Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver on NJ's Budget Priorities

Steve Adubato and Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver discuss her two very important roles in the state, Lieutenant Governor and Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, and her goals for 2018. The Lt. Governor also shares the top budget priorities and how the Murphy administration plans to fix the two top issues facing NJ: affordability and economic growth.

4/28/18 #210

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Welcome to State of Affairs. I'm Steve Adubato. Adubato, I can do that. Coming to you from the NJTV Studio, the Agnes Varis NJTV Studio. It is our honor, our distinct honor, to represent the Lieutenant Governor of the great state of New Jersey, the Honorable Sheila Oliver. Good to see you. Always good to be with you. This is... not really your hometown per se, but you've represented this area for a while, you know Essex County well, you make the transition to the Murphy Administration as the top person in the administration with the Governor, and you're running the Department of Community Affairs. What is the job like? You know, interestingly, when I look at all the things I've done through my career, I've often said I can sit in any chair, and do any job. So, you know, from running a non-profit, the Leaguers for many years... Hmm. ...working in the Essex County Administration, I did a variety of different jobs. So transferring all of that knowledge and experience to Trenton serves me well, because many people, career people in Trenton, they've been in one department doing one job. I am bringing a broad perspective of statewide problem-solving to my job as Commissioner of Community Affairs, and as the Lieutenant Governor. Having the opportunity to have been in the Legislature for 14 years... That's right. ...and having been Speaker of the Assembly, brings me a whole, as Governor Christie used to say, toolkit. That's right. That is really enabling me to not just do my own job, but to help a lot of the people that I work with in the Administration. Lieutenant Governor, if you were to describe the top two issues that you are most concerned about as Lieutenant Governor in this administration, what would they be? It is economic growth for this state, and it is affordability in this state. Define affordability. Affordability... the ability of a family to live that dream of homeownership, sending their kids to college, being able to take vacations every now and then, and to have... to live in a safe community with amenities. That is something that I think every family, no matter what county they come from, what commute... that's what everybody wants. You know, it's interesting. You talk about affordability, and I know that you're particularly interested in prenatal care, in early child care, we happen to be doing a series, to disclose, called Right From the Start NJ, that deals with toddlers and infants and prenatal care, and state reimbursement for child care, et cetera..."