-Of course, it is with a heavy heart that I address you today.
-Much has been said about our departed colleague Alex DeCroce, so there is little I could possibly add.
-Ill just say that we cant possibly fill the void his passing has left us, but we can do honor and justice to his memory by working together in a civil and courteous manner on the issues of the day.
-Rest in peace Alex and thank you for everything you have done for the people of New Jersey.
- Being sworn in as Senate President is as humbling today as it was two years ago.
- Admittedly, there were some bumps in the road after that January day.
-Youve read about the more colorful side of my vocabulary.
-You have seen the latest in designer ironworker sweatpants that I have sported from time to time.
-But with all seriousness, I stand before you a little older, a little wiser, a little more battle tested.
-I believe I have taken the lessons Ive learned and used them in a positive manner, correcting myself when wrong, pushing difficult issues when needed, making change when its best for the people we serve.
-Surely some of the more prominent issues fought over in this chamber are no secret.
-First and foremost among them was pension and health benefit reforms.
-It was one of many goals and objectives I laid out that I felt were critical to achieving real change in Trenton.
-Obviously all sides involved were passionate about the issue, because they truly believed in what they were fighting for.
- And, I continue to hold deep respect for those who disagreed with me on this issue.
-Disagreement between us is not a bad thing.
-In fact, its healthy, responsible and the cornerstone of a true democracy.
-And in the end, benefits reform was achieved.
-As a result, we saved the pensions of hundreds of thousands of people in this state, most of whom are middle class folks looking to make ends meet.
-If these reforms had not come to fruition, these workers would have been facing retirement and their golden years without the pensions that were promised to them.
-That is simply a fact…and it was a scenario I was not going to allow to happen.
-While pension reform was for the workers, health benefits reform was for the taxpayers.
-Middle class families in this state were shouldering too much of the burden on this issue and change had to happen.
-And because of the reforms we pushed through, New Jersey taxpayers are looking at a savings of over $120 billion in the long run.
-That is something I am truly proud of, as we all should be.
-And whatever differences that may have arisen have been washed away by the new challenges we face as a legislative body.
-Benefits reform, while at the top of my list, was certainly not the only issue I wanted to tackle when I stood here two years ago.
-I also stressed the need to change our business climate, to keep employers in New Jersey and create jobs for the hundreds of thousands that remain out of work.
-We have taken steps forward on this front.
-Literally dozens of bills have gone through this Legislature that would make New Jersey more business friendly.
-Weve created new financial incentives for businesses to grow and to hire workers; weve improved the tax code for business that keep jobs in New Jersey; and weve passed a number of innovative job-creation bills.
-Weve covered a multitude of areas, from helping minority and women owned businesses, to encouraging better working relationships between our business and higher education communities.
-While I am proud of what we have accomplished, its not enough, and it wont be until our family and friends are all back to work.
-While the wealthiest among us are seemingly flourishing in this economy, the middle class and the working poor continue to see their jobs disappear.
-That is why, simply put, job number one for us must be job creation.
-While we have made progress in some areas, one area I discussed two years ago that has not seen the kind of progress I had hoped for is shared services.
-I called on us to do what we can to shrink the size of government while at the same time making it more efficient.
-I do not believe we have met that call.
-Not that there hasnt been some progress.
-Recently we saw both Princetons agree to a merger of the two towns.
-But we should not kid ourselves.
-That vote was the exception, not the rule.
-The desire for people to see their towns name on a fire truck, or to say they know the local police chief, or for local officials to have total control over municipal services has put a cork in most efforts to share services.
-That kind of mentality is simply no longer economically viable.
-Every single possible way to save taxpayers money needs to be examined.
- A bill Ive recently advanced would help make this a reality.
- It would level bureaucratic speed bumps that slow down shared services and punish municipalities that refuse to save money by sharing.
- Its tough medicine, but its what taxpayers want.
- I know shared services work because I implemented them as Gloucester County Freeholder Director and the result was a savings of over $30 million to the taxpayer.
-One of the most critical services was the implementation of a county wide EMS service that not only saves taxpayers money, but also has actually reduced emergency response times to below the national average.
-It should be noted that shared services do not need to touch county or municipal boundaries.
-Imagine, making a 9-1-1 call for an emergency in a medium-sized town in Atlantic County and a 9-1-1 operator a county away answers and directs immediate response.
-Well that actually does happen in Gloucester County, and has been happening for over a year with tremendous results!
-But please, dont stop there.
-Look at what Gloucester also shared with their municipalities: county wide tax assessing, stormwater management, trash disposal, animal control, and deer carcass removal to name a few.
