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Hailing The Historic Moment, But Republicans Remain Concerned About Government Spending
By John Burton
AS DEMOCRATS CELEBRATED the inauguration of their candidate on Tuesday, many Republicans also commented on the historic nature of the event and expressed their commitment to working together with their political opponents to resolve the serious challenges facing the nation.
Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R-12) and Assemblyman David Rible (R-11) each of whom represents a number of municipalities in the two river area, offered their perspectives on the incoming President and the state of this state.
"This is an amazing time for our country," O'Scanlon noted. "The first African-American president. Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, this is something to be proud of... it says much [that is] positive about our country," he said. "And despite our past, where [our nation] is now, that's got to be heartening."
Given the state of the economy, Rible added, "We need this president to be successful," despite party affiliation.
O'Scanlon said he hoped Obama is "wildly successful" because that would mean that "our country is wildly successful."
That may not be good for my party, politically," O'Scanlon continued. "But it isn't supposed to be about that. We're supposed to want good things to happen for the country."
Narrowing the focus to the Garden State, Rible noted, in the short term, having a Democratic president and a Democratic governor might have some benefit. "I'm hopeful that as a president that he will look to be helpful to New Jersey and the country," the Assemblyman said.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine, in his recent State-of-the-State Address, said he was hopeful New Jersey may be a recipient of upwards of $4 billion in aid from the proposed federal stimulus package.
While the money would be welcome in these hard financial times, the Assemblymen expressed some reservations about how the money might be spent, making some pointed criticism of Corzine.
"It would be how the state would allocate that money with the same-old - same-old with more spending," Rible said.
Corzine has predicted that the state will face serious financial challenges in the coming year.
Rible and O'Scanlon also expressed concern about the state's economic future.
"Whatever money we do get [from Washington, D.C.] we need to make sure we spend wisely and spend it on things that will hopefully jump-start our economy and not be a one-shot budget gap fill," O'Scanlon said.
Any money received certainly isn't "manna from Heaven," he added, noting that it would be repaid by many future generations. "This is a serious, serious commitment of future resources."
"States should be required to show how they're going to use that stimulus money, what are the projects to make the state a better place, before they even receive any money," Rible said.
But so far, he said, the Democratic majority has not shown fiscal restraint.
"It sounds like a cliché coming from the Republicans," Rible said. "But if the truth be told, if we just stopped the spending and cut the spending I really believe we will start fixing the financial woes of New Jersey."
