N J and Taxes
NJ has a budget that's bigger than it's projected tax income. NJ also has (1) property taxes (highest rate in the US!), (2) sales tax (7.00%!) and (3) income tax.
We have a governor who is an astute businessman. So he wants to cut the budget. Doesn't that make sense? If NJ were your household and you looked at your income for the next year, wouldn't you look at cutting back some of your spending (as well as looking for a part-time job!)?
However, every line in the budget is someone's personal "need". For example, he has proposed closing most of the state parks and laying off some workers. From the hue and cry that ensued, you would think that he had proposed giving the Statue of Liberty to the Russians!! State parks are a nice thing to have but they are no way as important as roads, state police, the protections the state provides, etc.
Of course, the parks are not the problem and closing them is not the solution. The problem probably lies in pork and wasteful spending (such as double-dipping by elected officials).
And it doesn't help that NJ has more municipalities per square mile than any other state. (Why does that affect the state budget? Because the state gives them money because they cannot raise enough on their own!)
Come on, folks. It's belt-tightening time! As NJ taxes continue to rise (or maintain the current level), more people are moving out of state, which means higher taxes for those of us who remain.
Yes, raising tolls on the Turnpike and Parkway would hurt NJ residents who use those roads ot commute to work, but having those roads has allowed them to live further from their jobs than they might have. Perhaps the increased tolls could be applied outside of the morning and afternoon rush hours.
I applaud one other proposal of our governor's: eliminate the dept of agriculture. Wait-a-minute! Its functions are not eliminated, just the top layer of management. The rest will be parceled out to other state departments where they will have to fight like crazy to get agriculture's needs heard, but IT SAVES MONEY! And if the current dept of ag's middle managers are any good, they will be heard.
This is a beautiful state. It has four seasons but not much snow. It has NYC and Philadelphia within a reasonable distance. It has a decent symphony, some pro and lots of college sports, lots of colleges, no smog. It's worth saving.
Besides, I don’t want to live in North Carolina!
We have a governor who is an astute businessman. So he wants to cut the budget. Doesn't that make sense? If NJ were your household and you looked at your income for the next year, wouldn't you look at cutting back some of your spending (as well as looking for a part-time job!)?
However, every line in the budget is someone's personal "need". For example, he has proposed closing most of the state parks and laying off some workers. From the hue and cry that ensued, you would think that he had proposed giving the Statue of Liberty to the Russians!! State parks are a nice thing to have but they are no way as important as roads, state police, the protections the state provides, etc.
Of course, the parks are not the problem and closing them is not the solution. The problem probably lies in pork and wasteful spending (such as double-dipping by elected officials).
And it doesn't help that NJ has more municipalities per square mile than any other state. (Why does that affect the state budget? Because the state gives them money because they cannot raise enough on their own!)
Come on, folks. It's belt-tightening time! As NJ taxes continue to rise (or maintain the current level), more people are moving out of state, which means higher taxes for those of us who remain.
Yes, raising tolls on the Turnpike and Parkway would hurt NJ residents who use those roads ot commute to work, but having those roads has allowed them to live further from their jobs than they might have. Perhaps the increased tolls could be applied outside of the morning and afternoon rush hours.
I applaud one other proposal of our governor's: eliminate the dept of agriculture. Wait-a-minute! Its functions are not eliminated, just the top layer of management. The rest will be parceled out to other state departments where they will have to fight like crazy to get agriculture's needs heard, but IT SAVES MONEY! And if the current dept of ag's middle managers are any good, they will be heard.
This is a beautiful state. It has four seasons but not much snow. It has NYC and Philadelphia within a reasonable distance. It has a decent symphony, some pro and lots of college sports, lots of colleges, no smog. It's worth saving.
Besides, I don’t want to live in North Carolina!
posted by Pete Holsberg @ 7:22 PM
1 Comments