-Those municipal shared services with Gloucester County have saved over $24 million for its 24 municipalities, which is an average 18 cents off the local purpose tax.
-These are real savings that have real impacts. It can be done. It must be done.
-And that is why it is imperative that we pass my legislation as soon as possible.
-For too long we have tried the carrot without much success.
-Now it is time for the stick.
-And while I certainly will work with all the interested parties on this bill, I will refuse to water it down to any version that does not bring real savings and real results to the taxpayers of New Jersey.
-In addition to benefit reform, our business climate and shared services, there was one additional area I made sure to note when standing here two years ago.
-That is the responsibility of us to look out for the most vulnerable of our residents.
- This was my motivation for getting involved in politics.
- A list of accomplishments on this issue is rather meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
-Because as long as we allow people to suffer;
-As long as we walk by individuals who need help without giving them the time of day;
-As long as we think gee, how awful that is before we change the channel, nothing we do will ever possibly be enough.
- As we move into what will no doubt be another difficult budget cycle, we cant forget those without a voice in Trenton.
-Often we discuss the need to help the middle class, and rightfully so.
-They are gradually being crowded out by a system that is ever more favoring the rich.
-New Jersey certainly has not been immune to this problem, thanks largely to tax breaks for the uber wealthy at the expense of everyone else.
-But still, its how we treat our most vulnerable that matters most.
-I believe I have fought hard on this front over the past two years, with great support from my colleagues.
-But more often than not, differences in opinion have stymied some of things we hoped to get done.
-Earned income tax credits, tax cuts for seniors, womens health centers, services for visually impaired children, funding for our schools, etc., have all fallen victim to bottom lines and politics.
-But sometimes the battle is worth fighting, even if the powers-that-be will do everything they can to prevent you from winning.
-And so this fight goes on.
-The last few months have seen a flurry of activity that we have to build upon if we plan on getting anywhere in this state.
-We must examine the minimum wage here in New Jersey because it is failing to match the needs of those individuals that must rely on it to make ends meet.
-Previously I sponsored a bill that would cut income taxes for middle and moderate income seniors.
-The bill fell victim to the governors veto pen, but it is an issue that must be reexamined in this session.
-And we will closely examine educational reforms.
- This does not mean that Ill cease my commitment to fully funding our schools.
- Every child in this state deserves an education that is not reliant on zip code.
- After decades of faulty funding systems we finally built a formula that stood up in the courts and eliminated arbitrary distinctions like Abbott and non-Abbott.
- Im not about to give up on this formula.
- Not by a long shot.
- We must also address the sorry manner in which we provide aid to our institutions of higher learning.
-The idea of issuing a bond to help fund higher education will definitely be a priority in this new session.
-Finally, as you are all aware, last week we announced that the first bill of this new session will be about marriage equality.
- I am sure there will be contentious debate on this issue as it moves through the process.
- But this is a simple idea whose time is long overdue.
-When history is written, we as elected representatives will be judged not only on how we treated our must vulnerable, but also on how we answered the call from those who cried out for fairness and justice.
-Did we hear them and ignore them?
-Did we hear them and say no, what you have now is good enough?
-Did we hear them and say not now…but maybe latermaybe?
-Or did we hear them and say Yes, the time for equality, for justice, for fairness is here and now?
-The last time this call went out, I ignored it.
-I understand this and take full responsibility for it.
-But my failure to act then and what has happened since calls to mind words that were used to eulogize Doctor Martin Luther King.
- The time (is) always ripe to do that which is right and that which needs to be done.
-Well marriage equality is right and it needs to be done.
-To my colleagues across the aisle, I thank you for working with me on several issues of great importance.
-At key moments, weve been able to get past the kind of bickering that has led to paralysis in Washington.
-And we have served as an example to the nation about what happens when politics is put aside for the greater good.
-I hope we have that spirit of cooperation moving forward.
-To my Democratic colleagues, we remain committed to the principles that have made our party strong.
-We acknowledge that we cant create change without cooperation from all those involved.
-At a time when partisan politics has paralyzed Congress and other political entities, we will work with Republicans when theyre right.
-But make no mistake about our resolve to fight when they are wrong.
-We will never, ever compromise on issues of fairness to working families, those of moderate means, and those of no means at all.
-Together, we have the ability to achieve great things in this chamber.
-Let us not squander that opportunity, but instead rise to meet those challenges head on.
-And lets do it together.
-Thank you again for this honor and I look forward to working with all of you.