TRENTON – Senator Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on Governor Chris Christie’s proposed Fiscal Year 2011 state budget:
“The Governor has certainly given the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee plenty to chew on over the next eight weeks.
“Budget cuts — especially deep, painful cuts like these — are supposed to move us toward the goal of a smaller, more efficient, more effective state government.
“All this budget appears to move us toward is higher property taxes on middle-class families and seniors, higher college tuitions, higher taxes for low-income working families and lower taxes for the rich.
“This budget creates more questions than it does answers.
“At this rate, towns and school boards will have to make indiscriminate cuts to education and essential services. Rather than wait around for a toolbox, they will be forced to gas up a chainsaw, light some dynamite and find a backhoe to clear the rubble.
“I look forward to the Treasurer, Commissioner of Education and their colleagues appearing before the budget committee to justify their reasoning behind this spending plan.”