JCP&L Public Hearing January 25th

On January 25 there will be a public hearing with JCP&L regarding the 230kV power lines they have proposed installing along the NJ Transit right of way from Red Bank to Aberdeen. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium of High School North at 7pm.

If you are unsure of what this project involves, or the impact it could have on all property owners in Middletown, you should attend. If you are opposed to this project, for any reason, you should attend to show your support in opposing it.

This will be the only public hearing where you can get up and go on the record to tell JCP&L how you feel about this. Opposition to the project is mounting and there will be hearings by the BPU to determine if it is warranted. NJ Transit has not provided JCP&L access to the right of way along the train tracks. They have not denied them access either. if there is enough public support, NJ Transit could deny access to JCP&L and the project will be terminated.

Candidates for Township Committee, Mary Jo Fabiano & Ralph Borgess Pledge to Do What It Takes to Stop MCRP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 15, 2016

Middletown Township Committee Candidates Mary Jo Fabiano and Ralph Borgess announced that, when elected, they will do everything it takes to oppose the Monmouth County Reliability Project (MCRP). They expressed disappointment with how the Township Committee has handled JCP&L’s proposal. They stated that the Committee is not acting aggressively enough to challenge JCP&L’s conclusions that allegedly support the project.

The MCRP has been proposed by JCP&L and includes installing a 230kV power line along the NJ Transit right of way from Red Bank to Aberdeen. The power lines will be installed on monopoles that could reach as high as 200 feet.

Ralph Borgess said that the Township needs to be more aggressive in approaching this issue. “Maser Consulting, the engineering firm contracted by the township as a utility expert needs to analyze the project from two perspectives:

1. Is the project necessary?
2. If necessary can the project be constructed in a way that minimizes the negative impact on Middletown residents?

There are better ways to advance the project, if it deemed to be necessary, while protecting the health of the residents in the path of the electric lines and preserve property values.”

Mary Jo Fabiano cited health concerns that may be caused by exposure to high voltage electrical lines. “This project runs along the NJ Transit train line, which is in close proximity to a number of schools as well as over 400 residences. Can we take the chance of continually exposing residents and children without conclusive data telling us this is safe?”

Both candidates agree that, if the need is there, this project should be moved underground where there are no unsightly monopoles and it is shielded by the earth it is buried in so that any negative health consequences are minimized.

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Mary Jo Fabiano and Ralph Borgess are Democratic candidates for the Middletown Township Committee website: www.ABetterMiddletown.com

September 6, 2016 Middletown Township Committee Meeting

The September 6th meeting of the Middletown Township Committee lasted 18 minutes. It was quick and like most Workshop meetings not a lot of details or enlightening information came out of it. That is of course, if you consider the Township's plan of installing lighting on the Nut Swamp fields.

If you weren't paying attention, the discussion of the field lights  at Nut Swamp would have been missed. While discussing a grant for new LED lighting for the Middletown Library (6:11),Tony Fiore off-handily mentions a grant application for lighting at the Nut Swamp fields and that the Township should also look into LED lighting for them (6:38-7:25).

To me this is significant, lighting of sports fields is a potential hot button issue, you either like the idea because your kids or other family members get to play under the lights or you hate the idea because you live in or around the area and don't want your quality of life being effected by the noise, light pollution or additional traffic in the neighbor at night when your trying to relax after work or get the kids to bed. It's a discussion that the Township should have with the residents in the area and I don't believe that notices to the residents most affected have been issued to notify them of the plans. It should also be mentioned that money from a Grant isn't free money, it has to be paid back at some time.

Other items of interest discussed during the meeting included:

• An ordinance was adopted to enter an agreement with Middletown Emergency Medical Services.
• An ordinance was introduced to vacate a portion of Atlantic Ave.
• Resolutions were adopted to enter agreements with towns along the NJ Transit rail line where a high voltage power line is proposed to be installed. The agreements are to set aside funds to retain legal counsel and retain a utilities expert to oppose the installation.

As always, you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.

