The Daily Targum - Buono Talks Higher Education

News Article

By Justina Otero

Having lived in New Jersey as a young adult and struggled with difficult economic times, State Senator Barbara Buono said she knows how to represent and fight for working and middle-class people in her campaign during this year's gubernational election.

Buono, who is running on the Democratic ticket, said she was motivated to run against Republican incumbent Chris Christie because of her experiences growing up in the state.

"The New Jersey that I grew up in, if you worked hard enough anything was possible," she said. "I grew up in Nutley where … We didn't have a lot of money but my parents always taught me the importance of hard work and a good education."
The status of New Jersey's higher education is a matter Buono said she is looking to improve, as the state has some of the highest costs in education in the nation while still lacking appropriate state funding.

She said the state's tough economic decisions led to education being one of the first entities to receive cuts in funding.

"I was on the budget committee, you see that when there is an economic downturn, higher education is where people go to cut," Buono said. "It's probably the last place we should go, because I think that our kids need more education -- more preparation to compete in the global marketplace."

She said education has not been made a priority, which is a trend she hopes to turn around to open doors for students, while simultaneously improving New Jersey's economy.

"Education is the great equalizer, and I have always seen it that way. It enables people to be able to pursue their own version of the American dream and without it people are at a disadvantage even more than the conditions that they are born into and placed," she said.

She said in the past, Christie has dismissed her legislation, which she said would have fostered a better relationship between universities and businesses looking to do research.

"The governor vetoed it … and called it a "pile of crap,'" Buono said. "And I know everybody [who] thought about it chuckled but I think it's just another lost opportunity to create jobs and to boost up the middle class and the working poor. The governor has no economic plans," she said.

David Turner, who is in charge of communications for Buono's campaign, said the governor has not taken a full advantage of opportunities for tuition reduction and job creation, two significant components of the state's economic future.

"[Education] is the key to equality and opportunity … and it's got to be affordable," Turner said. "That's the way that people move up in their class, move up in their working class and make sure that they have the opportunity to succeed."

He said this notion of working to change social standing is familiar to Buono, making her an ideal representative for her constituents.

"Her beliefs are grounded in her experience, she grew up in a working-class family. ... She had to work hard to get to where she is. … That's where she's coming from, she really understands that," Turner said. "She's the best candidate … particularly for students, because she understands how hard it is."

Jah Guillermo, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said higher education should not be first on the list for budget cuts.

"I want to be a teacher, so I feel like education should never be a thing to cut either way," he said.

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