The Administration’s proposal to cut charity care is sure to have a catastrophic impact on the nearly 1.3 million uninsured residents in New Jersey by deepening the already critical hospital crisis.  

            By law, New Jersey Hospitals are required to provide health care, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.  In turn, the State is supposed to reimburse those funds…in reality, New Jersey falls far short of its obligation.  In 2008, New Jersey Hospitals will provide $1.3 billion in Charity Care.  They will be reimbursed only $715 million.

            The Administration’s 2008 budget proposed to cut the already paltry  $715 million to $607 million---$108 million less than 2008…and with healthcare costs continuing to rise, the amount of charity care provided by hospitals is just going to go up.  The cuts in charity care lessen the amount of matching federal support by more than $50 million.

            The cuts come at a time when New Jersey hospitals are financially struggling due to chronic under-funding by the government.  In the past 18 months, four acute care hospitals have closed, four more have announced plans to close, and five others have filed for bankruptcy protection. Of the hospitals that remain, nearly half are losing money.

            Not only is this because of the underfunding of the charity care system but, also because of the underfunding of Medicare and Medicaid.

            Medicare is reimbursed at $.89 on the dollar, while Medicaid is reimbursed just $.69 on the dollar, which includes federal matching funds.

            In order to ensure that everyone receives equitable treatment, I have sponsored Assembly Bill 2521, which increases the tax on certain ambulatory procedures which compete with hospitals.  These assessments are deposited in the Health Care Subsidy Fund which has the primary purpose of funding charity care.

            While, I understand the fiscal crisis and applaud the governor’s plan to put New Jersey’s financial house in order, Charity Care is not the place to do it.

            As your Assemblyman, I continue to work on legislation that will not only help protect and preserve New Jersey’s healthcare facilities, but also to ensure the future of quality health care in the State.

            I’m committed to a healthy New Jersey!

   Between 2002 and 2006, New Jersey has seen a mass exodus of inhabitants estimated at 231,565 residents. The question is—why? 

   Last month the Belgian brew master InBev announced that they were purchasing Anheuser-Busch—America’s, “King of Beers.” This has caused many at the company’s breweries, specifically, its second oldest, located in Newark, to fear for their jobs. There has been no official word but, I imagine there are quite a few jitters for those at the Newark Brewery who are trying to support their families. What will happen to the company's oldest branch brewery? Will the neon eagle that soars atop the plant finally fade like so many before? And more importantly what will become of the working middle class that flood the factory's facade every morning and night to earn a respectable and truly decent living? 
    The state of New Jersey has been at the forefront of the manufacturing industry for more than two centuries. During the Civil War, Union army Civil War uniforms were manufactured in Bloomfield, Newark monopolized 90% of the country’s leather commerce. Even today, manufacturing makes up 12% of New Jersey's entire gross state product and offers 11% of the job market to Jersey residents.

            But manufacturing in the State is suffering.  Newark breweries, which once included names like Eagle, Ballantine, Pabst, Hensler, and Krueger, have dwindled.  At its height, Newark was indeed the brewery capital of the world with a total of 14.

            Today, the only one that remains is Anheiser-Busch, a plant whose future is now in doubt.

            Why has there been such a migration from Manufacturing?  Well one reason certainly is the outsourcing of jobs to other countries where lax regulations makes it cheaper.  But perhaps more importantly to New Jersey is the fact that it has become so expensive to do business here.  Not only our we losing jobs to other countries but, we’re losing them to other states as well. 

            New Jersey has not only one of the highest corporate tax rates in the union but also in the world and this is what has caused many companies to leave the State.  By restructuring this tax, New Jersey may once again become the first choice for businesses to operate.

When many think of Atlantic City, they think of casinos, slot machines and quality entertainment. When I think of Atlantic City, I think of the seniors and disabled people I have met throughout the state.                             