Pallone Joins NJ Delegation to Send Bipartisan Letter Urging NJ Transit to Settle Labor Dispute & Avoid Strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2016



LONG BRANCH, NJ— Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) joined the New Jersey House delegation in sending a letter requesting that New Jersey Transit resolve the ongoing impasse with the rail workers contract. The letter asks NJ Transit to address the matter as quickly as possible in order to avoid any service disruption that would adversely affect New Jersey commuters. The bipartisan letter was led by Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ-2).

The full text of the letter can be here and below:

February 17, 2016

Mr. Dennis Martin
Executive Director
New Jersey Transit
1 Penn Plaza East
Newark NJ 07105

Dear Mr. Martin:

We are writing with respect to the state of contract negotiations with the coalition of labor unions representing rail labor at New Jersey Transit (NJT) and ask that you resolve this dispute as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary service disruption.

New Jersey Transit provides for almost 300,000 daily rail passenger trips. Whether riders are going to work, to the doctor, or to the grocery store, the service provided by NJT is a vital access point for thousands in the regional economy. If service disruption occurs, the people and the economy of New Jersey would be dealt a major blow. Commuters into New York or Hoboken or Paterson or Atlantic City could find themselves stranded, at least temporarily. And those without access to other means of transportation would surely suffer the most.

NJT should seriously consider the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 249 proposal, authored by a neutral panel of independent arbitrators appointed by the President, as a path forward. Congress set up a process to avoid a service disruption scenario by legislating additional collective bargaining procedures specifically for commuter railroads. These procedures – collectively known as Section 9a - go above and beyond the traditional processes outlined in the Railway Labor Act. Section 9a provides for an additional PEB round to ensure a fair and reasonable offer, while also imposing stiff penalties on the party that does not agree.

We are sympathetic to the financial situation of NJT, especially as our state continues to recover from Superstorm Sandy. However, after reviewing the PEB reports, we believe two of the major financial hurdles NJT has cited – the imposition of an excise tax on health insurance premiums, and the uncertainty of federal funding – have been addressed with Congress’ recent passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the omnibus spending bill.

The full service stoppage of our nation’s third-largest commuter rail system is looming. Five years have passed without a contract. Neutral arbitrators have provided a settlement proposal. A labor strike or lockout by management are both avoidable. We strongly urge NJT to resolve this dispute before such disruptions can occur.
Sincerely,

Signatories of this letter were Representatives Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-9), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Donald Norcross (NJ-1), Tom MacArthur (NJ-3), Chris Smith (NJ-4), Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-6), Albio Sires (NJ-8), Donald Payne Jr. (NJ- 10), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

Pallone Announces NJ Transit is Saved from $50 Million Proposed Cut in Transportation Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2015


WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced that New Jersey Transit will be saved from a $50 million cut due to an agreement that preserves the High Density States Program – known as the 5340 Program – in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015. Pallone is a member of the Conference Committee, which is made up of a bipartisan, bicameral set of Members negotiating between the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the legislation. The conference agreement on the surface transportation package will not include a House-passed attachment to the legislation that would have eliminated the 5340 Program. Elimination of the program would have cut federal public transportation funding to several states by approximately $263 million per year, including the cut to NJ Transit. Half of all transit users nationwide live in the seven states that would have been impacted.

“Saving New Jersey Transit from this potentially devastating cut has been a top priority of mine on the Conference Committee,” said Congressman Pallone. “The reversal of this cut to New Jersey Transit – the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system – is an important victory for our workers, our commuters, and our state. We now have the opportunity to produce and pass a final bill that simultaneously strengthens our economy and provides overdue repairs and improvements to our roads, bridges and entire transportation system.”

In addition to New Jersey, the amendment would have drastically cut federal public transportation funding to Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. It would have forced transit systems in these states to cut jobs, service, and maintenanc

Pallone Urges of Rejection of Amendment that Would Cut $50 Million Per Year from NJ Transit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2015


WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and a bipartisan group of his colleagues are urging the removal of a provision attached to the House-passed surface transportation reauthorization that would cut federal public transportation funding to several states by approximately $263 million per year, including a $50 million annual federal funding cut to NJ Transit. The amendment would eliminate the High Density States Program, known as the 5340 Program. The lawmakers sent a letter to the bicameral Conference Committee that is negotiating a final draft of the legislation urging them to recede to the Senate bill, which maintains 5340 funding.

