Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06:58:00 AM EDT
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| Major cuts to public schools, and a rollback on the "millionaires' tax"
Budget address is 1 p.m. today.
School districts, "preparing for the worst", might get just that today as Gov. Christie rolls out his budget in an address today, as the governor proposes slashing state aid to public schools by $820 million. The move suggests an in-your-face challenge to the way NJ funds public schools now, one that will likely spur battle in the courts. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage says the cut would mean 40-50 students per classroom, possible school closings and the elimination of classroom aides in many urban districts. Bollwage: "Chris Christie is clearly targeting a segment of the population that is not the New Jersey that he comes from."
NJEA has taken to facebook to fight back. And ... the streets of Christie's home town.
Christie's proposed $29.2 billion budget - about a 9% decrease over Gov. Corzine's last budget - would also suspend property tax rebates, skip a $3 billion payment into the state pension system (which Corzine did last year, at $2.5 billion) and suspends property tax rebates until they are converted into a program of direct credits on state tax bills in the future. Municipalities will lose $445 million. Public colleges would lose $170 million. Private colleges would lose all state support.
It's the "worried" new state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff's job to sell the new budget to a Legislature controlled by Democrats.
Manzo accuses FBI and prosecutors of orchestrating arrests to catapult Christie to the governor's office
Saying he is "too angry to keep quiet," Lou Manzo, charged with extortion in last summer's massive corruption sting of politicians, says it's easy to "connect the dots" to see that the sting was to get Christie elected. As evidence he offered the record of contributions from Christie's staff, and the dozen-plus prosecutors Christie brought into the administration. Both current USA Fishman and Christie's spokesman, deny.
Guadagno: "That's the kind of thing that you can do as the (LG)"
Reflecting the governor's priorities, he has his LG so far spending most of her time on policy affecting business, "streamlining" New Jersey's regulatory processes as chair of the bi-partisan Red Tape Review Committee.
NJ Appeals court will rule on Tea Party plans to recall Sen. Menendez
NJ Tea Parties United and the Sussex County Tea Party will likely learn today whether they can go ahead with plans to recall Menendez via 1.3 million petition signatures, or whether Tea Party people have to observe the US Constitution, the same way the rest of us do.
Crowded Trenton race
Love this story of the plants in the audience in last night's Trenton Mayoral Forum.
Super Bowl at the Meadowlands
The NJ Senate Economic Growth Committee likes the idea of vying for the chance to host the 2014 Super Bowl. NFL has temporarily waived requirements of February temperatures over 50 degrees or a domed stadium, so a winter like this one could make a cold, wild game. Miami and Tampa are the other sites in the running, but they're sissies. Super Bowl to Jersey!
Fugue for Tinhorns
Fewer races but bigger purses in new horseracing deal.
Keep the threat alive of public takeover of Atlantic City
Star Ledger says it's time to yank the reins in on "reckless" spending in AC.
An ordinary, healthy, young man
Bob Braun tells what happened to a 24-year old Old Bridge man, outwardly healthy and perfectly ordinary, when he had a stroke, with no health insurance.
Look in your mailbox for your 2010 Census form, and let's get those puppies filed. This is an Open Thread. |
| Rosi Efthim :: News Roundup & Open Thread for Tuesday, March 16, 2010 |
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