New Jersey Senate Veto Override Wrap Up

by: deciminyan

Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 02:25:34 PM EDT

Despite the fact that many of the social service items that were vetoed by Governor Christie were in his orignial budget, Republicans to a person opposed each of the veto override motions that were taken up in the chamber in the last two days.

First person testimony from the Democratic side on the impact of these programs, and the disaster that is waiting to happen as these programs are defunded was heart wrenching. On the other side of the aisle, the Republicans were lock step in their insistence that the budget be balanced (as is constitutionally required) with no mention of the revenue drain from corporate tax credits or failure to retain the millionaire's tax.

Interspersed with the budget discussions was Senator Singer's off-topic motion to re-introduce the death penalty (how much would that impact the budget?). But maybe it was not so off-topic. After all, Governor Christie's cuts that screw the poor and middle class reenforce the schism between the haves and have-nots, just like in other death penalty countries like Iran and Syria.

Other crazy Tea Party assertions were present, too. Topping off the list was yesterday's assertion by Senator Cardinale that Planned Parenthood encourages child prostitution.

The surprise at the end was Senator Diane Allen rising to speak after being silent during the women's health care debate (a topic that she was formerly a proactive leader on) and after her refusal to vote YES or NO on any of the items. She gave a weak rationale on balancing the budget and clearly her effectiveness in this legislative body is compromised.

These Republican senators need to get an education about the realities of life and understand how New Jersey's (and America's) middle class and poor are suffering - not because they are too lazy to get jobs - but because the damage done by their Wall Street robber barons is still killing our economy.

Denying health care, education, and security may balance the budget in the short term. But in the budget of the long term quality of life, the Republicans still believe in deficit spending.