O’Scanlon: Trenton Gamesmanship Must Stop To Avoid Financial Disaster

By Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, 12th Legislative District

It is distressing that even now – with New Jersey on the brink of fiscal disaster – powerful people in Trenton, with the ability to get real things done, are more interested in gamesmanship and political advantage than in simply fixing things.

There is not a caring resident in New Jersey who isn’t aware that one of the biggest threats to our State’s fiscal health is the mess that has become our pension system.  For more than a decade our State’s leaders – governors and complicit legislative leaders – have simultaneously increased promised benefits – to buy the votes of workers – and failed to make billions of dollars of payments to cover those promised benefits – using the money instead to buy votes of other constituencies. 

Of course these disastrous policies couldn’t go on forever and our New Jersey house of cards has begun to crumble.  This past week the first major consequence of our years of irresponsibility hit home – our bond rating was lowered which will increase our borrowing costs and drain more of our precious resources.  If we don’t fix our pension system quickly and comprehensively we will face more consequences – skyrocketing taxes, drastically slashed pension payouts to workers and an economy hobbled by a government that will soon more mirror that of a third world county than one of the United States.

Thankfully Governor Christie isn’t interested in the fleeting benefits of kicking the can down the road and he has no intention of tolerating such irresponsible behavior from our legislative leaders either.  The days of timid action producing meaningless reforms by people with big mouths – the better for uttering self congratulations – and long arms – the better for patting themselves on the back – are over.

I am a sponsor of the package of pension reforms put forward by the administration.  The legislation is straight forward – increases in pension contributions, increases in the time that workers must serve, and the age they must attain, before qualifying for full pensions, elimination of cost of living increases and a rollback of the biggest, arbitrary and unfunded benefit increases in years past.  If we take these actions now we can fix the system – to the benefit of public workers and taxpayers – and avoid the drastic cuts in benefits and crushing taxes that will be necessary should we fail to act.

Our reform proposals are not an attack on teachers, firemen, police or other public employees.  On the contrary – our public workers arguably have the most at stake if our pension system collapses.  Public workers should not be fooled into joining what we know will be a knee jerk reaction by some to fight this – or any – reform.  Success in thwarting reform will only mean tougher measures, or a collapse of the system, later.

The counter reform proposal put forth by Democrat legislative leaders is another, unfortunate example of what has become a sting of “RINO” (reform in name only) proposals they’ve put forward during the past year.  We haven’t seen any remotely accurate projections of the actual results of their proposals and we won’t – because their proposals aren’t designed to solve the problem, they’re designed to fool the public into giving them credit for trying.  These same legislative leaders have held up reform over the past half year with the inane threat that they wouldn’t move on reform until the governor made a payment into the system.  That’s like a doctor refusing to remove a cancer patient’s tumor until the patient promises to start eating vegetables and excercising.  Don’t get me wrong – we must make payments, but every day we delay dealing with the reforms we know we must make adds to the cost and pain of the final remedy – and brings us closer to the point of no return. 

The suggestion inherent in this make-a-payment-or-we’ll-hold-up-reform challenge is that somehow the Governor took some pleasure in the choice not to make a pension payment last year.  Here’s a news flash – the governor didn’t use the money meant for the pension system on wild parties on the roof of the Statehouse.  He was dealing with the largest deficit in our State’s history – left to him by the irresponsible polices of the very same people now shamelessly, desperately trying to turn the blame away from themselves.  Governor Christie has now pledged to start making regular payments and has also proposed comprehensive reforms that will fix the system.  That has never happened before.  The people carping now had complete control of our government over the past 8 years and condoned the failure to make payments into the system (in what were demonstrably better economic times) and put forward no reforms, putting the fiscal well-being of every New Jersey taxpayer and public worker in grave danger.  I won’t hold my breath waiting for their acknowledgement of responsibility.  But this administration – and responsible members of the legislature on both sides of the aisle – won’t let them continue to get away with the shameful, deceitful behavior that has brought us so close to the edge of fiscal disaster.

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Beck, O’Scanlon, Casagrande Praise Governor’s Action on Wagering Bills

Trenton— Senator Jennifer Beck and Assemblymen Declan O’Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande (all R- Monmouth/Middlesex) today said that Governor Christie’s actions on off-track, exchange wagering, and pari-mutuel betting legislation will strengthen New Jersey’s horse racing industry. Governor Christie signed A-2926 and A-3200, which establishes a system of exchange wagering for in-state and out of state races and single pool betting, respectively. The Governor offered a conditional veto recommending minor changes to A-1705, which expands off-track and account wagering.

Senator Jennifer Beck

“Horse racing is vital part of our regional economy and helps preserve significant amounts of open space in our state. Exchange wagering and pari-mutuel betting will help the industry adapt to a changing market and consumer preferences and lend a much needed boost to the racing industry’s revenues. The Governor has also offered sensible revisions in his conditional veto of the off track wagering bill that I believe can and should be swiftly adopted by the Legislature.”

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

“I have always believed that revitalizing Atlantic City and saving the horse racing industry do not have to be mutually exclusive endeavors. I am very pleased that the Governor has signed two bills that will help horse racing survive through innovative and creative betting instruments. I also want to thank him for working with and listening to racing advocates such as myself as he plots an improved course for the gaming industry as a whole in New Jersey.”

