Hispanics in New Jersey and the Christie Budget Cuts

By Mario S. Vargas (June 21, 2010)

Historically, funding for services to Hispanics in the State of New Jersey has not kept pace with the increase in our population and particular needs. The current draconian budget cuts being proposed by Governor Christie will hit Hispanics disproportionately and unwisely undercut whatever gains our community has made in the state. 

Particularly disturbing to the Hispanic community is the proposed elimination of the Center for Hispanic Policy Research and Development (CHPRD) (formerly Office of Hispanic Affairs), which is located within the State Department of Community Affairs in Trenton. It was established in 1975 by Executive Order to address the needs of the Hispanic community, recognizing that it was imperative to pay particular attention to this segment of the population that had been historically neglected. The CHPRD assures that culturally appropriate services are provided to front-line family based programs. In addition, it offers other vital project support to the Hispanic community, all of which leverage over $8 million in additional funding. The CHPRD is renowned for having one of the most rigorous grantee and proposal review and grants monitoring systems in State government. 

By closing down this agency, the State will no longer have an entity focusing on Hispanics.

According to the 2008 American Community Survey, there are approximately 1.4 million Hispanics in 316,445 households in New Jersey making up 16% of New Jersey's population, of which over 73% are U.S. citizens. The proposed cuts to the FY 2011 state budget for New Jersey to primary Hispanic services totals $5.1 million, representing an average of $16.12 per Hispanic household in New Jersey.

I am convinced that Hispanic households would have no problem with contributing an additional $16.12 a year in their state taxes to maintain, and not add to, a safety net of bilingual/bicultural front-line crisis intervention services for our community in need.

The Hispanic population in New Jersey faces a myriad of socio-economic obstacles that bar them from accessing all of the services that the state provides:

* 29 percent of Hispanics in New Jersey do not have health   insurance. 

* 21 percent of Hispanics 17 and younger live under the poverty rate. 

* 82 percent of Hispanics speak Spanish at home. 

* Hispanics have much lower median incomes ($25,460) and earnings in New Jersey.

* The median gross rent accounted for a much larger proportion of Hispanic household's income than that of all renters. 

Nevertheless, as our numbers grow, Hispanics are quickly becoming a significant consumer market and a crucial source of labor. Hispanics have also become an increasingly powerful voting block at the state and local levels and are considered by many the potential swing vote for close elections. It behooves elected officials and policy makers to pay closer attention to Hispanics.

The Hispanic community is the fastest growing segment of New Jersey's workforce. These cuts will negatively affect our ability to maintain the economic gains and contributions we have made to date in New Jersey.

I am Chair of the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ), which brings together twenty-six Hispanic-led community service agencies from across New Jersey to improve the lives of low-income families. They provide diverse services, including crisis intervention services, family strengthening programs, preschool education, after school programs, home energy assistance and weatherization, housing assistance, employment training and mental and primary health services. Each agency maintains full bicultural and bilingual services and staff an approach that makes HDANJ members unique in their ability to work with front-line crisis intervention.

HDANJ is leading the fight to get New Jersey Governor Christie and the State Legislature to restore critical Hispanic service programs in the proposed FY 2011 state budget. In particular, HDANJ is fighting to make sure that the$3.690 million budget for the CHPRD, and the $486,000 to the Hispanic Women's Resource Centers within the Department of Community Affairs, are restored. We also organizing to make sure that the proposed $936,316, a 50% cut to Hispanic service programs in the Department of Children and Families, are restored.

Although there are many other programs eliminated within various state entities that impact the low-income Hispanic community, the ones I just mentioned (which only represent a total of $5.1 million), disproportionately affect our community. And they don't even amount to what would be a "rounding error" in the State's budget.

We are requesting that the Governor commit to his word of "shared sacrifice." We are willing to make the necessary sacrifices as responsible citizens to help the state during these harsh economic times since other programs targeted to Hispanics are being completely eliminated. But to also cut these essential and critical programs that deal with crisis intervention for low income families will only exacerbate problems in our community that will ultimately cost the State more than the cuts save.

Mario S. Vargas, MPAP, is Chair of theHispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ). He also serves as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Action Board (PRAB). He can be contacted at MVargas@prab.org.