get a $20 million increase in funding next year when there has been considerable evidence put forth in the last year about patronage and wasteful spending there. By way of reference, the $20 million increase in aid for Union City and its people is more than the combined increases for all of the 91 school districts and the nearly 1 million people in legislative districts 10 (Ocean), 11 (Monmouth), 39 (Bergen) and 40 (Bergen).

Even in some Republican areas where there appear to be spotty increases, such as district 12 in Monmouth County, the funding formula is still grossly unfair. Total school aid in for the 19 school districts in legislative district 12 will be $155 million - this compares to roughly the same amount ($149 million) just for Union City alone.

Places like Jersey City which exempt lots of property from paying anything at all in property taxes towards schools through sweetheart giveaways to builders, will receive an increase of $8 million - bringing their total aid to $419 million. They will be permitted to continue giving away sweetheart deals which exempt wealthy property owners from making payments to their own schools.