Even Democrats admit Governor Chris Christie's budget proposal includes a lot of good things, but they're not thrilled with the plan.

Facebook Via NJ Assembly Democrats
Facebook Via NJ Assembly Democrats
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Christie often challenges Democrats to come up with an alternative if they don't like something wants. They've done it in the past so don't be surprised if Democrats produce their own budget as an option to the one the Governor laid out last month.

"There are two thoughts here," explains Assembly Budget Committee chairman Vinnie Prieto, a Democrat. "There's one where we work with this budget and you try and compromise and do the best thing for the residents of New Jersey. If there are things that we need to put in we'll put in. If it's our own budget you take the risk that he line-item vetoes some of those important things for the residents of the State of New Jersey."

History Of Last Year's Democratic Budget

Last June, the full State legislature approved the Democrat-sponsored $31.741 billion State Budget today. The budget did not include the guaranteed tax cut that Christie has been demanding since last February and he line-item vetoed almost all of the Democrats' spending additions.

Last year, Christie slashed $361 million in spending added by Democrats and later vetoed the millionaires' tax hike Democrats have been pushing for years.

"The budget the Legislature sent me violated two core priorities of this Administration," Christie said last year. "It denied tax relief to our hard working, middle-class families while proposing an $800 million tax increase and rejected fiscal responsibility by including millions in new spending that threatened to undo the hard won progress of the last two years. I am unwilling to surrender the gains we have made to establish fiscal responsibility in the state budget by raising taxes on our people at a time when they need and deserve tax relief."

"The budget I am signing today reverses irresponsible funding decisions, establishes funding levels based on realistic and responsible revenue assumptions, and increases our surplus to a healthy level that paves the way for continued economic growth."

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