“Our residents are suffering under the highest tax burden in the nation, unemployment has soared for 20 straight months, people are losing their homes and businesses have and continue to close shop and relocate to neighboring states. And Governor Corzine’s only solution is to recycle his failed plan to lease the Turnpike which would result in another huge toll hike, ” said Wolfe, R-Ocean and Monmouth. “This certainly isn’t the leadership our residents need or deserve. Once again he plans to defy the people who overwhelmingly opposed the proposal the first time around.”

Read the rest of Wolfe & Holzapfel: Corzine’s Proposal to Recycle Toll Hike Scheme Shows He Has No Other Plan than to Burden Taxpayers, Commuters (310 words)

Senator Andy Ciesla and Assemblymen Jim Holzapfel and Dave Wolfe (all R-10) presented the 10th annual “Excellence in Education Award” during a ceremony recently at the Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School in Seaside Heights to art teacher Nancy Corsaro.

“Mrs. Corsaro stands as a symbol of excellence in teaching and is a model for those who teach or desire to make a difference in our children’s present and future, ” said Ciesla. “She brings her creativity, passion and knowledge to the classroom each day which resonates with the children and encourages learning. It is an honor to present the Tenth Annual Excellence in Education Award to such an outstanding educator.”

Read the rest of Ciesla, Wolfe & Holzapfel Present Tenth Annual “Excellence in Education Award” (247 words)

With crude oil prices topping the $80 per barrel threshold, Assembly Republican members Dave Wolfe and James Holzapfel today said an increase in the state’s gasoline tax, which Governor Corzine recently said he is considering, would have far reaching and devastating consequences on the state’s economy and its residents who are already buried in suffocating taxes and debt.

The 10th Legislative District lawmakers said that in addition to paying more for gas at the pump, prices for goods and services will increase as well as higher transport costs will be passed onto consumers.

Read the rest of Wolfe & Holzapfel: Corzine Gas Tax Hike Would Cripple NJ Economy, Consumers (339 words)

Corzine revealed the details to the Star-Ledger’s editorial board in Trenton yesterday, saying he would make a smaller contribution to the state pension fund, continue the income tax surcharge and not fully fund state aid to local school districts.

Read the rest of Assembly Republican Budget Committee Says Corzine’s “New” Budget Solutions More of the Same (498 words)

New Jersey property taxpayers continue to struggle under the inability of Governor Corzine and the Democratically-controlled Legislature to address the state’s property tax problem, Republican Assemblymen James W. Holzapfel and David W. Wolfe said today after new data show New Jersey’s $6,320 median property tax bill topped the nation.

“The revelation comes to no surprise to New Jerseyans who have faced incessantly rising property tax bills while Governor Corzine and his allies in the Legislature have failed to do anything about it,” Holzapfel said. “The governor takes credit for controlling the growth of property taxes, but they have increased nearly 20 percent statewide since he has been in office.

Read the rest of Under Corzine, New Jerseyans Still Paying Nation’s Highest Property Tax Bills (227 words)

The request was made by the entire membership of both legislative caucuses in a letter signed by the 17 Republicans in the New Jersey Senate and the 31 Republicans in the New Jersey General Assembly.

Read the rest of Ciesla, Wolfe & Holzapfel Call on Governor Corzine to Convene a Special Legislative Session on Ethics Reform (205 words)

Assemblymen Declan O’Scanlon and David W. Wolfe welcomed, but lamented, a new metric, the Misery Index, unveiled by the New Jersey Taxpayers Association that documents the rapidly growing tax, debt, spending and unemployment burden that is afflicting New Jersey taxpayers.

Read the rest of O’Scanlon and Wolfe: Taxpayer Advocacy Group Quantifies New Jersey’s Misery (240 words)

Read the rest of Ciesla, Wolfe & Holzapfel: BPU One-Year Suspension of JCP&L Rate Hike Benefits Corzine’s Re-Election Bid (403 words)

Shortly before a last-minute vote to allow Governor Corzine’s ploy to plug a $1.2 billion budget gap in part by delaying aid payments to school districts, Assemblyman David W. Wolfe questioned what guarantee districts would have to recoup the skipped payment.

