NJ Tax Revolution » Governor Christie

Sheila Oliver’s two Jerseys: The one we live in and her Union and Pac purchased NJ

Dennis — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:53:10 +0000

I came across an article entitled “A Tale of Two New Jerseys” written by Sheila Oliver on mycentraljersey.com. It was immediately obvious that that the article was a hit piece on Governor Chris Christie. For example, the writer rants as follows:

It’s been painfully clear throughout Gov. Chris Christie’s first year in office that we are living in two very distinct and separate New Jerseys.

In Christie’s New Jersey, he thinks he can say, “Buck up and deal with my painful budget cuts,” and working- and middle-class families will simply fall in line without missing a beat. In the other New Jersey — the reality the rest of us live in — families are paying more for less and systematically being forced out of their way of life.

Yet, in his annual State of the State address last week, the governor touted what he perceives to be a record of progress and vowed more of the same.

And one of my favorites:

Meanwhile, property taxes are going up all over the state as the effects of the governor’s record cuts in state aid play out. The result has been reduced services and widespread police, firefighter and teacher layoffs.

Eventually we must ask ourselves: When does fiscal prudence trump the public’s safety and well being?

My answer to the Assembly Speaker is that since we really haven’t see serious fiscal prudence out of the Assembly in 12 years, it would be hard to know if the governor’s policies are hurting people. I think people in the state have been much harder harder hit by businesses moving out and with them jobs. By soaring property taxes literally from the time Jim McGreevey took office until Corzine left. All Democrats and Oliver didn’t seem to care then. But what are Oliver’s real motivations?

One might look no further than her campaign contribution reports to figure that out. Of the $93,200 she reported to have raised for her last general election campaign, $52,100 came from explicit union contributors. 80% of those appear to be government employment unions. But that isn’t all. Most of the rest of the contributions are from business pac’s requiring heavy state interaction as well as political and ideological organizations. How much came from individual contributors? $3,900. That is all of 4.1845% of her total contributions.

So the next time assemble speaker Oliver wants to lecture you on Two New Jerseys and fiscal prudence? Ask her which group she is shilling for today because it isn’t the citizens of New Jersey (at least not 96% of the time).

Trenton Mayor: Take a bailout, pay to cronies

Dennis — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:25:24 +0000

It looks like something isn’t right in the City of Trenton (from the Trentonian):

Mayor Tony Mack put two old friends on the city payroll without consulting with state regulators as required under the terms of the deal that gave the city a $13.7 million handout earlier this month.

According to records from City Hall, Mack hired retired city detective Harold Hall as Trenton’s public property manager and Edwin King as a park ranger three days after signing an agreement to let the state block all hires, raises and contracts made after Dec. 10.

What is it about officials in the State of New Jersey? The city of Trenton approaches the state about their budget shortfall. The Mayor’s approach bordered on begging to the state to avoid ‘massive layoffs”. The Governor relented and Trenton got assistance with “strings” attached. One of the requirements was that there would be no hiring without state approval.

Surprise:

Ryan and Gov. Chris Christie, who is behind the curbs on spending at City Hall, have yet to comment on today’s suggestion from a columnist for The Trentonian that the mayor is ignoring the rules and thumbing his nose at his critics.

Today’s Hall and King disclosures came from a list of 58 Mack crony hirings provided to City Council President George Muschal by Lauren Ira, the mayor’s press flack and “policy director.’’ The list said Hall and King were hired on Dec. 13, three days after Mack agreed to have his financial decisions monitored and maybe overruled by the state.

This is corruption pure and simple. It shouldn’t be a question of whether or not these hires should be approved. They shouldn’t. Every single one of these hires should be investigated by the State Attorney General. And charges filed if there is even a scintilla of impropriety.

Read the entire article here.

Trentonian: NJ isn’t Venezuela!

Dennis — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:03:19 +0000

This editorial in today’s Trentonian was so good I had to share it in its entirety. The link is here.

