COLLETTI FOR STATE SENATE

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COLLETTI SAYS PAID FAMILY LEAVE ACT WILL HARM THE STATE’S WEAKENED ECONOMY  

 Lawmakers Adding Entitlements and Taxes 

  Elmwood Park – State Senate Candidate Robert Colletti says New Jersey’s legislators should abandon their idea of saddling the state with another tax to support an unnecessary entitlement program for government and private sector workers.

 Colletti – running in District 38 (Bergen County) against Sen. Joseph Coniglio, said the creation of a Paid Family Leave program, which is cosponsored by Coniglio and likely to be voted on this week -- will hurt an already weak state economy, drive more employers from the state and raise payroll and property taxes.

 “The last thing New Jersey businesses and taxpayers need is another entitlement program that is ripe for abuse by public sector employees and private sector workers,” said Colletti, owner of a construction management firm.

“New Jersey already suffers from a very poor business reputation; adding another entitlement that makes managing a business harder is like adding another nail in the state’s economic coffin.” 
 

According to the proposed legislation for the Paid Family Leave Act”  ( bills S-2249 or A-3812) any employee of a company with more than two employees would be permitted to take up to ten weeks off with a pay of up to $480 a week under the state’s existing Temporary Disability Insurance system. The bill is so broadly drawn that employees could take the leave for virtually any reason they can justify involving a family member, including providing “psychological comfort.” The extended paid leave would be financed by an added escalating tax on all workers.  

But, added Colletti, workers won’t be the only ones getting hit with added costs. Taxpayers, he said, will likely be paying to subsidize the new entitlement as well. “It is easy to see this new entitlement being abused by government workers, which will necessitate more government hiring to fill positions. 

“Municipal, county and state governments would have to hire additional workers to replace those on extended leave and undoubtedly the state would have to hire more bureaucrats to manage the program from Trenton,” said Colletti.

 MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

Colletti noted that providing 10 weeks paid leave – on top of sick leave and vacation time -- would make managing small local governments and small  businesses much more difficult.   “I am very supportive of families, but mandating that an employee of a small company with a handful of workers can take off for two-and-a half-months is just absurd,” said Colletti.

“Many small businesses cannot afford to grant an employee that kind of time off and guarantee the employee will have a job when he or she returns.  

“Similarly small towns would have to temporarily replace police, public works employees and others to carry on the work of those out for extended periods of time. I see that creating a lot of problems for municipal governments,” said Colletti, a former three term Elmwood Park councilman.   

LEAVE IT TO PRIVATE SECTOR 

Colletti said family leave – especially for small businesses – should be negotiated between the employer and employee.  “A responsible company owner who has a valued employee facing a legitimate crisis at home will undoubtedly work out a plan to allow that employee to take time off. The owner doesn’t need the government intervening in that negotiation,” said Colletti, who has been in business for 35 years. 

“What this bill proves is that the people in Trenton – such as Sen. Coniglio – who make our laws have no idea what it takes to run a business in New Jersey or how difficult it is to live with the state’s endless regulations,” added Colletti.