TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today released the following statement on Governor Corzine’s proposed FY ’08 budget:
“For the state of New Jersey, this year’s budget proposal is definitely good news. No new tax increases, substantial property tax relief, and increased aid for schools and towns will go a long way towards easing the burden that has accumulated on the backs of our hardworking families.
“The Governor’s proposal is both responsible and sensible. It meets our responsibilities, delivers on our promise of property tax relief and provides sensible increases in aid where it is needed most.
“I wholeheartedly agree with the Governor that we need to ‘open up the process’ and I’ve told him that I’m on board with each and every reform he outlined in a letter to legislative leadership today. This afternoon, we’ll be taking the first steps towards making government more transparent and accountable when the Senate votes on a package of ethics reform bills that I have introduced. Next week, I plan to build on these reforms by formally instituting a new policy in the Senate that will ensure that every item that ends up in the budget is fully vetted in the light of day. I’m pretty confident that the end result of this year’s budget process will be more like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree than the Rockefeller Center tree.”