Bramnick, DeCroce Debate Dems on Funding Options for TTF

Source: Asbury Park Press -

Participants in the gas-tax debate insist they’ll reach a deal before the transportation fund goes broke, but as mayors got to witness Wednesday it won’t happen without some partisan battling.

Democrats say taxes, most likely for gasoline, will have to go up to pay for future road and rail improvements. Some Republicans at a State League of Municipalities meeting said that’s not acceptable and that other options are available, such as cutting aid to some city schools. Democrats, in turn, said it’s not realistic to fund as much as $2 billion a year in transportation work without finding a way to pay for it.

Even though Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox says Transportation Trust Fund talks are “on the 10-yard line,” with Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto close to a plan to bring to Gov. Chris Christie, the gas-tax debate still could get contentious.

[Democrats] said the final agreement is going to require bipartisan support, [and stated that] an increase of the state’s 14.5-cent per gallon gas taxes is part of the solution but not the full answer.

Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth, said she opposes a higher gas tax and that residents feel the same way, as reflected in public-opinion polls.

“I am not a genius that has a million different solutions, but I do think there are some that we should be certainly pushing and exploring,” Beck said, pointing to funding from the federal government or Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “I don’t think we can just wave our hands in the air and say it has to be a gas tax. I don’t think it’s acceptable to the people of this state that we implement higher taxes.”

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, suggested that $1 billion could be diverted from school funding if the state changed the court-mandated funding formula. 

Starting in July, all of the $1.2 billion in yearly revenues committed to the state’s Transportation Trust Fund will have to be used to pay down $15.6 billion in debt that has accumulated. A new plan for funding future work will have to be approved. Sweeney and others are calling for spending to be increased to $2 billion a year, including a doubling of aid to towns and counties.

“I think that discussion is on the table to talk about,” said Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris. 

One of the last speakers at the event was Lake Como Mayor Brian Wilton, who asked for advice about how mayors can best press for a solution.

“If something is done, you have to stand behind the legislators to support them because it’s not going to be perfect for either side,” Bramnick said. “If they know you’re with them, regardless of the compromise, they’re more likely to get behind legislation.”

DeCroce Bill Targets Ceremonial Procedure

Source: The Star-Ledger -

While one state Assembly Republican is seeking strip away Lt. Gov.Kim Guadagno’s role as acting governor during Gov. Chris Christie’s frequent trips out of state, there are at least some Republicans seeking to give Guadgano more responsibility.

Well, sort of.

Last week, Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (R-Morris) introduced a bill (A4140) that would give the lieutenant governor — who in her dual role as secretary of state oversees the state’s tourism division — the authority to designate special commemorative days, weeks, months or years for New Jersey.

That’s something the Legislature has gotten particularly good at. For instance, on Thursday — the same day DeCroce introduced her measure — lawmakers introduced bills to designate Sept. 21 each year as “Evans Syndrome Awareness Day” and the last day of March each year as “Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day.” Other proposals have included a “Paella Day” (it happened in October), a “Food Allergy Awareness Week” in May and a “Rip Current Awareness Week” in June.

“It’s to get us out of the business of wasting time on ceremonials,” said Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris), who signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor after being asked by DeCroce. DeCroce did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Carroll noted that the governor himself has the authority to declare state days through proclamation (while visiting Canada on Dec. 5, Christie proclaims it ‘Canadian Utility Workers Appreciation Day’ in honor of the Canadians who came down in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy).

Carroll would prefer the business of designating days rest in just one branch of government. But Carroll wondered if the Legislature would be able to resist temptation.

“I understand where Betty Lou is going with it,” he said. “I’m not entirely persuaded it would be effective if adopted.”

DeCroce Introduces Legislation to Strengthen NJ Manufacturing and Creates Jobs

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce has introduced legislation to strengthen New Jersey’s manufacturing sector and create desperately needed production jobs. DeCroce’s bill, A-4002, designates a state liaison to promote NJ manufacturers and their products nationally and globally.

“We are fortunate to have many successful and innovative manufacturers in our state. We need to do everything possible to promote the high-quality products produced by New Jersey workers,” said DeCroce, R – Morris, Essex and Passaic.

DeCroce stated that manufacturing contributed more than $41 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013, and accounts for 90 percent of New Jersey’s exports.

DeCroce’s legislation, in addition, calls on the Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the Secretary of Higher Education and the Business Action Center in the Department of State, to compile a list of industry recognized credentials in the manufacturing field to assist in the development of training programs for vocational and technical schools, colleges, and the workforce development system.

“By working together, the public and private sectors can bolster manufacturing growth, creating good jobs for trained and talented New Jersey men and women,” said DeCroce. “With the state’s help, we can increase demand for products made in New Jersey. We have the employers, and we have the talented employees to meet the demand.”

DeCroce Doesn't Care What Rudy Giuliani Thinks

Source: The Star-Ledger -

Does Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce have a problem with Rudy Giuliani?