 Why? Taxes levied on casinos directly fund programs for seniors and disabled people including the Pharmaceutical Assistance for Aged and Disabled (PAAD) and the Disabled Transportation Assistance Program.  This keeps a large financial responsibility off of the backs of taxpayers, who already pay too much.                                                               

However, seniors and the disabled are not the only people who benefit from Atlantic City’s gambling attractions. Just last September, $33.5 million was generated from hotel taxes and fees, all of which have helped to support state operated programs that strengthen our communities. YMCAs, museums, daycare centers, and New Jersey’s Performing Art Center (NJPAC) are all beneficiaries of these fees. Here in District 34, housing developments at Grove Hill Estates in Clifton and North Oraton Homes in East Orange would not have been possible without casino revenues.                                           

Now more than ever, revenues from casinos have a substantial role in New Jersey’s state budget. If it wasn’t for casino funding, state programs that offer social, medical, and educational services to strengthen our communities would never exist, or at least not without raising taxes. For many state public agencies, it has become imperative to preserve the value of a city facing declining casino revenues and fierce competition.                     

Atlantic City Casino revenues have been on the decline since 2004. Over the past year alone, revenues have dropped by 10.6 percent, giving the industry a bleak outlook. While casinos are looking to make more revenue by developing outside of New Jersey, the counter effect is that they are creating direct competition with themselves, and in doing so, are making one of New Jersey’s strongest attractions seem less attractive.             

In recent years, the development of online gambling, the smoking ban, and the loss of the Miss America Pageant have had a negative impact on Atlantic City. Now added to those negative drawbacks, is the accessibility and convenience to pick and choose casinos and “racinos,” racetracks with slot machines, from nearby locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware.                                                                    

 For example, New York’s racetracks in Saragota, Monticello, and Yonkers have all converted into racinos, and have seen their revenues increase. For those looking to gamble in New York City, a short train ride to Yonker’s Raceway, is much more convenient than sitting in traffic trying to get to Atlantic City. In just eleven months, New York’s racetracks generated $639.5 million, half of which will support New York’s funding for higher education.      

For decades, Atlantic City and its casinos have had a tremendous impact on tourism, the state budget, and both programs and services available for citizens. As the challenges and competition increase for casinos within the city, so must the need for understanding how vital this revenue is for the state of New Jersey.

The fact of the matter is that without casino revenues, taxes would be even higher in New Jersey, which is why we must work to keep casinos here.          

What do you think?  Let me know on our contact page.

The problems with our national health care system are becoming more apparent as the number of uninsured citizens hits 47 million. Cuts in Medicaid, a shortage of staffing in health care facilities, and consolidation have created a health care crisis in the United States which is painfully apparent now more than ever in our own backyards.

According to a recent Star Ledger article, at least 21 New Jersey hospitals have been closed or consolidated over the past 15 years.  This year we’ve already said goodbye to Union Hospital, in Union Township and Greenville Hospital in Jersey City.  Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood is expected to close in November.

Last Year, we saw Irvington General close, and in 2004, the closure of Orange Memorial Hospital and the consolidation of two South Jersey Healthcare locations into one. 

Healthcare in the state of New Jersey, or lack there of, is deteriorating medical accessibility, eliminating thousands of jobs, destroying educational opportunities, and ultimately jacking up the cost of living. As hospitals continue to close, hundreds of beds and thousands of jobs disappear. Patients find that healthcare accessibility becomes an inconvenience when more common health problems occur. However, the state of healthcare accessibility in the State is dangerously deficient when one considers the very real possibilities of a natural disaster or epidemic.

When hospitals close, quality care begins to decline at remaining facilities, as patients have nowhere else to turn and overcrowding occurs. This, combined with limited staffing, puts hospitals at a greater risk for medical errors occurring as well.

The lack of funding makes it difficult for hospitals to hire more staff members and this is starting to show-up in the numbers. According to the New Jersey Hospital Association, New Jersey has lost 6,500 jobs in the past 10 years.

At this rate both the quality of life in New Jersey as well as the State’s economy will suffer.

Just as a patient must reach out to a doctor, we must reach out for a solution to the State’s healthcare problems. We can not allow New Jersey’s citizens to live without accessibility to quality health care.

As your Assemblyman, I continue to work diligently on creating, sponsoring and supporting legislation geared towards obtaining the funding that will help protect and preserve not only what is left of New Jersey’s healthcare facilities but also what is just beginning to evolve through the positive fundamentals of healthcare and benefits.