Message from NASW-NJ Executive Director Walter X. Kalman

Gov. Chris Christie's proposed a $29.3 billion 2010-11 state budget. And while I’m not going to join the chorus of supporters or detractors, I will say that, on face value, this budget is not good news for the individuals, children, and families we serve.

If we look at the Governor's intention to let the surcharge on the wealthiest New Jersey residents expire – a revenue source that represents an estimated $1 billion of the budget – we know that not everyone is going to be held accountable for heeding the Governor’s statement that “difficult times call for shared sacrifice.” The Governor has proposed some very important, and overdue, changes to the way we do business in Trenton. But if the burden is all placed on the poor and middle class, this is nothing more than warmed-over Reaganomics, which put the nation on a slippery slope financially. 

The budget cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget mean that townships in Sussex, Burlington and Passaic counties will have their aid cut by the largest percentages. Also of great concern is that residents in Newark, Jersey City, Camden and Trenton, where many of our clients live and work, will see the biggest reductions in raw dollars. Schools will also face enormous revenue reductions, with cuts of 40-, 50- or even 100 percent of state aid allotments for the coming year. Clearly, schools will have to cut programs and services, and put teaching positions, office staffing, and administrative positions on the chopping block.

Governor Christie said that his budget is designed to be "the first step on the path to a brighter future." Unfortunately, the road to a brighter future may be one marked by reduced or suspended programs for children, senior citizens, and the state’s poorest families.

Certainly, we will need to analyze and discuss the Governor’s budget in the months ahead and be ready to make our position as social workers heard as the Legislature grapples with the realities of these revenue reductions. Our upcoming Annual Conference will be a good time to continue that discussion.

I would like to know what you think of the Governor’s proposed budget and the role social workers can play in helping those we serve to reach the brighter future the Governor predicts. Feel free to share your thoughts here.