***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE*** Assembly Democrats React to Voting Session Focused on Protecting Residents from Economic Meltdown

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS REACT TO VOTING SESSION FOCUSED ON PROTECTING RESIDENTS FROM ECONOMIC MELTDOWN

Assembly Passes Nearly 30 Bills Designed to Jumpstart State Economy & Help Insulate Residents, Businesses from Global Recession

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued the following multimedia package following an Assembly voting session that considered nearly 30 bills to jumpstart the state's economy and help protect residents and businesses from the continuing global economic meltdown.

Legislation passed Monday would:

• Create and retain jobs by revamping small business taxes and enhancing business grants and incentives;
• Help nonprofits prevent home foreclosures;
• Assist the poor and disabled and senior citizens pay winter fuel bills and obtain food;
• Bring new consumer protections against securities fraud;
• Promote savings and new jobs through alternative energy; and
• Boost property tax relief.

The Monday voting session follows Oct. 6 and Oct. 23 Assembly committee hearings focused on the economy and September Assembly approval of a bill package to make New Jersey's business climate more competitive with respect to neighboring states.  In all, 40 measures related to the economy have been considered by the Assembly over the past six weeks, as part of an ongoing effort by the Assembly to give New Jerseyans and businesses the tools they need to weather the financial crisis and emerge from it stronger. More measures will be considered in the coming weeks.

The multimedia package consists of a video from the session, audio of same and a transcript of comments by Assembly Democratic lawmakers.

The video can be accessed directly via our Web site - www.assemblydems.com - or by clicking here.

The audio file is available upon request.

A transcript of some Assembly Democratic comments is appended below:

Assemblyman Herb Conaway, M.D. (D-Burlington):

"People who know economics a lot better than I say, that at times like this, the government should work in a countercyclical way.  That is, put money into the economy when the economy goes down.  Help with jobs.  Help with economic expansion.  Precisely to deal with the hardships that so many average people face."

Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein (D-Middlesex):

"Obviously the recent financial problems in our country, the big bailout by the federal government, has made it necessary that we look at the state level and do everything that we can to try and help solve the problems."

Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex):

"So many people who live on Main Street America - the 'mom and pop' stores, the homeowners - those are the ones that are suffering and we, as legislators, have an obligation to do what's best for them.  And that's why the [economic bill] packages are being moved today."

Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden):

"It's hopefully going to affect all of us.  Those that have lost their jobs, putting people back to work.  It's going to affect those people who can't afford to buy food.  We're going to try to help them provide them the mechanism to go to the food banks and get the food.  It's going to affect the small businesses.  It's going to affect people who are focused about energy and the opportunities to save energy, to lower their tax bill - to lower their utilities bill - which is very important."

Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano (D-Cumberland):

"This benefits everyone.  It benefits large business, small business.  It benefits the banks.  It benefits all the people in the State of New Jersey.  If we can free up business and if we can free up the credit then people will be able to resume business as usual in the State of New Jersey."

Assemblyman Matthew W. Milam (D-Cumberland):

"Keeping our businesses healthy - it is going to help the citizens, it's going to retain their jobs.  We're going to retain business and, in turn, be still bringing in revenues for the State of New Jersey to help people with the ultimate [goal] of property tax relief."

Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo (D-Mercer):

"We're being very proactive in ensuring the stability of our economy by strengthening our local community banks, by strengthening our local small businesses, to ensure economic opportunities for everyone.  One of the things that prospers in our slow economic times right now, the best stimulus package we can have, is the creation of a job."

Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald (D-Camden):

"This will put contractors to work.  It's going to put electricians to work.  It's going to put plumbers and pipefitters to work.  It'll put architects to work; designers to work; engineers, lawyers - the backbone of New Jersey's society - the small business owner.  It will help put them to work."

Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer):

"All of this is public works.  This is government's responsibility in economic disasters, to spur the economy.  So I would say to people who are unemployed now:  'We are trying.  We are trying to bring jobs, to save jobs and to grow jobs here, even in this dire economy.'"

Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer (D-Passaic):

"We need to jumpstart New Jersey's economy.  We recognize that we're only a small piece in the economic puzzle but this is a tremendous opportunity to show New Jerseyans that New Jersey is as proactive as we can be to make sure that we move forward in this economic crisis."

Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty (D-Gloucester):

"The option of doing nothing is not an option.  We need to get busy, pass legislation that will help people through these difficult times and we're doing that today."

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