“I am calling for the elimination of this amendment because it would do unnecessary damage to New Jersey and six of our neighbors,” said Congressman Pallone. “Half of all transit users nationwide live in these states. This misguided amendment would trigger detrimental funding cuts that would force NJ Transit and other transit systems to reduce service, raise fares, cuts jobs, and create additional hardships for the millions of people who rely on public transportation every day. At a time when our nation should be investing in our transportation systems and infrastructure, the amendment moves us in the opposite direction.”

In addition to New Jersey, the amendment would drastically cut federal public transportation funding to Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. It would force transit systems in these states to cut jobs, service, and service frequency.

The full text of the letter follows.

To the Conferees:

The Herrera Beutler amendment to the House-passed Surface Transportation Bill that passed by voice vote that eliminates funding for the 5340 High Density States program will create a crisis in the states that provide half of all public transportation in the United States at a time when demand for transit has never been higher. This amendment doesn’t just eliminate funding, it takes funding from a critical formula-based program and redirects it to a 100 percent discretionary program controlled by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Importantly, Chairman Shuster’s amendment vote recommendations, which were developed in concert with Ranking Member DeFazio subject to the “Big 4” agreement, recommended a NO vote on the Herrera Beutler amendment.

The elimination of funding to the High Density States program would force transit systems in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island to cut jobs and service and eliminate the ability to meet demand and keep our respective systems in a state of good repair. A bill that was carefully crafted to do no harm and ensure no one lost anything now creates devastating loss in the areas where demand for public transportation is the highest.

The effect of this hardship isn’t limited to transit providers and customers. The loss in funding will negatively impact local transit manufacturers and suppliers of transit related goods and services, as well as the jobs they create. We view this as an issue of responsible governance. An amendment that eliminates funding for states that provide public transportation to 50 percent of all transit riders in this country is irresponsible and can in no way be considered to be in the best interest of the people we all serve.

We strongly urge the Conference Committee to recede to the Senate’s position that retains the 5340 apportionments. We need a surface transportation bill that maintains an appropriate level of funding to not only meet the current demand, but ensure people in these states have the ability to access jobs, education, and health care.

Sincerely,

Pallone and Pascrell Call on Christie Administration for Transparency in Sandy Recovery Effort

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09) called on the Christie Administration to release additional information detailing how Sandy aid funds are being spent in New Jersey. In their letter to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, the Congressmen called for more transparency in its Sandy Integrity Oversight Monitoring reports. Specifically, the lawmakers referenced an NJ Transit report, released this month, which failed to include information on the work performed by NJ Transit with millions of dollars in recovery funds.

In their letter, the Congressmen wrote, “The public has a right to know how NJ Transit is utilizing its recovery funds and whether this money is being spent properly. We fought hard in Congress to pass the Sandy aid package by assuring our colleagues that Sandy recovery funds were desperately needed and would be spent wisely.”

The Congressmen also called for the public disclosure of NJ Transit’s disaster preparedness plans, as they wrote, “so the public has confidence New Jersey’s rail infrastructure will be protected should another storm hit.”



The full text of the letter follows.

July 28, 2015

Robert A. Romano
Acting State Treasurer
Department of the Treasury
P. O. Box 002
Trenton, NJ 08625-0002



Dear Acting State Treasurer Romano,


We write today regarding a recent integrity oversight monitoring report reviewing NJ Transit Superstorm Sandy recovery funding. We are concerned with the lack of detail in this integrity monitor report and request that more transparency be provided so the public can understand what mistakes have been made in the Sandy recovery process and how Sandy aid funds are being spent in New Jersey.

