Democrats’ addiction to spending continues to cost New Jersey

💲 Democrats jammed half-a-billion dollars into the state budget at the last minute
💲 Spending comes despite warnings NJ is on the verge of bankruptcy
💲 The public had no chance to comment

Despite repeated warnings from non-partisan budget watchers, Trenton Democrats again showed an inability to stop spending money the state does not have on projects that benefit themselves.

Top Democrats in both the state Senate and Assembly added $500 million in additional spending to an already record budget that spends billions more dollars than the state expects to collect in taxes and fees.

The add-ons, commonly known as Christmas tree spending, are put into the budget at the last possible moment and without any comment, debate or public scrutiny.

In fact, the details are not made public until weeks after the budget is passed and signed into law and when legislators are on their summer vacation.

Republican Senate Budget Officer Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, labeled it "the ultimate form of disrespect to the people of the Garden State."

Assembly Republican Budget Officer Nancy Munoz said in a statement, "These were never given an up-or-down vote, never released to the public before the budget was introduced, and yet magically appeared in the final spending plan."

Democrats defend the spending

Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Union, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, defended the spending and the timing of when it is made public.

A spokesman for the Assembly Speaker said in a statement to NJ.com, "Resolutions undergo thorough review for accuracy and were made publicly available as soon as possible."

While an argument can be made that some of the add on spending is justified and supports community projects, education and other worthwhile endeavors, there are some that appear to be gratuitous.

For example, among the 21 items sponsored by Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairman Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, is a $9.5 million for the Wood-Ridge School District. Sarlo is also the mayor of Wood-Ridge.

You can click this link to do a search for Budget Resolutions added to the spending plan.

Budget process unlikely to change

New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal think tank in Trenton, has been among the most vocal critics of the budget process. Senior analyst Peter Chen told NJ.com the public deserves to know how their money is being spent and be a part of that process.

Chen says the way it is set up now, "the public had no opportunity to see the several hundred page budget bill before it was voted out committees."

There have been calls for moving the budget deadline up and changing the process to be more transparent, but few in Trenton would have the will to actually do it.
Despite the lack of transparency and criticisms from Republicans and others, the ability to add money into the state budget has long been one of the privileges of power.

Democrats are doing it now. Republicans did it before, and would gladly do it again if they ever come back to power in the legislature.

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