Paul A. Sarlo

TRENTON – Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman, Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, issued the following statement after hearing from State Treasurer David Rousseau about the state of current budget cuts, particularly in regards to the Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid (CMPTRA) program, during an update on the FY 2009 Budget:

“While I’m happy that the Administration has at least shown a willingness to restore some of the deep cuts in CMPTRA aid which will translate to substantial property tax increases for homeowners in small towns, the proposed restorations do not go far enough.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo today said he wants Governor Corzine to include Workers’ Compensation Judges in the same pre-nomination review system which the State and county bar associations undertake to assess the qualifications of nominees for judicial and county prosecutor positions.

“Adding this level of scrutiny can only make a good system better,” said Senator Sarlo, who as Chairman of the Senate Labor Committee led a review by the panel last week on ways to improve the workers compensation system in New Jersey.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, the Chair of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, issued the following statement today concerning the Committee’s hearing of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s water quality and site remediation rules, and the impact that the rules have on the business community and development and redevelopment industries in New Jersey:

“Obviously, the DEP has the best intentions in developing site remediation soil and water quality standards to ensure the greatest possible health and safety of local residents. However, we need to be aware that constantly shifting safety levels have a negative affect on the business community, and developers who are seeking to do the right thing in reclaiming environmentally tainted property in our State’s urban communities.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, the Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the panel’s hearing on the FY 2009 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Budget, and the need to seek efficiencies in DEP and Agriculture programs, even if the consolidation of the Agriculture Department into DEP doesn’t take place:

“As the Vice Chair of the Budget Committee, I’ve definitely heard from – and agree with – farmers who’ve called for a stay of execution for the Department of Agriculture as an important advocate and voice for their needs in State Government. As a regulatory agency, the DEP simply isn’t the appropriate torch-bearer for the agriculture industry’s concerns.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic and Chair of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, made the following statement today after the Committee held its first hearing of the session, focusing on the operations of the PNC Bank Arts Center:

“As New Jersey gears up for another summer of concerts at the PNC Bank Arts Center, it’s appropriate for the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee to look at how the Arts Center is run and how it serves the people of the Garden State.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, the Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding today’s Committee hearing on the FY 2009 Department of Law and Public Safety Budget, and the need to provide funding for a State Police barracks in Bergen County:

“Throughout this year’s budget deliberations, representatives from rural areas have raised concerns about a proposal to charge communities patrolled by State Police a fee, to help offset the cost of these patrols. While I believe it would be wholly inappropriate for New Jersey to ask rural communities to shoulder the entire responsibility of these patrols, I believe a small fee helps to reimburse the State a portion of the costs associated with rural patrols, and helps ensure State Police resources are available for the rest of the State.

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, today said the panel would schedule a special hearing May 5 on the workers’ compensation system in New Jersey.

“It’s appropriate to take a close look at the workers’ compensation system to see whether it can be made more efficient,” said Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic. “The recent media focus on the system gives us a chance to see if we can make it a better, fairer program so nobody falls through the cracks.”