This integrity monitor report does not include any information regarding the work performed by NJ Transit with millions of dollars in recovery funds. The public has a right to know how NJ Transit is utilizing its recovery funds and whether this money is being spent properly. We fought hard in Congress to pass the Sandy aid package by assuring our colleagues that Sandy recovery funds were desperately needed and would be spent wisely.

As the agency responsible for supervising the reporting process it is incumbent upon you to ensure NJ Transit appropriately discloses information to the public. However, attempts by the public to access NJ Transit’s policies and plans to address flooding risks to its infrastructure have been repeatedly denied. We believe that NJ Transit must publicly disclose its disaster preparedness plans, in addition to the contents of integrity oversight monitoring reports, so the public has confidence New Jersey’s rail infrastructure will be protected should another storm hit.

We respectfully request that all Superstorm Sandy integrity oversight monitoring reports provide full transparency and details on how the recovery funds have been spent, including the “observations and recommendations [that] have been provided to NJ Transit Internal Audit Department” listed in the NJ Transit 2015 first quarter report. The public deserves to know whether taxpayer dollars are being spent properly. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.



Sincerely,



FRANK PALLONE, JR.

 BILL PASCRELL, JR.

Member of Congress Member of Congress

Agree That Public Transit is Vital to NJ's Future? Join Us & Make Your Voice Heard

Public transit plays a key role in NJPP's vision of a better New Jersey.


It's a New Jersey where many more people use trains, buses and light rail. It's a New Jersey with cleaner air and a stronger economy, with even more vibrant cities and less congested streets. It's a New Jersey where tickets and fares are affordable - where riding public transit is not a luxury item for some and a heavy burden for those who have no other options.

That's why we, along with our friends at Environment New Jersey and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, have put together a new broad-based coalition: to bring a renewed focus and new sense of urgency to the critical need to adequately invest in public transit.

The coalition, New Jersey For Transit, launched last week and has been all over the Garden State this week, bringing folks from our 19 member organizations to protest NJ Transit's latest plan to raise fares and cut services at the agency's public hearings.

We're speaking out against the fare hikes, asking lawmakers to fix New Jersey's broken transportation-funding structure and insisting that the state devote more resources to public transit.

If you, like us, think that reliable and affordable public transit is essential to New Jersey's economy, its environment and its everyday working people, join us.

Tell NJ Transit to stop this fare hike and tell your legislators to devote adequate resources to public transit.

The time to weigh in on NJ Transit's plan is running out; the public comment period ends tonight at midnight. Click here to make your voice heard (follow the link for "Online Contact Form").

Click here to find us on Twitter, here to read about what we're doing and why, and email me if you'd like more information. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Jon Whiten
Deputy Director

Navesink River Rd Closure Starts @Aug18

Add this to the bridge work on Front Street, and it is going to be quite a headache getting around.

From the Middletown Township website:

The NJ Transit railroad crossing at Navesink River Road between Hubbard Avenue and Route 35 is scheduled to close on or about Monday, August 18. This is a 24-hour, 7-day-week closure. The closure will be in effect for approximately 10 to 12 days.

This will not affect rail transportation but will affect Navesink River Road (Monmouth County Road 12A). Traffic will NOT be allowed to cross. NJ Transit must complete this emergency repair work before schools starts.

Please plan to use alternate routes. Truck and car detours will be in place. Call the Middletown Police Traffic Bureau at 732-615-2045 with questions.

Sticker Shock: The Cost of Mass Transit

As I mentioned in an earlier post i'm planning on taking the kids and myself to New York City on Friday to partake in some of the Super Bowl XLVIII festivities that will be going starting tomorrow. Since I will be coming off of the night shift, driving into the city isn't an option so I'm looking into the cost mass transit for the three of us to get from Middletown to Manhattan and i'm experiencing a case of sticker shock in the process.

I'm always hearing that you shouldn't drive into Manhattan, that you should take mass transit. That's all well  and good I suppose if you're traveling in by yourself. Sure, the price is a little high but worth it to avoid the traffic and the hassle of finding parking. However, if you have to pay for yourself and others it's cheaper to drive in and in my opinion, worth all the effort. Especially when you consider that you're not tied to any train or bus schedule.