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande

“The most effective type of aid horse racing can receive is that which helps the industry stand on its own two feet. Exchange and single pool pari-mutuel betting are a step in the direction of doing just that. Off track betting is also a critical component of the equation for a stronger horse racing industry, and I call on my colleagues to swiftly take up the changes recommended in the Governor’s conditional veto which are neither unreasonable nor a threat to the overall objective of the bill.”

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O’SCANLON: NEW JERSEY NEEDS REAL REFORM NOT POLITICS AS USUAL

Assemblyman O’Scanlon today responded to the Democrat press conference concerning arbitration reform. At that press conference, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Speaker Sheila Oliver announced a bill with a 2 percent cap that allows for raises above the cap as long as the average yearly raise does not exceed 2 percent. After three years, the cap would be lifted and the arbitration process would be evaluated.

“This is not real reform; these guys just don’t seem to get it.  It’s astonishing, frightening actually, that our legislative leaders don’t seem to understand the most import policy reform we’re likely to discuss this session.” Said O’Scanlon (R- Monmouth/Mercer). “Any legislation allowing for a sunset does not help our towns. This is merely a temporary salary freeze that the unions can contract around a few years down the road.

“The legislature passed a 2% budget cap last year, but we did not give our towns the tools necessary to live within that cap,” O’Scanlon continued. “Arbitration reform is one of the keys to existing within that cap. There is no sunset on this budget cap, so why should there be a sunset on arbitration reform? This is not reform, it is pandering of the first order. The Democratic leadership is looking to preempt Governor Christie, and is doing so at the cost of true, workable reform.

“This sunset requires towns to go through this fight all over again three years from now. How does this help towns or relieve the property tax burden on our tax payers?” O’Scanlon asked. “It doesn’t. This is a token measure which allows the Democrats to declare a political victory when, a few years down the road, we’ll revert back to the same, unsustainable County and municipal budget crushing policy we have now and this ‘reform’ will be but a memory.

“Some people are arguing – or accepting – that the arbitration cap is only needed in these ‘tough economic times’. We must make clear the problem we’re addressing. It is the long-running property tax issue that we’re trying to tackle here, and that problem won’t be gone in three years,” O’Scanlon concluded.

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12TH DISTRICT LEGISLATORS TO PRESENT TOOL KIT AT GREENBRIAR

Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande will be making a presentation on Governor Christie’s Tool Kit tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26^th at 8 p.m. at Greenbriar Retirement Community in Marlboro.

This is the third such presentation the 12^th District Legislators have given on the Tool Kit, which consists of more than 30 initiatives to cut waste and streamline government in order to control the tax burden in New Jersey.

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BIPARTISAN EQUINE SYMPOSIUM A SUCCESS, BOUGHT MORE THAN 80 ATTENDEES TO LEARN ABOUT IMPACT OF INDUSTRY ON NEW JERSEY

Yesterday’s Equine Symposium, co-hosted by Senator Jennifer Beck, Senator Paul Sarlo, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, Assemblyman Ralph Caputo brought more than 80 attendees including elected officials, equine experts, business owners and breeders to Perretti Farms to discuss the present challenges to New Jersey’s equine industry and possible solutions to facing those challenges.

“The goal of today’s event was to educate interested parties on the far-reaching effects of the horse industry in New Jersey,” said Casagrande, “and I believe it was quite a success. By bringing together experts from all equine and equine-related industries in New Jersey, as well as legislators from both sides of the aisle who believe in a future for horse racing in our State, we were able to create a full picture of exactly how vital this industry is to the economy in New Jersey.”

“We hosted this event in order to educate people on the complexity of this industry,” said Beck, “and possible long-term strategies that are needed to run these businesses. The equine industry is an important economic driver in our State, bringing in jobs and revenue. Today we heard in more definite terms the impact it has on Monmouth County and New Jersey. The numbers don’t lie. Horse racing was a self-sustaining industry until 2007 when gaming competition began appearing on our borders, and with the right type of out-of-the-box thinking, it can be that again, and New Jersey can once again take it’s place as a world leader in this area.”

Speakers at the Symposium included Karyn Malinowsi, Director of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University; Anthony Perretti, owner of Perretti Farms; Tom Swales, President of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Association; Tom Luchento, President of the SBOANJ; Dennis Drazen, Chairman of the New Jersey Racing Commission; Rick Wills, owner of Rick Saddle Shop; and Dr. Scott Palmer, NJ Equine Clinic.

Also in attendance were Freehold Director Lillian Burry, Assemblyman Joe Malone, Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, Assemblywoman Alison McHose and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove.

The discussion ranged from the dollars and cents the equine industry brings to New Jersey to its contribution of maintaining nearly 200,000 acres of open space throughout the State.

“As we heard here today,” said O’Scanlon, “the horse industry is not simply racing and racetracks. It’s hay and feed suppliers, it’s drivers and jockeys, tack suppliers, and veterinarians. We will continue to work with all of these industries in our efforts to make the horse racing in New Jersey, not just sustainable, but maintain its place in the world arena.”

“I fear that if the Meadowlands Racetrack closes,” said Wagner, “there will be a ripple effect that negatively impacts not only the gaming industry in NJ but several sectors of our economy and thousands of jobs will be lost as a result.  The racetrack is in Bergen County but the financial impact will be felt statewide.”

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