Posted on 11/09/2007 6:40:35 PM PST by Katon51
Voters say ‘no’ to more borrowing, but Dems just won’t stop
Less than 24 hours after the last ballot was cast Tuesday, Trenton Democrats sent a strong message to New Jersey voters: your vote doesn’t count.
One day after voters rejected plans for the state to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to support stem cell research grants, Democrats returned to the State House intent on pushing through millions in bonding for stem cell research facilities. Only after Republicans objected did the Democrats decide to cancel a hearing they had scheduled for Thursday to approve that borrowing.
But despite the cancellation, Governor Jon Corzine and Senate President Richard Codey, both avid supporters of stem cell research, said the state will move forward with its plans to build stem cell research facilities throughout the Garden State, ignoring the voters' mandate to cease borrowing.
The Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) was set to sign off on borrowing $26 million for "predevelopment" construction costs at its scheduled meeting Thursday. That meeting was postponed without explanation late Wednesday after Republicans objected to the planned vote.
"It’s hard enough to get people to go to the polls because many feel their vote doesn’t make a difference," said Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. "If the JBOC gives the green light to proceed with facility construction, that’s exactly the message they are sending."
"The voters spoke loud and clear Tuesday when it came to the issue of state debt, and it would be a mistake for the Legislature to ignore the will of the voters on this issue," added Assembly Republican Budget Officer Joseph Malone, R-Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth and Mercer counties. "What we saw at the polls Tuesday is that New Jersey voters – regardless of their views on the merit of stem cell research – do not want the state to incur any more debt at this time."
In 2006, the Legislature authorized the issuance of $270 million of bonds by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to pay for construction costs for stem cell facilities. The JBOC was set to approve $26 million of that amount at its Thursday meeting. On Tuesday, however, voters overwhelmingly rejected a referendum to borrow $450 million in bonds for research grants.
"The fact that the committee released its agenda early Wednesday, just hours after the voters overwhelming defeated a plan to put the state further into debt, with the resolution still on the table makes it clear that the Democrats have very little regard for what the people of New Jersey are saying," said DeCroce. "When it comes to spending and issuing more debt, Democrats refuse to take 'no' for an answer. The resolution may be off the table for now, but rest assured we have not seen the last of it."
Corzine and Codey both made that very apparent. With next year’s fiscal budget already facing a $3.5 billion deficit, Corzine said Wednesday the state has more than $10 million in this year’s operating budget to fund stem cell research grants. Codey also told the Asbury Park Press, "I would move ahead. That’s not new money, money spent on capital construction."
Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, D-Camden, the JBOC vice chairman, also told the Asbury Park Press that construction might proceed but cautioned, “We need to be respectful of the voters and not come off as looking arrogant as if we know more than they do."
"Who do they think they are kidding?" asked DeCroce. "This is the epitome of arrogance. New Jersey voters made it very clear on Tuesday they do not want to incur additional debt by moving forward on stem cell research. Yet it’s quite apparent the governor and Democrat leaders have once again turned a deaf ear to what the taxpayers are saying."
"We are facing another large hole in next year’s budget, $37 billion in state debt and more than a $60 billion unfunded liability in our pension system," said Malone. "The voters understand that the time to stop borrowing money is now, and the Legislature would be wise to heed that warning."
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, R-Monmouth, added, "We need to slam on the brakes. The public has spoken loud and clear and I’m sorry that the governor and Senate president don’t seem to have heard that message."
It is becoming apparent that Dimocraps will stop at nothing to raise money for vote purchasing and the “courts” - judges they already paid for - are deciding that state constitutions, charters, etc. mean to give elected officials more power than the people. This is the beast we have begotten.
My condolences to all the FReepers living there.
The election is a year away, and voters forget.
NJ Democrats know this...
State politics is dominated by old-line Democrats from the seashore and farming areas, plus the nouveaux riches of suburban New York City and Philadelphia. The latter are products of liberal institutions of higher education and are strongly influenced liberal cultural institutions. Even though their economic circumstance would normally dictate support of the GOP, these newly rich are dyed in the wool liberals, who put ideology ahead of self-interest.
Oh my I did not know that about Morris Co. I had to live in NJ for a year and God must have lead me to find that apartment in Morris County. I was a nice place. However, Trenton and other places were down right scary and surreal. Had some realator show us a horrible place that I thought surly there is something better and we found the apt. on our own. Gosh was I green behind the ears. Just loaded up the truck and moved to NJ knowing nothing. And yes I swear it did look alot like the Beverly Hillbillies. The truck was loaded down and tied down big time.
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