Labor Leader Concerned About Christie’s Unwillingness to Recognize TTF Crisis
A powerful New Jersey labor leader voiced worry today in the aftermath of Gov. Chris Christie’s assertion that the state’s depleted Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) does not constitute a major crisis. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
What crisis? The TTF had a five year mandate and can meet all of its capital needs funded my state highway, bridge and tunnel tolls, and gasoline taxes. The Governor is looking in to why it costs 3X more than the next highest state for state roads in NJ and that’s where this union pressure point comes up….the TTF has been used as a piggy bank for Sweeney, Sarlo and Prieto to buy union votes, and if the money has to be used for actual road maintenance and repair instead of vote buying, the scam is up. That’s why the unions and the three amigos of NJ’s financial apocalypse in Trenton are all squawking.
This is a bold faced union lie. In recent years the fund has supported $1.2B in annual construction, maintenance and operating costs at NJ Transit and the state DoT. This despite TTF owing more than $30B in principal and interest on their debt, piled up by politicians in Trenton. The TTF is fully able to support the current capital program as originally proposed in the current five-year authorization, and will be able to do so if it is reauthorized again from July 1st. Too bad if the funds raised from the gasoline tax and toll charges are actually used for actual state road, bridge & tunnel repairs. The politicians and unions don’t like that because they’ve been using the TTF as a piggy bank to fund their pet projects and to funnel graft payments to favored firms like Sarlo pal Sanzari. NJ spends 3X more than any other state to maintain state roads (surprise, surprise!) and that’s exactly why Senate President Sweeney says things like, “Judgment day is here, and we need to fund the TTF.” It’s how he buys votes and without more funds he loses that ability. They want to burden all NJ residents and commuters with higher gasoline taxes to fund their vote buying machine, and they are unwilling to discuss how the TTF rang up $30B in debt by overpaying union labor for road work & repairs. It’s nothing more than a scam to steal money from our pockets.
The TTF is not going bust. Its 5 year authorization ends in June, so either it is reauthorized from July 1st or we find a more cost effective solution to fully fund the state’s capital program for state roads, bridges & tunnels. Trying to saying it will go bankrupt is a misleading statement aimed at raising gasoline taxes for no other reason than a new tax to fund pet union projects
The TTF is a political slush fund bipartisanly raided by governors to plug budget shortfalls.
Not this governor 5;34…. The TTF has spent $1.2 ban per year under its current 5 year authorization and can fully meet the capital spending program required. That’s all under Christie. The bigger issue is the $30 bn in debt & interest. That bill was charged by the legislature in Trenton to be used as their slush fund instead of limiting use of funds just for state roads. There are all kinds of ways the TTF was used as a piggy bank. That’s why Sweeney, Sarlo and Preito are squawking like the criminal turkeys they are. If their piggy bank at the TTF doesn’t get reauthorized from July, how will they buy votes?