NEWARK, NJ — Advocates, community leaders, and residents from across New Jersey gathered on Monday, March 30, at New Jersey Institute of Technology ahead of the final Senate Budget Committee public hearing to demand a state budget that prioritizes working families over corporate profits.
The rally comes at a critical moment in New Jersey’s budget process, as lawmakers weigh a proposal that includes some positive steps, such as scaling back certain tax breaks for wealthy interests and generating new revenue, but still leaves a projected $1.5 billion structural gap and critical programs on the chopping block.
Advocates say that shortfall underscores a broader problem: New Jersey’s budget continues to fall short of the bold investments needed to make life more affordable and equitable for residents.
“There is no shortage of need in New Jersey — only a shortage of political will. Families are struggling with the cost of child care, health care, housing, and underfunded schools, while corporations and the ultra-wealthy continue to benefit from a rigged system,” said Eric Benson, For The Many Coalition Manager. “ Asking households earning $2 million, $5 million, or $10 million a year — and corporations big enough to shift profits offshore — to pay their fair share, is how we can fund the investments that make New Jersey more affordable and more just.”
Participants also called on state leaders to support a more open and equitable process, one that produces a final budget that reflects the needs of the broader public. Budget hearings began before the full details of the proposed budget were even publicly available, limiting meaningful public input and transparency. Meanwhile, lawmakers have shifted hearing schedules and locations with little notice, making it harder for everyday residents to participate.
Federal funding cuts are already taking effect, with more expected. New Jersey cannot wait. A sustainable, equitable revenue strategy is not a luxury — it is the only responsible path forward.
“As the cost of living increases, it is becoming harder and harder for millions of working class families to survive,” said Juliette Meneses, a member of Make the Road New Jersey. “ Even with my job it is not possible to build a real safety net for my family to cover basic needs let alone emergencies or savings. As the federal government attempts to gut vital programs for New Jersey families like the Child Tax Credit, Medicaid and SNAP, we ask that the state pursue progressive revenue policies that ensure those with the most contribute their fair share.”
“Health Professionals and Allied Employees, New Jersey’s largest union of healthcare workers, supports the plan by For the Many coalition to protect our state’s working families by making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes,” said HPAE Secretary-Treasurer Alexis Rean-Walker. “The New Jersey legislature and Gov. Mikie Sherrill must support working families by instituting a super millionaire’s tax and by closing corporate tax loopholes that allow them to get away with not paying their fair share of taxes. Proceeds from this tax on the wealthy must then be allocated toward funding critical needs in our state, including making sure a critical resource like University Hospital is funded to the needed level.”
“Families are choosing between prescriptions and rent; seniors are cutting pills in half,” said Laura Waddell, Health Care Program Director for New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA). “Working people who do everything right are still drowning in medical bills. That is not an accident. That is a system that has been allowed to put profits over people for far too long. New Jersey has a choice: we can keep letting health care costs rise year after year, or we can take action to finally hold this system accountable.”
“The costs of climate change are rising every year, and right now those costs fall solely on New Jersey taxpayers. State lawmakers have the power to change that by finally making polluters pay,” said John Aspray, Senior Organizer with Food & Water Watch and Empower NJ. “We all pay for climate change through higher taxes, insurance premiums, and utility bills to repair and rebuild our infrastructure. We can shift those costs off of New Jersey families and onto the big corporations responsible for this crisis. It’s only fair.”
“A budget is a statement of priorities and New Jersey must prioritize real investments in our communities, from Census 2030 to education, childcare, and protections for immigrant families, while safeguarding the critical funds that support our long-term future,” said Erik Cruz Morales, Director of Democracy at the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. “But just as important is how that budget is made. Right now, the process is opaque, inconsistent, and shuts the public out. Decisions are being made without transparency or meaningful public input. New Jersey deserves a budget process that is open, accessible, and accountable to the people it serves.”
“With immigration detention capacity in New Jersey nine times greater now than it was this time last year, and a steep 400% increase in ICE arrests and detentions in the state, it is unacceptable that the funding for immigrant services remains lower than they were under the Biden Administration,” said Madison Linton, Policy and Research Associate at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. “Just six days ago, we passed and signed into law a series of immigrant protection bills that were years in the making, but those protections have been watered down and it is up to this Governor to fill the gap with investments in our communities, and especially into the communities who build up our state.”
“Housing is a human right and we should not have to fight to have a roof over our heads,” said Matthew Hersh, Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy. “We need the state to fully invest in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and without raids to the fund in order to help provide affordable homes that need them most. When we go in to testify, we are sticking together because all of these basic investments are shared priorities.”
“When it comes to economic opportunity in this state, not everyone is standing on equal footing. We need our legislators and leaders to take on the state’s wealth gaps and economic inequality, and that needs to start with this budget,” said Damon King, Economic Justice Counsel at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. “There was a study in 2022 that showed that less than 1 percent of New Jerseyans held over $740 billion in wealth in this state.” “It’s not enough for New Jersey to be a wealthy state. It needs to be a state where economic opportunity is real, and real for everyone.”
“Childcare is essential so that working class families can go to work, but we are told there is no money for families and communities while million dollar corporations like the Prudential Center can get over $300 million dollars in tax breaks,” said Joanna Pearrich, Director of St. Paul’s Centenary United Methodist Church Child Care Center. “We the working class of New Jersey fulfill our obligations, contribute to the tax system and work hard, but still find ourselves at a disadvantage compared to large corporations that receive millions in aid.”
“What we need is affordability. We need health care. We need housing. We need accountability. We need justice. We need due process,” said Amitabha Bose, President of the NJIT Chapter of the Professional Staff Association. “We need all those things, and campuses like this that fund higher education are key to the growth factor.”
“The New Jersey budget is a moral document and we’re here to make sure that New Jersey holds up its fair share. We’re working to make sure that the state is not only protecting immigrant families by word, but that we are centering dollars to our communities to make sure we have the services in place to protect immigrant families here in New Jersey. It is about putting our money where our policies are,“ said Jesselly De La Cruz, Latino Action Network Foundation, Executive Director.
Watch a recording of the press event here.
Download photos of the press event here.
About For The Many
For the Many is a statewide coalition of more than 40 organizations committed to fixing New Jersey’s upside-down tax code and ensuring the state budget works for everyone — not just the wealthy few. Our members include labor unions, grassroots community groups, immigrant justice advocates, environmental leaders, anti-poverty organizations, and policy experts from across the state. Learn more at peoplesbudgetnj.org.
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