 For a single round trip ticket on a NJ Transit train from Middletown to mid-town Manhattan, the cost is  $28.50 per person on a weekday (weekend and holiday travelers enjoy a nice discount). To take an Academy Bus from Hazlet to the Port Authority round trip is an astounding $32 per person. That's crazy! I can drive my family of 4 into Manhattan for the day, paying about $15 in tolls and $30 for parking and save $80 in travel cost by doing so.

I've heard people complain about the costs associated with traveling back and forth to Manhattan for work each day but I never gave it much mind, now I understand what they are complaining about.

Buono Calls Out Christie for Not Knowing of NJ Transit's Hurricane Plan

New Brunswick, NJ - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono issued the following statement in response to a report that Governor Christie had no knowledge of NJ Transit's hurricane plan prior to Hurricane Sandy:

"Given the vital role that NJ Transit plays in the lives of everyday New Jerseyans, it's completely unacceptable that Governor Christie was unaware of NJ Transit's hurricane plan prior to Hurricane Sandy. Based on the report, it's clear that Governor Christie was ill-prepared to ensure that an effective plan was in place to protect New Jersey's vital infrastructure in advance of the storm. The results were devastating as no plan was ever carried out, and NJ Transit's fleet sustained $120 million in damages.

"This report is yet another telling example of Governor Christie's mismanagement surrounding Hurricane Sandy. This is a Governor who awarded a no-bid contract to a politically connected firm and wasted an extra $2 million on Jersey Shore marketing campaign so that he could have a prominent role. Putting your own national ambitions above the needs of the people is not leadership, it's shameful."

Hubbards Bridge Replacement Topic Of Meeting

If you live in the vicinity of West Front Street and Hubbards Bridge this press release announcing a public meeting to discuss the bridge's replacement maybe of interest you. From what I've been hearing this replacement project is a mess and will do little to alleviate congestion into and out of the Middletown/RedBank area due to NJ Transits refusal to allow any up grading work to the West Front St/Bridge Avenue train tressel.

For Immediate Release:

RED BANK, NJ – The public information meeting about the scheduled replacement of Hubbards Bridge (S-17) over the Navesink River between Middletown and Red Bank is scheduled from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18 at the Red Bank Borough Hall, Council Room, 90 Monmouth St.

A second public information meeting will be held in Middletown from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on April 23 at the River Plaza Elementary School, 155 Hubbard Ave.

The public is invited to attend a presentation of the current project plans and ask questions regarding the bridge replacement project.

“This is an important project,” Freeholder Deputy Director Thomas A. Arnone said. “For people who are unable to attend the meeting they should visit the county website at www.visitmonmouth.com to learn more about this project. Written comments will be accepted through Wednesday, May 24.”

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering at 732-431-7760 or by email to engineer@co.monmouth.nj.us.

NJPP Monday Minute 8/9/10: Privatizing Transportation Minutia: An Ideological Distraction?

Task forces, study groups and commissions on privatization often result from an ideological belief that private companies have a monopoly on efficiency that government cannot match. New Jersey governors have given lip service to private sector efficiency, often saying its ability to provide services cannot be matched by the public sector. Despite the recent financial services debacle brought about largely by the private sector, Gov. Christie is following past leaders.

The New Jersey Privatization Task Force created by Gov. Christie by executive order on March 11, 2010 was instructed to do a comprehensive review in 81 days of opportunities for privatization within state government. The report identified $210 million in estimated annual savings from 40 services currently provided by public employees.

Transportation Recommendations
Nearly $98 million (approximately 47 percent) of the identified savings come from changes in the way the state manages transportation services. Some of its suggestions include having private companies do car registrations and inspections ($28 million); having the private sector manage or own NJ Transit's 144 parking facilities (no $ estimate); contracting with more private carriers to operate NJ Transit bus routes (no $ estimate); hiring a private vendor to collect tolls on the turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway (between $38.7 million and $46.2 million annually); adding to the rest stop services provided by the current private contractors on the NJ Turnpike (no estimate); and selling messaging and naming rights on the AC Expressway ($6 million to $8 million annually).

