TRENTON – State Senator Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex and Union, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding Governor Jon Corzine’s FY 2009 Budget Address, in which he outlined severe cuts to stabilize the State’s long-term economic picture:
“The current financial state of New Jersey, in the way it was presented today in Governor Corzine’s annual budget address, should come as a surprise to no one. This fiscal crisis has been brewing for a long time, and the day has come where we have to deal with the mistakes of the past.
“I think the Governor’s approach of cutting spending, eliminating waste, and moving away from one-shot revenues to fund State services is the ideal way to stabilize our economy. However, I think that cuts need to be made in a responsible way, and we need to adhere to Statewide priorities of education, public safety and essential services for those in greatest need.
“It’s going to be a very difficult balancing act, juggling the State’s stable economic future and the essential services which so many of our residents depend upon. The Governor’s proposed budget is borne from reckless economic policies in the past, but we need to be careful that we don’t tip the scale too far in the other direction, and abandon our communities and constituents.”