Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Assemblyman Dave Rible today said Governor Jon Corzine not only broke another promise not to use one-shot gimmicks to balance the budget, but he will also put the public at risk with his plan to take $4 million from the state’s Emergency Medical Technicians Fund to balance this year’s state budget.

“It’s unbelievable that Governor Corzine thinks nothing of putting our communities at risk by depleting this fund,” said Rible, R-Monmouth. “It’s also disturbing that he thinks so little of these outstanding men and women who volunteer their time providing such a vital service to our residents. Instead of continuing to play shell games with state funds, perhaps it’s about time he starts making real and responsible cuts in spending.

“This is a classic case of Governor Corzine robbing Peter to pay Paul and one in which he is much too familiar,” added Rible, a member of the Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee.

The raid on the EMT Fund can be found in the governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2010 budget where Corzine provides a comparison of the use of non-recurring resources from FY 2003 through FY 2010. A chart on page 60 of the Budget in Brief document indicates that Corzine will use $4 million of EMT fund balances to balance the FY 2009 budget.

According to the proposed FY 2010 budget, the EMT fund will generate $2.15 million in revenue during FY 2010 while spending $3.248 million. At the end of the year, after drawing from surplus to balance revenues and expenditures, the fund will have $27,000 remaining.

“Governor Corzine has done little to restructure state government,” said Angelini, R-Monmouth. “He has made no effort to reform the budget process or curb spending. But he has made it a practice to balance his budgets with one-time measures such as this. This year, he’s going to raid the funds of our first responders and put our residents at risk. He’s also getting ready to unleash another round of tax increases on our middle class families. It’s deplorable and an irresponsible way to govern.”

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