NJ State Budget Deadline Approaching

From the Star Ledger:

Sales tax proposal stirs budget trouble in Trenton
BY JEFF WHELAN AND JOE DONOHUE

Slashing state aid to schools, towns and hospitals by $860 million. Closing casinos, state parks and campgrounds over the holiday weekend if a new state budget is not in place.

Those doomsday scenarios were outlined by administration officials in a series of internal memos as tensions mounted yesterday between Gov. Jon Corzine and Assembly Democrats over the governor's proposed sales tax increase.
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State Treasurer Bradley Abelow yesterday sent a memo to several department heads spelling out what the governor had in mind in that "unlikely event." He ordered his fellow cabinet members to iden tify detailed cuts of $300 million in state aid, $500 million in school aid and $60 million in aid to hospitals for charity care.
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"It is disappointing that an administration with so much credibil ity would issue a threat that is so incredulous," Roberts said in a statement. "This is a curious approach to building consensus with the Legislature on a balanced and responsible budget."

William Dressel, executive direc tor of the State League of municipalities called the specter of deep cuts in municipal aid "totally unacceptable."

"Right now we're looking at unprecedented property tax increases. This would exacerbate that problem. We should be talking about property tax reform, not catastrophic cuts," he said. "I just hope they lock themselves in the Statehouse and don't come out until they resolve this situation. It's going to take that kind of leader ship."
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Corzine has also ordered his cabinet to prepare for a government shutdown should the deadline be missed. There is precedent for wiggle room: Last year's budget was not signed until the morning of July 2, but there was no shutdown.
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Internal memos drafted by Cor zine administration officials detail how the state would shutter its 39 state parks and historic sites and cancel campground reservations on the holiday weekend, cease road construction projects, and shut down Atlantic City casinos, which require state regulators to be on hand. "Essential" state workers, such as State Police, emergency workers and prison staff would stay on the job.