HUDSON COUNTY — State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham expressed disbelief this week that state Senate Republicans voted as a whole against a Democratic resolution that would restore funding to after-school programs in areas of need in the state.
“The reality in New Jersey is that not every family looks like the Cleavers,” said Cunningham, referring to “Leave it to Beaver,” a 1950s TV sitcom that became emblematic for white suburban America. “In some cases, parents need the peace of mind in knowing that their kids have somewhere to go after school – somewhere safe – while they work to support their families. These programs make a real difference in the lives of children and parents, who come from single-parent households, or in which both parents have to work to make ends meet, and I’m disappointed our Republican colleagues couldn’t overcome partisan blinders to stand with us to restore these programs.”
The first resolution, SCR-226, sponsored by Senators Raymond J. Lesniak and Jim Whelan, would have overridden the governor’s line-item veto of funding in the FY 2012 Budget approved by the Legislature for the NJ After 3 program. Under the appropriation, the $3 million appropriation in the Legislature’s FY 2012 Budget for After 3 would be restored. According to the lawmakers, by allowing the governor’s cut in aid to stand, Senate Republicans have chosen to put the safety and well-being of 5,000 students in 13 school districts served by NJ After 3 in jeopardy.