Gov. Chris Christie today signed a bill to extend the arbitration cap through 2017, a measure that came about through compromise between both parties. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick told NJTV News Managing Editor Mike Schneider that he was happy with the bipartisan cooperation with the arbitration cap and wishes that Democrats would allow the governor to delay pension payments instead of proposing tax increases.
Bramnick said that history shows that Christie will veto a budget with tax increases to keep New Jersey competitive. He said Democrats are trying to keep the pension payment intact and raise taxes as a political move, which he disagrees with.
“It’s bad politics and bad policy. We’re the highest taxed state in the country. We’re not competitive with our neighbors. And then you raise taxes? That’s not reform. That’s politics,” said Bramnick.
The minority leader also pointed out that Democrats and Democratic governors have delayed pension payments for years. “All of a sudden, now it’s evil to do that? We have to make sure we survive as a state. So if you have to delay some pension payments, we’re still making billions of dollars of pension payments. If you do that because you have to stay competitive, that makes sense. It’s like a business going out of business and raising prices and going out of business faster. It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
Although Christie has criticized others for “kicking the can down the road” with regard to pension payments, Bramnick said the current delay the governor is proposing is necessary. “Well first of all, he is going to make pension payments, probably a lot more than most governors, most Democratic governors. But you have to kick the can down the road at least for a year or two because you cannot become uncompetitive with your neighbors. This is simple business. This isn’t politics. It’s good public policy,” he said. “I think they’re on a dangerous road. They’re no longer reformers.”
Bramnick advocates smaller government, more efficient government and lower taxes, which he said are all good policies for both Republicans and Democrats.
When asked about an area where he believes the state can cut spending, Bramnick said he would like to change the Supreme Court mandated school funding formula “that forces the legislature and us to put money into school districts regardless of success. It doesn’t make any sense.”
While Bramnick agrees that the state should fund underperforming schools, he said there needs to be progress. “If you don’t have those results, then you’re simply throwing money down a hole and you’re getting nothing for it,” he said. “I don’t like the fact that the courts dictate where the money goes.”