Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano Blast Irresponsible Trenton Budget
The 10th District Legislators – Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano – today chastised Governor Murphy and the Trenton Democrats after a budget weighed down with spending and tax increases was approved without Republican support
The 10th District Legislators said the majority in Trenton has used the pandemic as an excuse to spend more, tax more and ignore the needs of New Jersey taxpayers. (Wikimedia Commons)
“The partisan budget passed yesterday is irresponsible, indefensible and blatantly unfair to New Jersey taxpayers who will be left holding the bag for decades to come,” the legislators said. “With so many expensive Christmas Tree items dedicating millions of dollars to favored projects, the holidays came early to many Democrat-controlled towns, but for the suburban taxpayers who shoulder the burden of New Jersey spending with their wallets, it was just another load of coal in their stockings. It’s a clear message from Murphy and his friends in the Legislature that they don’t care how bad they hurt hard-working New Jerseyans, even in the middle of a health emergency.”
10th District Legislators to Governor: “Make This Right, Allow In-Person Voting”
The 10th District legislators released the following statement urging Governor Phil Murphy to reverse his decision to hold an all vote-by-mail election and allow in person voting this November. Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano have repeatedly voiced their concerns for the integrity of the upcoming General Election and pointed to the glaring inaccuracies that can occur with mail-in voting.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano urged Gov. Phil Murphy to reverse his decision to hold an all vote-by-mail election and allow in person voting this November. (©iStock)
“Governor Murphy, you still have time to make this right. Do it for the people of New Jersey. As citizens we are owed this right. This is one of the worst things we have seen come out of the Governor’s Office in decades and we have seen many bad things. Taking away a person’s ability to vote in the manner they trust is unconscionable.”
The lawmakers noted that voters were not denied the right to vote in person at a polling place at other moments in history when the state and nation were under great stress.
10th District Legislators Again Blast Murphy Over ‘Baby Bonds’
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are once again blasting Governor Murphy’s proposal to give a $1,000 saving bond for every New Jersey infant born into qualifying families next year. The proposal is under scrutiny by the 10th District legislators who are calling this plan a complete waste of taxpayer dollars and a political move by the Governor to ensure his victory in the 2021 election.
The Governor should be properly funding schools and helping restaurants and small business, said Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano, and not scheming to give ‘baby bonds’ to newborns. (SenateNJ.com)
“Instead of properly funding our schools or helping our small businesses and restaurants, the Governor is choosing to spend $80 million a year to give newborns a savings bond,” Senator Holzapfel said. “Our state is facing one of the most challenging economic times in history and the Governor thinks that ‘Baby Bonds’ is an appropriate proposal for our deteriorating economy. We are sick of his excessive borrowing schemes to fund these outrageous ideas in order to ensure his re-election next year.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano Object to Budget Cuts to School Counseling for Mental Health and Drug Abuse
Additional cuts in Governor Murphy’s budget proposal have led to the reduction of aid for school based mental health counseling and municipal anti-drug programs for children. The 10th District Legislators, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are warning parents of the damaging effects that could result from the loss of these significant programs for young people and students. The lawmakers believe the Governor is underestimating the need for drug abuse and mental health counseling for students, especially during these isolating times.
Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano warn that funding cuts in Governor Murphy’s proposed budget endanger crucial programs providing mental health counseling support and anti-drug programs for school students. (Pixabay)
“We are in the midst of a complete transformation of the school education system and these children have been through enough emotional challenges since the beginning of the shutdowns,” stated Senator Holzapfel. “Programs such as School Linked Services and the Municipal Alliance programs provide support beyond the home and classroom. Our Governor is out of touch with the needs of our students and it’s obvious he cares more about creating ‘baby bonds’ and diverting school aid to urban districts.”
10th District Legislators Blame Governor’s Unfair Budget for Toms River Schools Layoffs
In response to the loss of 240 staff positions at Toms River Regional Schools, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano point to years of cuts to state education aid which lead to the difficult decision by the Toms River Board of Education. The legislators blame Governor Murphy’s budget proposals and lack of transparency which disproportionately funnels millions of dollars of state aid into other school districts in urban areas of the state.