Dear New Jersey Democrats, you aren’t Hugo Chavez and N.J. isn’t Venezuela

Regarding your demands in the state legislature that the state government make like a Hugo Chavez and go after the wealthy for more income tax revenue:

1. Did you know that New Jersey’s wealthy already shell out a big portion of that tax? The richest 1 percent fork over something like 35 percent of the total collected. The state Treasury Department keeps data on this, in case you’re interested.

2. Ever hear of a concept known as “private property”? We suggest you look it up. After you do so, proceed to point No. 3.

3. Nothing in the state or federal constitutions, nothing in state or federal statutory law and nothing in historical tradition authorizes you to grab other people’s money. This includes even people who, in your opinion, have more money than you think they need or deserve.

4. The economy largely runs on private wealth. Affluent people, by and large, don’t stuff their money in a tin can and bury in the backyard. They typically invest some of it and spend some of it. In either case, it’s useful economic activity. It helps create or sustain jobs. Snide, sophomoric comments about “trickle-down economics” don’t change this reality.

5. Remember those things, “jobs”? You may find this an amazing revelation, but jobs are a crucial issue other than just in the bureaucracies of the public sector.

6. New Jersey’s grabby rates of taxation on the upper brackets already have driven billions of dollars of wealth out of the state. There have been studies on this. You might check them out, if you can take a break from your busy schedule of dreaming up new tax-collection schemes.

6. Try to keep in mind as you strive to put together a state budget that there are stakeholders in the process other than just NJEA, CWA, AFSCME, SEI, etc.

7. Also try to keep in mind that even though you do possess, as the legislative branch of government, authority to enact tax measures, you aren’t Hugo Chavez and New Jersey isn’t Venezuela. (Not yet, anyway.)

8. And remember this: As the results of the last gubernatorial election demonstrated, the voters are onto your scam of attending to the wishes of public-sector unions in the hope of collecting a later kickback in the form of cash and in-kind campaign contributions.

Memo to guv

Regarding your vow to veto the Democrats’ legislation to grab more money from the wealthy: Stick to your guns, big guy!

NJ Transit fare hike and dumping the property tax rebate

Dennis — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:41:00 +0000

There were two significant fiscal austerity changes proposed by the current administration that are sure to get NJ residents blood boiling (including mine). The first was the announcement of NJ Transit’s fare hike proposal(from this link at NJTransit.com):

March 5, 2010
NJT-10-020

NEWARK, NJ — Citing a looming $300 million budget deficit for the coming fiscal year, NJ TRANSIT today released a proposal to increase fares by 25 percent systemwide and trim service proportionate to recent ridership declines.

Under the proposal, a one-zone local bus trip or one-way ticket on Newark or River Line light rail lines would increase from $1.35 to $1.70 per ride, remaining lower than base fares on transit systems in New York ($2.25) and Philadelphia ($2.00). One-way commuter rail tickets would increase about 25 percent, subject to rounding. Rail ticket prices vary based on distance, but one-way fares would rise from a range of $1.25-$13.25 to a range $1.50-$16.50. (For example, a trip from Metropark in Iselin, NJ to New York Penn Station today is $8 and under the plan would rise to $10.) Hudson-Bergen Light Rail tickets would increase from $1.90 to $2.40 per trip.

“We recognize that any increase is a burden for our customers, particularly during a recession,” said Executive Director Jim Weinstein. “However, we have worked to keep local bus fares below the regional average and preserved some important discounts for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as for students and others who are among the most transit dependent.”

As a daily rider on NJ Transit you cannot feel good about this. But one also has to consider that our transit prices are actually pretty low by global standards and when there isn’t money, there isn’t money. Like it or not however, this is an additional ‘tax’ on the working class of New Jersey at a very difficult time.

Then this from Philly.com:

In a switch, Christie may end property-tax rebates
By Jonathan Tamari

Inquirer Trenton Bureau

TRENTON – Gov. Christie is considering scaling back or eliminating property-tax rebates in his budget proposal, a move that could yield significant savings but would mean going back on a campaign pledge.