While discussing a bill to regulate ride sharing services like Uber at an Assembly Transportation Committee hearing today, DeCroce (R-Morris) asked Uber’s representative, Nicole Benincasa, some pointed questions about how rigorous their background checks are and why they don’t finger print drivers.

Benincasa responded that they’re very rigorous, and that they hired the consulting firm of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to audit them.

DeCroce didn’t like that answer.

“I don’t care what Mr. Giuliani thinks, because that’s New York. This is New Jersey,” she shot back.

The room, which included many people from the taxi and limo industry who don’t like Uber, erupted in applause.

The Auditor’s interest was piqued because back in 2007, DeCroce’s late husband, former Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, backed Giuliani’s bid for president. But Betty Lou DeCroce – at the time the clerk in Roxbury – publicly backed his rival, Mitt Romney.

Reached by phone, DeCroce said it wasn’t about Giuliani.

“She was name dropping on purpose, and I don’t care if it was a Republican or a Democrat. If a name drop is being brought in to say that’s right of New Jersey. That’s why I responded the way I did,” she said. “I felt she was trying to take a jab at me by name dropping and it wasn’t going to work.”

A Thanksgiving Day Message From Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce

Assembly Republican Press Release -

“Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American holiday of the year. It is a holiday requires of us nothing more than to be thankful for what we have and to share our blessings with our friends and families.

“Simply by virtue of being Americans, we have a lot to be thankful for. We can be thankful for the bounty that this great country offers us and appreciative of how truly blessed this nation is. We can be thankful for the opportunities that America provides and thankful that, compared to much of the world, we live in peace and safety.

“This holiday season, let’s all strive to open our hearts to those less fortunate than ourselves and do what we can to lessen their burden. There are many people right in our own towns who are struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. These people deserve our support. And what better way to say thank you to God for all that we have, than to help those in need?

“I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving Day to its fullest — open your hearts and your homes to your family and friends, and make memories that will last a lifetime.”

DeCroce Supports Call For More Local Traffic Funding

Source: Associated Press -

Lawmakers are calling for local governments to get a bigger share of funding from New Jersey to address transportation issues in cities and counties.
Exactly how to do that and how much bigger a share of the Transportation Trust Fund local governments should get is unclear.

 “It’s important for us to do this in a smart way, but also to make sure more money gets down to the local level and [that] some of the bureaucratic ways, with regards to inspection and oversight, is streamlined.” — Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce

 Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman John S. Wisniewski (D., Middlesex) and the panel discussed the issue Thursday during the fourth and final field hearing on the trust fund, in Atlantic City. It was the final day of the annual League of Municipalities conference.

The trust fund, financed in part through a 10.5-cent tax on gasoline, is facing a funding shortfall next year. Currently, all money dedicated to the fund pays for debt service on previous infrastructure projects. New projects are funded through additional debt.

The Legislature and the governor are aiming to come to an agreement by the start of the next fiscal year – July 1 – when officials will have to decide to take on more debt or to abandon new projects altogether. Officials prefer neither of those options, so the conversation has focused on raising more revenue through tax increases.

Several lawmakers have outlined proposals to raise taxes, but so far none has attracted enough support to pass the Legislature.

Increasing municipalities’ share of the trust fund, which Wisniewski said stood at 15 percent of the $1.6 billion in the fund, adds another layer of complexity to a problem whose solution has vexed lawmakers.

Republican Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce of Morris County said she supported increasing the share of the trust fund to local governments, but needed to see more statistics before saying exactly how much more municipalities should get.

She suggested that cutting regulations and permitting should be a part of the conversation, rather than just raising taxes.

“It’s important for us to do this in a smart way,” she said, “but also to make sure more money gets down to the local level and [that] some of the bureaucratic ways, with regards to inspection and oversight, is streamlined.”

DeCroce Wants Rate-Payers to Know About Hidden Fees in Utility Bills

Source: NJ 101.5 -

Did you know that you’re paying a “societal benefits” fee in your utility bill? If you don’t know what that is, or exactly how much it’s costing you, it’s because under current law, utility companies don’t have to list it separately or define it.

You’re also paying a sales tax and an energy surcharge, and they’re lumped in together as well. But a new bill would force utility companies to be more forthcoming in their billing practices.

“People have the right to know that they’re paying these taxes, and to know exactly what they’re paying for the services that are provided to them,” said bill sponsor, Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-Parsippany). “This is about transparency, and this is about letting the public be informed.”

Under the legislation, utility companies would have to include the amounts of the tax imposed by the “Sales and Use Tax Act,” the societal benefits charge, and the transitional energy facility assessment surcharge each customer must pay as separate items on their bills.

As currently drafted, the bill does not require the companies to explain each of the taxes and other charges, but DeCroce said she’s not done finalizing the measure yet.

“I plan to amend my bill to include the language as to the interpretation of each one of the taxes that will be listed, so that (consumers) understand what it’s for,” she said.