Read the rest of Wolfe: Schools Bearing the Brunt of State’s Budget Problems (173 words)

Assemblyman David W. Wolfe said local opposition to Governor Corzine’s plan to sell the Sea Girt facility used for training by the State Police, New Jersey National Guard and several other agencies has succeeded.

During budget testimony today, Attorney General Anne Milgram confirmed the administration no longer is considering a sale.

Read the rest of Efforts to Save Sea Girt Training Center Successful (107 words)

Assemblyman David Wolfe, R-Ocean, said today that is it imperative that the state continue conducting audits of any city receiving special municipal aid, and anyone who suggests otherwise needs to read the accounts of misspending and lax administrative oversight that plagues many of these towns. Wolfe was responding to a proposal in Governor Jon Corzine’s budget that would relax the requirement for assessing the performance of distressed cities on a continuous basis.

Read the rest of Wolfe: Audits of Towns Receiving Special Municipal Aid Should Be Mandatory (284 words)

Read the rest of Holzapfel Bill Would Take Away MVC’s Power to Raise Fees (216 words)

“Governor Corzine’s budget proposal would remove property tax relief for middle-class New Jerseyans who are already struggling to survive in this tough economy,” said Ciesla. “Now is the time when the people of New Jersey are most in need tax relief, but Governor Corzine is offering little more than higher taxes.”

Read the rest of Ciesla, Wolfe & Holzapfel: Corzine’s Budget Plan Hurts Middle-Class Taxpayers (244 words)

Assemblyman David Wolfe and Assemblyman James Holzapfel (both R-10) today said they want to know why the Corzine Administration has not yet released two annual reports detailing individual municipal property tax increases and the status of state revenues.

Read the rest of Wolfe and Holzapfel to Corzine: Where’s the Promised Transparency? (330 words)

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce announced today that he has named Deputy Republican Leader David Wolfe, R-Monmouth and Ocean, to serve on the Assembly Budget Committee. Wolfe will fill the seat vacated by Marcia Karrow, who was elected to the Senate, filling the unexpired term of former State Senator Leonard Lance.

Read the rest of DeCroce Names Wolfe to Assembly Budget Committee (226 words)

Senators Andy Ciesla (R-10) and Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-16) are calling for an extension of tomorrow’s deadline requiring municipalities to finalize their plans to meet the latest round of housing obligations from the state.

Read the rest of It Is Not Too Late To Extend COAH Deadline (284 words)

A new report on global warming issued by the Corzine Administration this month has only added to the mass confusion caused by a number of conflicting policies affecting development and growth that have been simultaneously championed and enacted by Governor Jon Corzine in recent years. The Draft Global Warming Response Act Recommendation Report, issued on December 15, 2008, represents the Administration’s long-term plan to address global warming. The report includes recommendations for smart growth and housing development.

Read the rest of Corzine Global Warming Plan Adds to COAH Confusion (472 words)

Senator Andy Ciesla (R-10) responded to comments made by Governor Corzine yesterday that property tax rebates are among the items considered for elimination to close an anticipated budget deficit next year. When asked if the rebate program might be eliminated, Corzine responded, “We’re hopeful that we will be able to sustain it, but I can’t promise anything in this environment.”

Read the rest of Property Tax Relief: Another Broken Corzine Promise? (334 words)

Senator Andy Ciesla and Assemblymen Dave Wolfe and Jim Holzapfel (all R-10) presented the 9th annual “Excellence in Education Award” during a recent ceremony at the G. Harold Antrim Elementary School in Point Pleasant Beach to 8th grade Language Arts teacher Karen Deacon.

Read the rest of Ciesla, Wolfe & Holzapfel Present Ninth Annual “Excellence In Education Award” (264 words)

Senator Sean Kean (R-11) and Senator Andy Ciesla (R-10) introduced a Senate Concurrent Resolution yesterday that would prevent the monies in the Shore Protection Fund from being diverted to pay for other state projects. Under the recently enacted state budget, $9 million was diverted from the $25 million a year fund to pay for other expenses. The Shore Protection Fund is financed primarily by the realty transfer fee.

Read the rest of Kean & Ciesla Propose Amendment to Protect Shore Preservation Funds (179 words)