Beck...Panter Bill Financial Burden, Security Risk

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Beck Says Panter Bill Regarding Proposed Earle Civilian Apts. Poses Financial Burden, Security Risk
Says Bill Approved Today Does Not Offer a Real Solution
Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck said bill, A-4272, sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Panter, D-Monmouth and Mercer, that passed the Assembly today offers no solution to the federal government’s plan to open 300 vacant apartments to civilian tenants at the Earle Naval Weapons Station.

The12th district Assemblywoman is concerned that in addition to posing a tremendous financial burden on surrounding school districts that would be charged with educating tenants’ children, the U.S. Navy’s plan presents a grave security risk to the area as well.

Currently, a small percentage of the housing units at the complex are utilized by military families whose children receive educational services through the Tinton Falls School District. In 2010, the U.S. Navy plans to open 300 vacant apartments to civilian tenants which could result in an influx of potentially 500 students.

“State and federal representatives need to join forces with the citizens of Tinton Falls and Colts Neck to prevent civilians from residing at the Earle military base,” said Beck, R-Monmouth and Mercer. “The U.S. Navy must seriously

consider the grave security implications of giving 300 civilians unfettered access to a military base, particularly in light of the recent terrorist plot uncovered at Fort Dix . In addition, it would absolutely devastate whichever school district was required to educate those 500 new children.”

Beck added that the legislation is extremely divisive to the two neighboring communities.

“This issue is a federal issue that needs to be addressed by our federal representative,” said Beck. "Not only doesn’t it offer a workable solution, but it pits one community against another in order for Assemblyman Panter to score some sort of political advantage.

“We should all, in conjunction with the citizens of Tinton Falls and Colts Neck, urge our federal representatives to find a solution. Devastating Tinton Falls or Colts Neck with another 500 students is not a solution, it’s merely shifting the problem,” Beck continued.

Earle Naval Weapons Station provides logistical, technical and material support to the United States Naval fleet in areas ranging from combat sub-systems and retail ammunition management to packaging, handling and storage of all types of weapons and ammunition

[adefonzo]

something tells me they won't end up in the Colts Neck schools

[admin]

While we are on the subject of Panter, here is an email I received. This was also printed in the APP.

Panter should Have Spoken Up Sooner Against Road-Lease Idea
Asbury Park Press
August 2, 2007 Editorial Page

By Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande

In a July 22 op-ed, Assemblyman Mike Panter, D-Monmouth, our opponent in the 12th District Assembly race, wrote an interesting but somewhat confusing explanation of his position on Gov. Corzine's proposal to borrow $30 billion or more and raise tolls to pay for it. (Yes, that's what asset monetization really means.)

It's interesting, because he gave some solid reasons why the governor's scheme os bad for New Jersey. It's confusing, because he accused those of us who have opposed this scheme from the start of acting for political reasons without having facts - yet , he states his opposition to it without having the facts.

What's even more confusing is that in the six months since the fovernor first floated the idea of selling the toll roads, Panter didn't utter a word of opposition and in fact, voted to let the governor proceed with his plan. Was Panter for asset monetization before he was against it?

When Corzine presented this budget to the Legislature in March, Trenton Republicans led by Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck objected to language in the budget that would allow an unlimited expenditure of funds to explore the sale or lease of the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. After demanding a preview of the governor's plans, the Legislature was assured it would be briefed well in advance of the budget vote.

That did not happen. And at no time did Panter call on the governor to explain his plans before the beudget vote, nor did he publicly declare opposition to the plan. The Assembly Transportation Committee held two public hearings on the issue in Frebruary. Panter was absent from both meetings.

When the budget was presented to legislators for a vote, the language to give the governor a blank check to pursue the sale or lease of the toll roads remained, despite the governor's failure to share his plans with the Legislature. Panter could have spoken up and opposed it. He didn't.

During the debate over the budget, Beck called for a vote to have the asset monetization language taken out of the budget. Panter voted against taking it out of the budget.

In the interim, we have seen poll and poll showing a solid majority of New Jersey taxpayers oppose the governor's scheme. Panter, well after he could have done something about it and in the middle of a difficult re-election campaign, has decided the plan is a bad one. Who is playing politics here?

The real story of this asset monetization is the reason the governor has proposed it in the first place: that New Jersey is on the brink of fiscal disaster, due largely to the fiscal mismanagement of the party that has controlled the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature for the last six years. Having knocked on almost 3,000 doors since the end of April, we can attest to the fact that people are starting to connect the dots between the massive spending and borrowing increases, the party in charge of Trenton and the drastic measures being proposed to continue that spending.

New Jersey, which has tried time after time to borrow its way out of trouble, is going to do it again - only this time the trouble is really big and so the borrowing is going to be really big. Property tax bills- the ones that have risen almost 50 percent in the past five or six years - are evidence of the effectiveness of that strategy. Hundreds of millions of dollars that could be put toward property tax relief now go toward debt service. It's a recipe for disaster.

Everyone knows the sad stories of addicts when they hit rock bottom: they sell their prized posessions to feed their addiction. Democrats in Trenton have raised practically every tax, fee, charge and surchage in the state, created 94 new taxes during the past six years, more than doubled the state debt from $15 billion to $37 billion and, still, it is not enough to feed their additction to spending. We have now reached the last, desperate phase. This is selling the furniture to pay your bills.

All of this has been fairly obvious from themoment the governor proposed selling or leasing the Turnpike and Parkway, which is why pricipled people on both sides of the aisle opposed it almost immediately. John Wisniewski, the Democratic Chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, did. We wish Panter would've spoken up when the Legislature was in session and he could have affected the debate, rather than waiting until the middle of a political campaign.

Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande are Republican candidates for the state Assembly in the 12th District

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Monmouth County Republican Party
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