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)

The New Jersey Taxpayers Alliance, who conducted their first rating of the state’s legislators, tracked votes for ten bills that were vital to New Jersey’s taxpayer communities. They gave Senator Joe Pennacchio a perfect score.

Read the rest of Pennacchio Named “Taxpayer Champion” — Scores 100% (95 words)

In response to a meeting of the Local Finance Board scheduled for next Wednesday to give an unknown amount of money to Newark, Senate Budget Committee member Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris) is calling on Governor Corzine to release a long overdue Special Municipal Aid Audit of that city following last year’s special aid award of $45 million.

“The State Budget requires an audit of Newark and Governor Corzine has yet to release it to the public that paid for it, ” said Pennacchio. “It’s embarrassing. Governor Corzine will be throwing more money at this problem without finding out how the last $45 million was spent.”

Read the rest of Pennacchio to Corzine: Release Audit Before Awarding More Money to Newark (107 words)

“These four legislators crossed the line, and Governor Corzine should order an immediate investigation,” Pennacchio said. “As a health care professional, I believe no politician should lobby the FDA unless they are absolutely certain they are acting in the best interests of patients.”

Read the rest of Pennacchio: Democrat FDA Interference Crosses the Line (166 words)

Starting in June, Pennacchio issued repeated news releases pointing out that it has been impossible for taxpayers to use the state’s Web site to track stimulus spending, despite Governor Corzine’s promises of transparency. The governor announced today that the Web site, www.nj.gov/recovery has at last been upgraded to include features that other states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida have offered for months.

Read the rest of Pennacchio Says He Will Monitor Corzine Claims of Improved Transparency in Stimulus Spending (175 words)

The $180 million investment came less than four months before Lehman, one of the largest Wall Street investment banks, went bankrupt. The Corzine administration has released almost no details of how the decision was made to put retiree savings and taxpayer contributions into a Wall Street bank that was widely reported to be teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

Read the rest of Pennacchio: One Year Later, Corzine Administration Still Won’t Come Clean on Lehman Investment (223 words)

The participants included: Americans for Tax Reform, Sandra Fabry from the Center for Fiscal Accountability, Jerry Cantrell and Neil Coleman from the New Jersey Taxpayers Association and Parsippany Council President John Cessaro.

Read the rest of Tax Groups Join Senator Pennacchio Calling for Adoption of “Transparency In Government Act” (161 words)

Read the rest of Pennacchio Urges Corzine Pension Officials to Release Details of Secret Deals (1,738 words)

Representatives of Franklin Templeton, the administrator of the plan, met with the senator months ago and said that they would recommend lower fees and expanded investment choices that eliminate unnecessary risk for college savers.

Read the rest of Pennacchio: Corzine Administration Dawdling Costly to College Savers (145 words)

Read the rest of Senate Republican Budget Members File SEC Complaint Against Corzine (299 words)