In these tough economic times, your vote for change has never been more important.

Democrats are committed to public service, not self-service. We know sustainable communities require good-paying jobs with good benefits and are investing in affordable health care for our seniors and veterans, quality education for our children and a clean environment for every citizen.

In these tough economic times, we can’t leave our future to chance. New Jersey is a great state, but it won’t remain great if we keep doing things the same old way. Electing Democrats to the General Assembly will ensure we move our state forward and deliver results on the issues that matter to our families and our future:

• Cut state spending and relieve the property tax burden on
  hardworking families
  
• Jumpstart our economy and create new, good-paying jobs
• Improve access to affordable health care and prescription drugs
• Attack political corruption with tougher penalties and preventions
• Provide our children with the tools to succeed in today's global marketplace

Cut state spending and relieve the property tax burden on hardworking families
Families across New Jersey are tightening their belts to live within their means—and it’s time Trenton did the same. That's why Assembly Democrats slashed the state budget by $3.9 billion and dedicated more than $15 billion to property tax relief.

• $15 billion in dedicated property tax relief – Assembly Democrats dedicated more than $15 billion to direct property tax relief in this year’s state budget, including $1.7 billion in direct relief to taxpayers. Thanks to innovative leadership, hundreds of thousands of senior citizens, disabled homeowners and working families will continue to receive property tax rebates. In addition, all homeowners making up to $250,000 will retain the ability to deduct property taxes.
• Fighting to cut state spending and restore fiscal responsibility – Assembly Democrats don’t want to see tax dollars going toward wasteful pet projects. Over the past two years alone, Assembly Democrats have cut state spending by $4.5 billion.  And in the past four years, growth in state spending has dropped to its lowest rate in modern state history.  But more needs to be done—that’s why we will push for zero-based budgeting, forcing bureaucrats to prove the merit of every dollar they want to spend. By turning up the heat in Trenton, Assembly Democrats will continue to protect your tax dollars.
• Assembly Democrats are the only ones with a proven record of reducing property taxes. Over the past four years, Assembly Democrats have dedicated more money to property tax relief than in any other period in state history. We also have taken on the excessive layers at government that drive up property taxes, passing innovative new legislation to help local governments consolidate and share services to slash the tax burden while protecting our quality of life.

Jumpstart our economy and create new, good-paying jobs
In difficult times, Assembly Democrats protected our values—cutting the state budget by $3.9 billion this year while investing in programs to create new jobs and jumpstart our economy.

• Repositioning New Jersey for economic growth – New Jersey was the first state in the nation to pass an economic recovery plan, and thanks to leadership from the Assembly Democrats, we reduced spending and cut every state department while protecting the services on which our families and seniors rely.
• $3.6 billion in transportation capital programs – Assembly Democrats are putting people to work to create stronger infrastructure through improvements to our aging bridges, roads and mass transit systems.
• Grants and tax credits for businesses to retain and attract new jobs – The most effective role government can play in economic development is to create an environment for business development, entrepreneurship and job creation. That’s why we’re investing in our citizens—creating an educated and skilled workforce. We support education entrepreneurship initiatives and are building stronger partnerships between higher education and businesses.
• Cutting business taxes – Assembly Democrats led the way in cutting hundreds of million of dollars in business taxes to grow the economy.

Improve access to affordable health care and prescription drugs
Health care is a right, not a privilege—and tough economic times should not mean our children, families and seniors are denied they quality care they deserve. That’s why Assembly Democrats are fighting to expand access to quality, affordable health care across New Jersey.

• Fighting for quality health care for all families and ensuring 300,000 children receive affordable care  – Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey families are without health care, and even more are at risk of losing their coverage due to rising costs and an unstable job market. Assembly Democrats are working to keep insurance affordable for small businesses by reducing premium costs and lowering administrative expenses.
• Dedicating $950 million in total aid to hospitals – Hospitals and physicians are feeling the pressure of high administrative and equipment costs. That’s why Assembly Democrats helped dedicate $950 million in aid to hospitals, including $605 million for charity care. We eliminated proposed Medicaid and AIDS Drug Distribution Program drug co-payments. We’ll continue working to provide additional funding for hospitals and special care centers throughout New Jersey.
• Relief from the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs – With rising food costs, skyrocketing utility bills and high health care premiums, seniors living on fixed incomes are facing serious challenges. We will no longer tolerate a system that ignores the financial realities of seniors living on fixed incomes—that’s why Assembly Democrats are fighting to protect New Jersey’s Senior Gold and PAAD programs and reduce drug costs directly by taking on pharmaceutical companies who put their profits before the best interests of consumers.

Attack political corruption with tougher penalties and preventions
No-bid contracts and insider-deals waste taxpayer dollars and drive up our property taxes. Assembly Democrats are cracking down on corruption with stiff penalties that hold public officials accountable — and restore citizen's trust in state government.

• Ended insider deals that waste billions in taxpayer dollars on no-bid contracts.
  
• Made it a crime to knowingly use public resources for unauthorized purposes and imposed stiff criminal penalties for making a false material misrepresentation to a government agency, officer or employee for the purpose of obtaining a public resource.
  
• Required mandatory prison sentences and strict penalties for convicted politicians, including pension forfeiture, fines up to $500,000 and prison sentences as long as twenty years.

Provide our children with the tools to succeed in today's global marketplace
We must take our education system to the next level—ensuring our children have the skills to succeed in today's information economy.

• A funding formula to help all kids – Assembly Democrats led the fight to enact a new school funding formula that would benefit every child in every school district.  Over the past two years, that formula has invested more than $25 billion in our public schools and directed hundreds of millions of new aid to suburban school districts.
• Investing in the classroom – Assembly Democrats are strengthening our schools by lowering classroom sizes and recruiting and retaining quality teachers through competitive salaries and benefits to improve classroom learning and reduce drop-out rates.
• Tough oversight reforms that put students and teachers first – Your school tax dollars should be in the classroom, not for sweetheart deals to contractors and administrators. Assembly Democrats are committed to fiscal responsibility, cutting wasteful administrative spending and toughening oversight.
• Securing $2.2 billion for colleges and universities – Assembly Democrats believe that everyone should have the opportunity to go to college, no matter what their financial background. We secured $364 million in direct assistance for more than 67,000 students through Tuition Aid Grants, NJ STARS and EOF, and have restored $10 million in funding for adult education. We’ll continue fighting to limit in-state tuition increases to below 3%, expand state scholarship programs and mandate that all four-year colleges accept credits earned at New Jersey’s county colleges.