Lou in the News

BEACH, GREENWALD, AND LAMPITT ANNOUNCE COLLINGSWOOD “MOBILE OFFICE” EVENT

6th District Legislators to Bring Convenient, Local Constituent Services to Collingswood

(VOORHEES)—Senator James Beach, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald and Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (all D-Camden) announced today that members of their constituent services staff will be at the Collingswood Library on Thursday, August 19th from 2:00-5:00 P.M. to help local residents navigate a variety of State issues and services. This event is the second in a series of “mobile office” constituent service events designed to provide direct assistance with State issues to residents throughout the Sixth District.

The Collingswood “mobile office” event hosted by Beach, Greenwald and Lampitt follows a prior successful event at the South County Regional Library in Atco, which served the communities of Winslow, Waterford and Chesilhurst. Constituent services staff from the offices of Beach, Greenwald and Lampitt will continue to travel throughout the Sixth Legislative District in the upcoming months to further assist area residents.

This convenient outreach event will be staffed by experienced constituent service representatives who will assist residents with questions or concerns on a variety of State issues including, but not limited to, unemployment, taxation, utility assistance, financial aid and veterans’ affairs. Informational materials, covering a broad range of topics, will also be available for distribution.

Gov. Chris Christie approves N.J. law removing offensive references to people with disabilities
Star Ledger
Sue Livio
August 16, 2010

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today made it illegal for state laws or rules to identify anyone with a developmental or intellectual disability as "mentally retarded" by signing legislation sought by people who have felt belittled by the term.

Mental retardation was once a medical diagnostic term, but society turned it into something derogatory, said Tom Baffuto, executive director of the Arc of New Jersey. The nonprofit was founded as the Association for Retarded Citizens until people complained and it changed the name nearly 20 years ago.

Elizabeth Shea, the Arc’s assistant executive director, said the law’s passage is one step in the direction of ridding the hurtful terms from every day conversation.

"We’d like New Jersey to get to a place where you can’t use the ‘R’ word with it being inflammatory,’’ she said.
stephen-sweeney-disabled.jpgAARON HOUSTON/For The Star-LedgerSenator Stephen Sweeney speaks after Governor Chris Christie signed a bill that will remove the word "retarded" from the official state lexicon on mentally disabled people.
Christie said he regretted people had to wait so long to get the bill passed, and said he was proud to have signed it. "This is making sure each citizen in our state is treated with the respect they deserve ... It’s their government, too,’’ he said.

NJ Spotlight
Mark J. Magyar
August 13, 2010

Four summers ago, when a special legislative committee met to reform New Jersey’s deficit-ridden public employee pension system, the panel was given legal opinions by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services and the Attorney General’s office that it could not legally reduce any benefits promised to current or retired government workers.

That legal guarantee could be about to change.

Speaking about upcoming pension reforms, Governor Chris Christie told a cheering crowd in Ocean County on the six-month anniversary of his inauguration, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Most likely, Christie's "nothing" will include more than just pension reform. The state government workers' contract is coming up for renewal in 2011. It includes a no-layoff clause that has already earned the governor's enmity. Meanwhile, Christie is facing new contracts that must be negotiated. Given New Jersey's deep budget deficit, the governor has every reason to be a very tough bargainer.

Still, the most significant challenge that Christie faces will likely be over pension reform.
Cutting Cost-of-Living Increases

Colorado, Minnesota and South Dakota have already taken the unprecedented step of reducing promised cost-of-living increases for their government retirees. In New Jersey State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff recently said that changes in pension or medical benefits for retired state workers could be included in the recommendations he is making to Christie.

NJ 101.5
Kevin McArdle
August 2, 2010

Two weeks ago, the research arm of the New Jersey Legislature predicted the state will face a $10.5 billion deficit for next year's budget. That's roughly the same size gap that Governor Chris Christie closed in the just-completed budget, which slashed aid to schools and municipalities, suspended property tax rebates and skipped a $3 billion payment to employee pension funds.

The memo by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) points out that many big-ticket items that contributed to the current year deficit still will be around next year. They include $3.5 billion for pensions, $2.3 billion to fully fund schools and $2.1 billion for rebates, but the deficit estimate will be revised throughout the year to reflect changes in tax collections and spending.

Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald on Tuesday announced he has called an August 5 hearing into the projected $10.5 billion budget deficit for next fiscal year. The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Service estimates a $10.5 billion deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2011.

"This is obviously a big concern that needs to be addressed," says Greenwald. "We cannot continue to rely on moves such as failing to make pension payments and slashing property tax relief. Real change and plans to stimulate our economy, create jobs and put people back to work are what's needed. We cannot continue to do the same the old things."

Bergen Record
Kathleen Lynn
July 28, 2010

A $15,000 state tax credit for home buyers was vetoed Friday by Governor Christie, who cited its $100 million price tag and the state's budget problems.

"This legislation will only briefly and artificially inflate home sales and consequently does not merit a $100 million revenue loss to the general fund," Christie wrote in a veto message. New Jersey, he said, "must learn to live within its means."

The bill had the support of builders and real estate agents, who had hoped a tax credit would boost sales. The bill's sponsors criticized the veto.

"We are now headed toward sharp cuts in home prices that will hurt our larger economy. Carpenters, bricklayers, pipefitters, builders and lenders will continue to struggle to find jobs," Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald, a Camden Democrat, said in a statement.

Greenwald argued that the cost of the credit would have been offset by tax revenues generated by the sales of appliances and furniture, as well as homes. But Christie disputed that, saying that the credits would be used by buyers who would have bought homes even without a tax break.

A federal tax credit of $8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers expired April 30, and home sales have fallen since then.