Assemblyman Guy Gregg

GREGG SAYS CORZINE TTF PLAN WILL SHORTCHANGE ROAD PROJECTS IN SOME RURAL AREAS
March 9, 2006
Assemblyman Guy Gregg/973-584-5422
Assembly Republican Office/609-292-5339

GREGG SAYS CORZINE TTF PLAN WILL SHORTCHANGE ROAD PROJECTS IN SOME RURAL AREAS

Assemblyman Guy Gregg said that in addition to creating a mountain of new debt for New Jersey taxpayers the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) renewal bill approved today by the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee will also likely shortchange possible road projects in his legislative district.

"The so-called ‘smart-growth’ provisions of this bill are likely to deny funding to much-needed transportation projects in rural areas of the state such as my district," said Gregg, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon. "As if this proposal wasn't already bad enough for the taxpayers, now residents in some sections of the state will be precluded from seeing any benefit from this program."

Gregg was referring to a recently added provision in the TTF renewal legislation stating that in "furtherance of smart growth principles, the department shall limit the funds programmed for major highway capacity expansion in any fiscal year to no more than an average of four percent over five years of the total Annual Transportation Capital Program."

"First the Highlands Act takes our property and now the TTF Plan takes our roads," Gregg said. "One can only imagine what great thing the next major piece of legislation to pass through this house will do for the people of Northwest New Jersey."

Gregg said that the fiscal impact of the proposal is reason enough to oppose the bill.

"This bill will only make our state budget crisis worse by expanding our debt obligations and ensuring that five years from now we will be in no better financial position than we are today," Gregg said. "The debt service payments on this plan will preclude us from spending money on schools and property tax relief and will only increase the likelihood of a tax increase in the near future."

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