Peretz Eichler interviews Assemblyman Gary Schaer on Bill A4288

hi everybody this is Paris beer Straight Talk America we all know that we're living in very perilous times recent events that have taken place in our country and around the world tell us that there is a threat to the security not only To The World At Large but to our particular Community right where we are most vulnerable to any of these incidents as has been so visible are the children that attend schools around the world now in light of this assman gar Sheriff from pic has introduced something called the secure schools for all children act a428 as it is technically known which would provide $25 per child or roughly about 3.7 3.75 million doar per year for non-public school safety now these funds would enable our children our schools to be Prov provided with adequate security for what obviously we consider our most precious possessions are children now the pill has been the bill has been posted for a vote in the assembly the assembly education committee which is taking place this Thursday in the morning and as u a Israel director in New Jersey ABI schn has said assemblyman Gary Sher has worked very diligently to secure this meeting and uh everybody is asked to support the bill we want to find out why it's so important to support that and we fortunate to have with us right here assemblyman Gary Sher with us to talk to us about the importance of the bill assemblyman Sher thank you for joining us here on Straight Talk America it's a great pleasure to uh to be speaking with you parents what precipitated the call to action as it were for for this bill to be brought to the floor well as you had just said most eloquently uh we're living in a very dangerous World we're all too familiar with acts of terrorism going on around the world many of them pinpointing Jewish targets the most identifiable targets within our community are obviously our Yas um throughout the entire state if not throughout the entire country they're noticeable they're obvious um and driving through any of our communities with a high from population they're clearly noticeable the bill as you had said would direct $25 per child uh to uh allow the administration of the school uh to pinpoint where the needs are whether it be a security guard whether it be various technological systems uh but all aimed uh to providing a greater sense of security uh for our children while they're in school um as you had mentioned the uh Bill cost would probably be somewhere between 3.7 to 4.1 or 4.2 million ion when you think of a budget a state budget in excess of 33.8 billion it sounds like a poultry amount um but the bottom line is it's got the money has to be found um and finding for million dolls is not an easy task but we're very helpful the education uh Committee of the general assembly will be meeting this coming Thursday to discuss the bill we're hoping that the Senate will put it on their committee docket on June 11 um and at that point uh we're hoping that both the speaker of the assembly as well as the Senate President will hear the bills in full session we can get the bill passed and uh send it to the governor's office for Governor Christie's consideration do Public Schools already have a security program in place this that this would be akin to well it wouldn't be a kin if only because the public schools are getting so much more per child uh right now parochial schools is shivas receive Aid in three distinct areas one in terms of busing a second in terms of nursing Aid and a third in terms of technological aid technology Aid this would open a fourth area for the state to involve itself uh with the proo school Community um and again given the threats that our children are having against them um as well as all uh children in the state um as I've reminded uh several of my friends on the other side of the aisle these are all New Jersey children and all of them should be entitled to the same basic uh same basic availabilities of you will if you will of Safety and Security that's absolutely true there's no question about that what I'm asking simply do do the public schools recognize a uh a need for security as well do they ask security prau in place or is this something that's just native to the to the non to the non-public schools because of the their um their target ability as as religious institutions Public Schools currently receive funding for each child for security Aid um the law governing how that money is expended is uh a little bit more open um how they use that money is really up to each district in this particular bill we want to drive home to our friends in the public school community that this $25 per child Aid would in fact be used strictly and only for security in fact the bill requires that uh the parial school work in tandem with a local Public School Superintendent um and receive his or her approval in terms of the actual expenditure in the same way that uh technology and nursing is expended as well um so to answer your question directly yes the public schools receive funding for security aid but that is undefined in terms of what that is within the bral school Community the bill would call for the money going specifically and only for security measures and I would argue even in the best of times with no terrorists with no Hamas with no Isis or Isel uh we need our children to be protected that's right but unfortunately that is not the reality of the age in which we live in was there anything in particular that that sparked this was it just a um an an act of conscious that just said up until this point we we realized that uh there was something really going ay in the world was this any one particular what we would call in the uh in the entertainment industry the inciting incident that that sparked this well I I I think clearly the most recent incident in Paris um affecting the uh the supermarket uh what we see going on in France overall in terms of Jewish children what we see going on within the the Jewish Community throughout the world um was there one specific instance the answer is no is it the result of culmination of things going from uh questionable to uh to to bad I think that's more more likely the answer um we know that our schools need this kind of Aid we know that all of them are uh on the precipice in terms of financial viability this bill will provide needed funds to them for providing services that in many cases are already being provided so it should help them financially and again the bottom line um it will uh ensure that the children are being protected one incident in particular two incidences parot Jewish history is replete as we all know with with one aggressor versus another we need to have our children protected there's no question about that now the bill does read that it is for non-public schools so I would understand that to mean that it's not only for uh for Jewish schools but for other religious institutions as well and by the way we all know that uh Catholic um populations have been attacked by isis's as well as number of other Christian institutions absolutely so this is absolutely are are you yes I was going to ask you so are you seeing a uh a Grassroots support from the um from the non-jewish community as well the non-jewish public schools as well and well I will tell you that