As Christie tries to close a projected $11 billion deficit next fiscal year, scenarios under discussion include slashing the popular but expensive rebates, according to two administration officials with knowledge of budget talks.

They stressed that no final decisions had been made. Christie is scheduled to unveil his budget March 16.

At a cost last year of $1.1 billion, rebates form one of the largest pools of money in the budget. Lawmakers in both parties have said privately for weeks they expect cuts to the program.

Rebates are one of the most tangible ways state government tries to offset New Jersey’s high local property taxes, which average nearly $7,300. The program is so large and costly, though, that it is a prime target for governors seeking spending cuts.

We have never supported the NJ Property Tax Rebate program here at NJTaxRevolution and have commented on it many times. When productive citizens who pay most of the property taxes are not eligible for the rebates while apartment renters get checks, something is seriously wrong. The rebate program has always been a political gimmick and resembles welfare far more than an actual refund for taxes paid. The state should scrap it and actually work on the problem of skyrocketing property taxes.

And if politicians want to give out checks to apartment dwellers or others they deem politically important to them, let them pass the legislation in the sunlight. And let the citizen determine whether or not they were responsible uses of the taxpayers money. But don’t hide behind a ‘fake’ rebate to play Santa Claus with our tax money to buy votes.

Let’s hope that this is just the beginning for the governor. The Democrats are going to scream bloody murder. And I am glad. Because if they didn’t, I would know the governor wasn’t really cutting anything.

Christie has Democrats hopping mad!

Dennis — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:45:00 +0000

It was very interesting this week to see the reaction of Governor Chris Christie’s executive actions to get the state’s fiscal situation under control. In case you missed it and only read the newspapers, here is the action the Governor took this week (from the Office of the Governor, NJ):

Withholding $475 million in local school aid for the balance of the fiscal year, with the amount of individual aid reductions tied to surpluses in the school districts. The withheld aid will not result in any reduction in approved school spending this year.

• A $62.1 million reduction in aid to county and senior public colleges and universities, also tied to existing surpluses.

• A $12.6 million reduction in hospital Charity Care, representing a 4.2 percent reduction.

• Capture of $158 million in unexpended balances from the Board of Public Utilities‐administered Clean Energy Fund.

• Capture of $13.8 million in surplus balance from the Homestead Rebate program.

• Take a balance of $15.9 million in unused grant money remaining due to reduced service
requirements in the Division of Youth and Family Services. Delayed programs and capital projects total more than $115 million. There was no reduction in municipal aid.

Other programs that sounded good in theory but failed in practice are being scrapped and their balances used in the budget solutions. InvestNJ was designed to spur job growth by giving out tens of millions of dollars to businesses at a rate of $3,000 per new hire. However, it experienced only limited success. Consequently, $57.9 million in InvestNJ funds will be used in the budget solutions.

Funding for the Office of the Public Advocate is being discontinued, and its present balance of approximately $600,000 will be used in the budget solutions. Necessary functions of the Public Advocate will be consolidated into other parts of state government.
Where possible, the Administration focused first on programs where there would not be
any negative effect on programs. That analysis resulted in $454 million in savings or areas of over funding. The targeting of waste and abuse resulted in approximately $70 million in savings.

This is just the beginning – a down payment – on the Administration’s plan to go deeper in finding wasteful spending in the new fiscal year.

After years of watching former Governor Corzine tell us he “didn’t take this job to be scrooge”, it was refreshing to see an adult approach to governing the state. And if you wondered if these changes are serious, all you need to do it watch the reaction from the Democrats who caused this mess:

NJ Democrats take aim at Gov. Christie’s cuts to NJ Transit, school funding
The Star-Ledger – NJ.com

Democrats critical of Christie’s budget
Philadelphia Inquirer

NJ Gov. Christie’s state of fiscal emergency decree brings fury from Democrats
NJ.com (blog)

Apparently Governor Christie is stirring up a bees nest. And he is just getting started. Keep it up Governor.