You would think a former Attorney General would understand and respect the law. But it seems, as soon as anyone is elected Governor in New Jersey, they think the law no longer applies to them.
NJ has a law regarding the requirement to provide a thorough and efficient education to the children of our state. The law even provides a formula that spells out how this education will be funded. Governor Christie campaigned as being different than past administration, and yet he has followed both Corzine and McGreevey down the same path. All three have taken the easy way out and decided if the law was hard to follow then just ignore the law. With the stroke of a pen, you can make it go away.
And this time, to add insult to injury, the Governor is not applying his fix in an equitable manner. He is targeting the school districts who have followed good and fiscally responsible programs and put themselves in financially sound positions. The ones who have planned for the future, who have set aside money for unplanned or emergent expenses, who are building funds to eliminate leasing and credit buying are now being required to give up those funds to bail out the rest of the State. His plan takes any surplus in a school district over 2%, and 25%of any reserve accounts districts may have for capital improvements and other similar programs.
Hammonton has been through this before. It seems that whenever we make a plan that follows the current laws, the state finds a way to ignore the laws and penalize our town. The last time it caused a shift of the financial burden from the state to the local taxpayer. It remains to be what seen the full impact will be this time. But suffice it to say that our money which came directly from the pockets of Hammonton taxpayers is being taken from us to supplement the NJ State budget and pay off the States deficit. There is no allowance in the law to permit this type of activity, and the Governor has not introduced any legislation to change the law, he is just breaking the law. Breaking the law has repercussions and penalties, but apparently not if you have a Governors pen.
This would be a different story if the Governor enacted legislation to change the law, but he hasnt. It would be more fair if the money were being taken from all districts across the state, but it isnt. The district who have been reckless in their spending and have disregarded saving for the future are not being required to give one thin dime.
Our school board has taken the step to appeal the amount being taken from us, but that is not enough. The board should forward a resolution to the legislature and the governor demanding that this inequitable action be stopped and a different course be taken in solving their financial woes. The Mayor and Council should also forward a resolution in support of the Hammonton taxpayers who are unfairly being forced to supplement the States budget to an extent greater than most other taxpayers in the state. Not taking this or some similar action is a disservice to the citizens and taxpayers they represent.
We as citizens should make our representatives both at the local level and the state level aware that we will not just sit back and be treated in this unfair manner. Ask our local government to speak up for us. Ask our state representatives to stop this unfair course of action. Let the Governor know that we understand the problems he is facing, but it is not up to the people of Hammonton to bail out the rest of the State.
Our local and county officials aren't going to ask the Governor for anything. He has already done them a favor by looking the other way. If you know what I mean. In Christie's mind the law only applies to certain individuals, he's had that mindset long before he became Governor!
Christie better stop listening to COAH, NJEA, Welfare recipients, Abbotts School Districts, DCA, foolish grant requests, etc. etc. He better start cutting the salaries of every government employee ASAP.
Encourage the upset government employee to enter the private sector and make as much money as possible in this state.
Stop with the excuses and start cutting.
EHT and Galloway cut 14 cops each. Law Enforcement would be the last place I would cut but everything must cut.