There is no way to know if the cost estimates of these recommendations reflect reality or if service would improve, but here are a few thoughts.

• Private car inspections in Pennsylvania often have coincided with repairs - a catch 22 situation. An inherent conflict of interest exists if the same person inspects a car and does the necessary repairs. No reason exists to believe this would be different in New Jersey.
• Managing 45,000 parking spaces in 144 parking facilities should be a cash cow for NJ Transit and would be a valuable contract for a private (and probably politically connected) operator. The Japanese rail system uses the valuable land and facilities it owns around the train stations to subsidize fares. NJ Transit could do likewise and the benefits should go to the public not a private company.
• According to the report, NJ Transit contracts with private carriers to provide 67 (34 percent) of its 197 routes. Although the language in the report is confusing, it would appear that in FY 2010, NJ transit paid $46 million of its $601 million to these private carriers. Private carriers are likely to operate some of the most profitable bus routes. It's unclear what it means that their budgets are 7.6 percent ($46 million/$601 million) of NJ Transit's bus operations. Clearly those data need more scrutiny or a clearer explanation.
• Manual toll collection on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway now accounts for only 30 percent of tolls collected because of the E-ZPass electronic alternative. The South Jersey Transit Authority which operates the Atlantic City Expressway is now installing an all-electronic cashless toll system. The recommendation is to contract with a private vendor to collect manual tolls whose savings would come from cutting salaries and eliminating benefits.
• Rest and service areas on the Turnpike and the Parkway are currently operated and maintained by a private vendor. The task force recommends that the vendor provide additional and higher quality services, probably a good idea because the private vendor might make more money and the service area would be more attractive. It's not clear, however, how the state benefits unless that private vendor shares its profits with the state.
• Finally the report recommends that the South Jersey Transportation Authority generate income by selling to private companies the advertizing space and naming rights on the 13 over head traffic signs it plans to erect along the 44-mile AC Expressway. A good enough idea but one which brings to mind a situation that came to light in May 2003 when two of Gov. McGreevey's aides used their political connections to increase the value of a billboard company in which they had a financial interest. After arranging advertising contracts with a number of politically connected businesses, they each sold their interest in the billboard company for more than $2.2 million. This incident was investigated by then US attorney Christie and the billboard contracts were canceled by the McGreevey administration.

What Does NJ Really Need?

Whether the recommendations in the task force's report are smart or even possible, they are a distraction from the real issues at hand.

New Jersey's transportation needs are massive and the state's future depends on intelligent management. Billions of dollars are needed and it should be clear to everyone that the itemized $98 million does not address any of the state's transportation needs.

New Jersey Transit has just enacted the largest fare hike and service cuts in its history with fares for some riders increasing over 40 percent. It predicted it would lose riders, and this appears to be happening faster than predicted. This, at a time when no one wants to cut back on gas and oil consumption; when ozone alert days are more numerous than ever; and news reports show 100 days of oil pumping out of the ocean floor despoiling the environment.

New Jersey's road, bridge and transit infrastructure is crumbling. The state needs a massive infusion of money to rebuild roads and bridges (not expand them) in order to help the economy and keep people moving. But neither the governor nor the legislature is willing to invest in the state's infrastructure. None of them are willing to raise the gas tax; levy a sales tax on gas; or come up with any other meaningful way to fund the state's future needs.

Identifying $98 million in savings and new revenue is meaningless. Whether privatization is good or bad is irrelevant right now. This report is a distraction from the real issues at hand - the future of the state and its real needs. Nothing in this report speaks to them.

NJPP Monday Minute 4/26/10:Healthcare, transit and EITC cuts hurt working families

Gov. Christie's FY 2011 budget proposes $400 million in cuts to programs that provide critical support to low and moderate income families. When unemployment is close to 10 percent and nearly 450,000 people are without jobs, pulling the rug out from under working families is the last thing one would expect.

