New Jersey lawmakers to vet Democrats' $35.3 billion budget

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Times Union

By MICHAEL CATALINI

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The fate of New Jersey's multi-billion dollar budget is about to come into sharper focus.

The Democrat-led Legislature on Tuesday is set to take up a just-unveiled $35.3 billion budget that contrasts sharply with Gov. Chris Christie's $33.8 billion spending blueprint. During budget committee action, lawmakers are expected to vet the proposal that includes a tax increase on income over $1 million as well as a corporate business tax surcharge of 15 percent. Democrats also are making a $3.1 billion payment to the public pension, compared with Christie's proposed $1.3 billion.

The Democratic proposal comes as Christie considers a run for the White House and as the fiscal year ticks closer to its June 30 expiration. It's also a familiar legislative tug-of-war. Democrats have previously proposed raising taxes, only to see Christie line-item veto them out.

Democrats say their proposals make good on a 2011 obligation to pay into the state's pension fund despite a state Supreme Court ruling that bolstered Christie's proposal for a reduced payment.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/New-Jersey-lawmakers-to-vet-Democrats-35-3-6343166.php

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Great way to get elected POTUS is to not meet your pension obligations that were underfunded for years.

[Human101948]

1. Christie is counting on the anomosity and jealousy toward public workers to bolster him...

Like Scott Walker he is out on the campaign trail bragging about how he screws those lazy, greedy teachers and public workers.

Like Walker he has been economic anchor on the state, with meager job creation and GDP. He also has increased debt costs by earning downgrade after downgrade in NJ's credit rating. He was the hero of Superstorm Sandy, but other than a few suffocating hugs most homeowners got bupkis out of the billions in begged for from the federal government. But failure deter these evil bastards.

[turbinetree]

2. Christie and his failed policies............................

Hey, Christie you have to look no further than what the legislatures in California and Minnesota did to fund the states obligations------------------it worked, they raised taxes.
New Jersey is becoming like Kansas and Wisconsin with there respective right wing libertarian AYN RAND governors and legislatures, basically let the wealthy off the hook and blame the working poor and what's left of the middle class as being the problem-----------------rob Peter to pay Paul.

The only way they can hold the line is override his line item vetoes.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/glossary.asp

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq_ed_board/Legislature-can-override-Christies-line-item-vetoes.html

[Hoppy]

3. It's all kabuki.

Dems will forward the budget to His Rotundity. Christie will line item out the increase. Then the Dems will fold like cheap cameras (early 20th century reference) and pretend to be heroes.

Unless they decline his amended budget, they are as much bullshit as he is.