The Toms River Regional District is laying off 240 workers and Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano blame Governor Murphy for years of one-sided school funding. (Pixabay)
“This is another devastating blow for the school district,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Toms River Regional has been fighting for years to maintain an elite level of education for their students and create a secure working environment for their staff, while being gutted by the Administration’s funding cuts. Now they must lay off hundreds of staff positions because our Governor is more interested in creating programs such as ‘Baby Bonds’ for newborns. The focus should be on our children currently enrolled in public education, not infants.”
10th District Legislators to Governor Murphy: ‘Increasing Gas Tax Won’t Solve New Jersey’s Financial Problems’
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are responding to the Governor’s Administration decision to increase the gas tax and reaffirm that their delegation has always fought against increasing the gas tax. The lawmakers disagree with the mandated increase and are urging the Governor to reconsider any additional taxes at this time.
Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano denounced the 9.3-cents per gallon increase in the gas tax announced by Governor Murphy. (Flickr)
The state’s gas tax will increase by 9.3 cents which will skyrocket New Jersey to the top of the list with the fourth highest gas tax in the country. In 2016, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblyman McGuckin fought Governor Christie and the Democrat-controlled Legislature on the gas tax hike. Today, the 10th District Legislators released the following statement on the issue.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano: ‘Governor Murphy Has Turned His Back on the Restaurant Industry’
The 10th District Legislators are echoing the sentiments of restaurant owners who feel Governor Murphy has turned his back on an industry hit hardest because of his extended shutdowns.
Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano say the Governor is dragging his feet and ignoring the cries of the restaurant industry. (Pixabay)
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano are calling out the Governor for dragging his feet and ignoring the cries of the restaurant industry while avoiding a necessary discussion with the New Jersey Restaurant Association on a proper reopening date for indoor dining.
“I don’t understand why our Governor will not speak with the representatives of the food service industry who are more than capable of creating pragmatic ways of operating in and outdoors,” said Senator Holzapfel. “Restaurant owners have suffered for months on end with no plan in place for allowing them to welcome customers indoors. The restaurant owners and the long list of subsidiary industries that rely on them have lost an enormous amount of revenue this summer.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano: ‘Governor’s Budget Proposal Is the Worst We’ve Seen in Decades’
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano today called Governor Murphy’s budget one of the worst budget proposals they have seen in decades.
Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano called the budget proposed by Governor Murphy one of the worst budget proposals in decades. (SenateNJ.com)
The Governor has announced a budget which includes $1 billion of new tax increases and $4 billion in debt. One of the most glaring proposals would provide $1,000 state-financed bond for most babies born in 2021 to narrow the wealth gap.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano: Murphy Should Offer Businesses the Same Opportunity to Make Local Reopening Decisions That’s Been Provided to Schools
Say Doing Away With Blanket Statewide Restrictions on Entire Industries Could Help Hundreds of Thousands of Unemployed New Jerseyans to Safely Get Back to Work
Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) said Governor Phil Murphy should provide businesses and other employers the same opportunity to make reopening decisions based on local conditions that he has granted to school districts that are planning for the fall.
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano said Gov. Murphy should provide businesses and other employers the same opportunity to make reopening decisions based on local conditions that he has granted to school districts. (Pixabay)
“Governor Murphy has ruled with an iron fist since the beginning of the pandemic, insisting that only he should decide when it’s safe for various industries to reopen statewide,” said Holzapfel. “For the past five months, he’s flatly refused to allow local decision-making or to adopt a regional approach to mitigation efforts that could have allowed businesses, parks, and other public places to reopen sooner in areas experiencing little community spread of the coronavirus. Suddenly, however, the governor is saying schools can make local decisions on reopening, but not anyone else. That contradiction reeks of favoritism and undermines his administration’s claim to care about pursuing fairness in public policy.”
Holzapfel, McGuckin & Catalano: ‘In-Person Voting with Photo ID Is the Only Way to Prevent Voter Fraud’
The controversy over the mail-in ballot process and the many issues resulting from the July primary has the 10th District Legislators very concerned for the integrity of the November General Election. Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano stress the importance of in-person voting and point to their legislation which requires voter ID before voting at a polling place.
Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano today emphasized the importance of in-person voting and renewed calls for their legislation to require voter ID to prevent fraud. (©iStock)
“Why is it OK for people to stand online for hours at the Motor Vehicle Commission but voting at a polling place is too risky?” asked Senator Holzapfel. “Since when is transferring a title on a car more important than your right to vote?”