New Jersey has long recognized that struggling working families need support if they are to work in a state with one of the highest costs of living in the nation. In the long run, affordable health coverage, mass transit and the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit avoid more costly alternatives like welfare, homelessness and charity care at hospitals. These alternatives are bad for families, bad for business and ultimately bad for the economy.

Here are three examples of these bad choices.

FamilyCare - $100 million cut

New Jersey's FamilyCare program provides affordable health coverage for kids and certain low income parents or guardians. It is for families who do not have employer insurance and cannot afford to pay the high cost of private health insurance which costs between $6,000 and $12,000 per parent. To save money, the state has made the following program changes:

• FamilyCare coverage is no longer available to parents whose income is greater than $23,352 for a family of three. In FY 2011, approximately 39,000 parents will be denied coverage, regardless of their medical needs. NJPP's research shows that when enrollment is closed to parents, fewer children are enrolled. Closing the door to so many parents makes no fiscal sense. In FY 2011, the state would save $24.6 million but lose about $46 million in federal matching funds.
• Enrolled parents who lose coverage because they can't pay the premiums (which will be raised) or who do not renew their coverage will no longer be able to reenroll in the program if their income exceeds $23,352.
• About 11,700 legal immigrant parents in this country for less than five years lost their FamilyCare coverage based on an Executive Order issued by the governor that bypassed the Legislature. Under threat of a lawsuit, the Christie administration extended coverage for three months, after which parents will permanently lose their coverage, saving $30 million in the FY 2011 budget.

New Jersey Transit - $300 million cut

Getting to work is an essential part of having a job and in New Jersey about 10 percent of all workers use mass transit. At a time now when families can least afford to pay higher transit fares, the funding cuts have forced NJ Transit to increase fares by an average of 22 percent, affecting almost a million New Jerseyans who commute to work on buses and trains. This is the second highest NJ Transit fare increase in history (averaging a $1,000 annually for a train pass).

But according to Gov. Christie these fare increases are preferable to raising the cost for people who drive. For example, the daily round trip fare between New Brunswick and Trenton will increase to $17.00 per day from its current fare of $11.75. Driving will become a cheaper option than using mass transit - IF they can afford it. Either way this will be a huge hit for working people.

NJ Transit estimates it likely will lose another five percent of its riders on top of the four percent it lost last year. All of these decisions, of course, contribute to the downward spiral in transit revenue and add 4,800 pounds of pollution to the air for every commuter who decides to take a car to work.

The fare increase hurts everyone, but it will be hardest on lower income families, the elderly, people with disabilities and college students. Using mass transit will be a greater burden for them because many have no alternative to public transportation-another barrier to work and education, another barrier to independent living.

At the same time the governor slashes transit funding, he has steadfastly refused to consider a gas tax increase, saying it will harm the economy. But gas prices in New Jersey are low relative to most places in the country, largely because New Jersey has the nation's third lowest gas tax which has not been increased since 1988. This is yet another example of the administration's unbalanced approach to the budget. Cuts in transit service and fare increases amount to taxes on those who use those services. User fees are acceptable as long as people have alternatives and that's exactly the problem-many people have no alternative but to use public transportation.

State EITC - $45 million cut

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal and state credit for people who work but have low wages. Recognizing that New Jersey is an expensive place to live, the New Jersey credit is calculated at 25 percent of the federal EITC. About 485,000 households received this state credit last year. The governor's budget would reduce that to 20 percent of the federal EITC. This would mean that a family of four with one parent working full time at the minimum wage ($15,000 a year) would lose $251 next year.

The state and federal EITCs are one of the most effective ways to encourage work, prevent families from becoming dependent on welfare and reduce the number of children in poverty. In fact, some of the welfare savings are still being used to fund the state EITC.

New Jersey's economy is dependent on a diverse workforce, and it is in the state's best interest to help make it easier for families to continue to work and contribute to an economic revival. Placing more burdens on low and moderate income workers during a recession is not the way to do it, but that is precisely what Gov. Christie's budget will do.