No Christmas Tree, No Christmas Tree

Senator Barbra Buono, Chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, has expressed her support for the elimination of so-called Christmas Tree spending in this year's budget. The budget items add millions of dollars to the state budget to fund pet projects of legislators. Following an ethics tussle regarding the grants, they were reduced to a total of $112 million last year.

CIANJ supports Sen. Buono's recommendation as an effort to protect New Jersey's overburdened taxpayers, and it appears she has bi-partisan support,

"I believe we need to restore balance to the burden all of us must share during these extremely painful economic times," [Buono] said.

The budget adopted last June included an estimated $112 million for additions for legislative districts, the lowest total since Democrats regained control of the Statehouse in 2002.

Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), a veteran budget committee member, said he agrees with Buono that there is no room for such spending, commonly known as "Christmas tree" grants, given that Corzine is proposing deep cuts to municipalities, hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and other groups.

This budget, like all, should be about the role of government in our lives. Some Christmas Tree items may be worthwhile causes, but there are many worthwhile causes - why don't taxpayers pay for them all? We see Sen. Buono's recommendation and Sen. Lance's support as a positive step in that conversation.