New Jersey Senate Budget Committee: Show Us 'Honest' Cuts

At long last, the press and New Jersey lawmakers are beginning to pick up on the fact Governor Corzine has not “cut” $2.5 billion in spending from his $30.9 billion state budget. The Governor has proposed spending $2.6 billion more, not $2.5 billion less.

In all, Corzine presented the Legislature last month with $2.5 billion in cuts and curbs on annual spending increases.

"It's clear that this budget is more than $2 billion higher than last year," the Republican leader [Leonard Lance] said. "When the governor talked about $2 billion in cuts, what he really meant was he wouldn't increase the budget by $4 billion."

Restraining the growth in spending is not a budget cut - it’s spending more, although perhaps not as much as some may have preferred. Eliminating the funding for “one-time” expenses and then spending the “savings” on new programs is not a budget cut.

This fact is being pointed out by Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D- West Deptford), a member of the Senate Budget Committee.

"I'm going to give him [Corzine] the opportunity to show us what he's cut," Sweeney said. "But it has to be an honest cut."

Sweeney questioned Corzine proposed $10 million cut from the state's snow removal fund for next year, pointing out that New Jersey often runs through its snow removal budget, requiring the Legislature to appropriate the additional funds required. Corzine is also banking on shifting $330 million in costs from the state to the federal government and hopes for an additional $117 million increase in federal funding for human service programs to offset a drop in state funding.