Senate Republican Budget Officer Anthony Bucco speaking about the New Jersey budget deficit on Thursday, October 22, 2009. Also pictured (from left) are Senator Joe Pennacchio, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Senator Steven Oroho.

Incredibly, the governor responded with only $205 million in accounting shifts and an order to his Cabinet to find just $200 million in possible spending reductions.

Read the rest of Senators Call on Corzine to Address Budget Deficits NOW (554 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, made the following comment on Governor Corzine’s announcement that he plans to address a potential deficit of more than $1 billion this year and more than $8 billion next year with $405 million in vague accounting changes and token spending cuts.

“In New York, Governor Paterson is pleading with Legislature to help him find $3 billion in savings to prepare the state for coming deficits,” Senator Oroho said. “In New Jersey, the press had to prod Governor Corzine repeatedly to even acknowledge the state has a problem.

Read the rest of Oroho: This Is Why Public Can’t Let Governor Corzine Hide the Numbers (128 words)

In contrast, Corzine has refused to talk about the budget or current revenue. Before the Corzine administration took over, revenue figures were released regularly in September and October. Yet the governor has ignored repeated requests to release numbers this fall. Without the numbers, state residents have no idea whether New Jersey has a similar budget crisis, Oroho said.

Read the rest of Oroho Says Democracy Suffers When Corzine Hides the Numbers (339 words)

“The Corzine administration can’t justify sloppy oversight and secret spending of taxpayer money when we are in economic crisis,” Oroho said. “Struggling taxpayers should be outraged that the governor isn’t providing absolute assurance that every dime of their money is being spent wisely.”

Read the rest of Oroho: Corzine Won’t Tell Taxpayers Where Vast Sums Go (203 words)

Read the rest of Corzine Leads New Jersey to Nearly 10% Unemployment Rate as 12,000 More Private Sector Jobs Lost (119 words)

“Standing up for taxpayers in New Jersey is job number one for Alison, Gary, and me,” said Oroho, who serves on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. “We are continuing our mission to make New Jersey more competitive to bring in new businesses and private sector jobs and it starts with making sure our tax policies are attractive.”

Read the rest of Oroho, McHose & Chiusano Recognized as “Taxpayer Champions” (196 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)

The governor has daily access to revenue collection figures. Senators Bucco and Oroho expressed outrage that Governor Corzine doesn’t share those numbers so that business owners, legislators and the voting public can track what’s happening during this economic crisis, as business people and residents can do in other states.

Read the rest of Bucco and Oroho: Governor Corzine Still Playing ‘Hide the Numbers’ Game (209 words)

Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) challenged Governor Corzine’s repeated claims that he has eliminated 8,200 State employees and cut the cost of government. In a recent article in The Record, the Governor questioned why nobody has given him credit for those cuts that he has claimed. Senator Oroho has an answer for the Governor: like his false claims that he created thousands of private-sector jobs, his wildly exaggerated claim that he eliminated more than 8,000 government jobs does not reflect reality, and the public knows it.

Read the rest of Oroho: Corzine’s Claims of Cutting Government Refuted by Payroll Data (521 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, R-Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon, said he has appealed the Corzine administration’s refusal to release a report on housing growth that was presented to the State Planning Commission in March. The study reportedly shows that the Council on Affordable Housing grossly overestimated how much so-called “affordable” housing is needed in New Jersey. Oroho filed his appeal with the New Jersey Government Records Council.

“It’s impossible for our democracy to function when public and elected officials are denied the facts needed to make informed decisions,” Oroho said. “Billions of dollars of taxpayer and economic development money are at stake. The public deserves to see all the data, not just the highly suspect numbers the Corzine administration uses to support its housing policies.”

Read the rest of Oroho: Corzine Refuses to Release Housing Study that Taxpayers Bought (136 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, called on Governor Corzine to impose the same cuts in Extraordinary Aid to urban towns that he already imposed on more rural and suburban towns.

“Corzine slashed Extraordinary Aid to more than 500 rural and suburban towns by 30% last month and is preparing to increase aid for about 50 more urban towns with the savings,” said Oroho. “He’s rigging property tax relief programs based on election year politics.”

Read the rest of Oroho to Corzine: Make Fair Cuts in Extraordinary Aid Program (310 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, a Republican on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, said he is concerned that the alarming increase in New Jersey’s unemployment rate will lead to calls for higher business taxes. August unemployment was the highest in 33 years.

“Under current law, business taxes will increase if there is a lingering deficit in the unemployment fund, and at the rate we’re going, we’ll have a huge deficit,” Senator Oroho said. “The worst way to deal with a 9.7 percent unemployment rate is to raise taxes on businesses that create jobs.”

Read the rest of Oroho Urges Corzine to Update Public on Increase in Unemployment Fund Deficit (114 words)

Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) called on legislative leaders and the Governor to act on legislation before the summer recess to protect the property rights of landowners in the Highlands region whose property has been devalued as a result of the land use restrictions of the Highlands law.

Read the rest of Highlands Landowners Need More Than Green Acres Bond (464 words)

While Governor Jon Corzine hailed the state’s new labor deal with the Communications Workers of America as a “historic agreement,” Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, all R-Sussex, Morris, and Hunterdon, said that after evaluating the details there will be minimal financial benefit for the state after the upcoming fiscal year.

Read the rest of Oroho, McHose & Chiusano Say Corzine’s CWA Deal Is Short-Term Gain with Long-Term Pain (510 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, R – Sussex, Morris & Hunterdon Counties, issued the following statement today on Governor Jon Corzine’s budget address:

“The budget proposed by Governor Jon Corzine today raises taxes on just about everyone who currently pays taxes in New Jersey. It does so at a time of great economic distress, in the midst of a recession in which our state is losing businesses and jobs.

Read the rest of Corzine Budget to Raise Taxes on Almost Everyone (361 words)

Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, all R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon are calling upon the Corzine Administration to adopt scientifically-valid policies in light of a dramatic upswing in bear-related complaints and damage incidents.

Read the rest of Surge in Bear Incidents Show Failure of Corzine Bear Management Policy (260 words)

Read the rest of Oroho, McHose and Chiusano Demand Action On Bear Management (740 words)

Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, all R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon, who represent a significant segment of the Highlands region, oppose the expected adoption of the Highlands Regional Master Plan because the plan fails to include provisions for compensating hard-working homeowners and property owners for the drop in property values that have resulted from what amounts to the uncompensated seizure of their land-use by the State.

Read the rest of Oroho, McHose & Chiusano: Highlands Plan Tramples Rights of Landowners (390 words)

Read the rest of Oroho, McHose and Chiusano: No Tolls on 78 & 80 (190 words)

Senator Steven Oroho and Assemblywoman Alison McHose (Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) issued the following joint statement on the Governor’s “State of the State” message to the Legislature:

Read the rest of Oroho & McHose: Spending Caps Must Be Real (163 words)