Trenton, NJ: Amy Goldsmith, Clean Water Action’s NJ State Director released the following statement today:
“Governor Murphy’s proposed budget reveals a shocking lack of urgency in addressing the climate crisis despite repeated commitments to the contrary and a historic $10 billion surplus. The governor has been talking a big clean energy game, but the continued raids to the Clean Energy Fund mean that programs to make clean energy accessible to lower income residents continue to be out of reach or delayed for those most in need.
“Additionally, the budget continues the bad practice of raiding NJ Transit’s capital budget to fund its operating budget. That means less mass transit improvements and transit riders continuing to experience the pain of equipment failures, dirty diesel, ride delays, cancellations and fewer routes.
“Governor Murphy says that he stands behind his promises. He promised to stop Clean Energy Fund raids, “fix NJ Transit if it kills him”, and end the Corporate Business Tax (CBT) surcharge. Which promise does he keep? Only one, the one that gives money to the wealthiest corporations and takes money away from doing public good, mitigating climate change, making the state more affordable, and enabling everyone to be part of a growing economy. This is a massive tax cut to giant corporations by ending the Corporate Millionaire’s Tax.
“Instead of taking advantage of the current massive budget surplus to invest in critical climate programs, it appears that clean energy and mass transit will continue to be underfunded and the governor will rob Peter to pay Paul to give Amazon a tax cut.
“The tax cut for giant corporations will immediately reduce the funding for green acres and blue acres, programs that preserve the limited open space NJ has left as well as the buffer zones that protect neighborhoods from flooding. But it’s worse than just the immediate and obvious cuts to specific environmental funds. Cutting taxes for giant corporations when there are still so many underfunded and unfunded programs in NJ, says that our state values billionaire profits over public infrastructure, health care, public schools, and our climate future.
“The governor’s actions today underfunding climate and tomorrow arguing in appeals court against implementing a climate law he signed contradict his words just two weeks ago”, concluded Goldsmith, contrasting the governor’s February 15 climate speech with his proposed budget and the Appellate Division of the Superior Court hearing on NJDEP vs. Empower NJ in New Brunswick tomorrow at 10 AM.
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Since the organization’s founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking, and people power to the table. www.cleanwater.org