I've received numerous calls and emails from Catholic schools throughout the state um from leaders of the Muslim Community who are equally as concerned uh from Christian Schools as well um as well as from a number of private schools which are not religiously based um I think everyone recognizes that targets are any religious group it doesn't matter which one it is really um so the uh the support has been significant support has been very positive I'm hoping that in addition to sending thank you notes to my legislator of office that people would also find out who their local legislators are and to make sure to call them and to tell them that this bill is important it's a small sum of money $25 per child is is is nothing but it could make all the difference and it could be the motivator to have our Yas as well as all of our other religious schools throughout the state uh take the necessary steps to ensure protection of our children speaking of the legislator's assembly and can you tell us who some of your colleagues in arms to promote the bill might be people that have already told you that they are you know ready willing and able to uh to support this as it as it comes to the floor well we've had phans from any number of legislators and you'll forgive me if I don't remember yeah of course I just mean both I presume both sides of the aisle Senator singer certainly I'm sure is very favorably disposed to the bill I'm sure that is something new Ral and it's something new ke both representing uh Lakewood um I'm sure that they could all benefit from calls from the from the tore um and I'm sure that with any number of calls if they're not already firmly behind the bill they will be um the bill is also being sponsored in the Senate by Senator Beach of Cherry Hill Cherry Hill has both a conservative as well as an orthodox uh Yesa deso um is very generous in kind of him to be sponsoring the bill there um I think the uh I think we need to recognize number one that we are the minority um as many of your listeners might know I'm the first Orthodox member of the legislature in the state's history unfortunately NM there'll be many many others to follow but we need friends throughout the state we need to make sure that our own representatives are supportive uh we need to make sure that they're aware of our concern um and understand that this is an extraordinarily important bill um and could Well define whether we'll vote for them or vote against them come November they need to understand that this is extraordinarily consequential to us well speaking of being supportive assemblyman um we understand that there has been a um a call for people to actually come out and show up at the at the State House in show of that support is that really important and why do you think it is well I I believe such a call came out from a good I'm certainly welcome the call I think it will be very instructive and very helpful to the members of the committee both Democrat as well as Republican uh to see the outpouring of support uh people speaking uh in the uh session they will be allowed to uh to speak on the bill um their remarks should be brief the remark should be uh laser focused uh but to let those legislators know who are sitting in judgment uh that the bill is extremely important so I certainly welcome the support of a good welcome the support of of the Orthodox Union the Catholic conference any and every group that will help uh that will help our legislators throughout the state be motivated to support the bill um not only to vote for the bill in committee but to vote for the bill in session and also uh specifically with our Republican colleagues and friends for them to share with the governor's office how important it is that this bill be passed and receive the governor's support ultimately when it goes to his desk you'll excuse my navity but it doesn't seem like this smacks in any manner shape or form of anything really political I would think that there would be total accordance from both sides of the aisle do you anticipate any opposition for this at all I anticipate opposition in one area specifically um we're talking as we discussed parrots of somewhere between 3.7 to 4.1 or $4.2 million ah money that it comes down to the money so often right there's so many things that all of us would love to do but we can't do because we're restricted by the financial consequence and that is certainly the same with the state um the state in so many areas has run out of money or is running out of money uh tremendous priorities of the state are not being met in any number of areas from transportation to higher education to K through 12 Etc I would think it'd be a lot more important than let's say planting uh lies or or daffodils on the Garden State Parkway I mean think well I don't know how many lilies or daffodils we're planting on the Garden State Parkway but what ever planting is going on is coming out of another budget um that is paid for primarily from tolls that could not go for something else um so this is well would have to be Transportation related to declare um the bottom line is we need to understand that the money is just not floating it's somewhere we need to find it but in many cases it means the 4 million give or take that we're talking about for this expenditure is 4 million less less than something else is receiving right now so for those members of the legislature who treat their jobs seriously and most if not all do um the financial consequences one which they need to take into consideration but as I tell people on so many other items it's not your job to figure out how to balance the budget but it is your job to let your legislators know to let your friends and neighbors know so that they'll let their legislators know that a bill like this is extraordinarily important to the community to the growth of the community to the strengthening of the community both today and in the future God willing um so it's not for you to figure out where that 4 million is coming from that's my problem um but it is for us to push this bill and so many others that have direct consequence to the people I guess in the words of uh the Great Rabbi shiman Rafal h z who said that part of our job is to plant seeds into the soil of the future yet unborn and that future certainly is comprised of the the future of our our children who as as you have said are our most precious commodity and Our obligation to uh make to to protect G I want to thank you very much we'll be looking forward to uh seeing how the introduction to the bill goes on Thursday we'll be following that and staying in touch with you I want to thank you for your support for everything that uh is important to not only the Jewish Community but to every constituent in the state of New Jersey and somebody who um we feel uh is representing our community as well as the other constituencies of the state of New Jersey and the Great County where pic is located as well but we want to thank you very much and wish you success let Loa on Thursday and um thank you for joining us here on Straight Talk America on TLS you're very to me it's been a very real pleasure thank you parents all right ladies and gentlemen this is parents B Straight Talk America here on TLS that was assemblyman Gary Sher we'll be back with more as that bill progresses