Posted on 07/04/2006 10:32:50 AM PDT by LdSentinal
An early joke about New Jersey is attributed to Ben Franklin: "New Jersey is like a beer barrel, tapped at both ends, with all the live beer running into Philadelphia and New York." Maybe you had to be there.
A contemporary joke is on display in Trenton where the majority Democratic legislature and Governor John "I promise not to raise your taxes" Corzine are in a fierce battle over the state budget, which last weekend led to a government shutdown reminiscent of the 1995-96 closings of the Federal government. A decade ago, it was a battle between a Republican Congress and a Democratic president. Now, in New Jersey, it's a fight among Democrats over how much taxes should be raised (and which ones) and how much the legislature and governor will increase spending.
A recent Wall Street Journal editorial summed up New Jersey's fiscal problems: "The Garden State has raised taxes nearly every year since 2000 and nearly twice as much per resident as the next highest tax state. Yet, no surprise, Trenton still has the biggest budget crisis outside of the states ruined by Hurricane Katrina. This taxing binge hasn't balanced the budget because state expenditures have ballooned by $8 billion, or about 45 percent, in six years."
Corzine claims new spending is necessary because state schools and services are under-funded and that's why he "needs" to raise taxes again, this time by a proposed $1.5 billion. Schools and services are anything but under-funded, but Corzine carries the Democrat's tax-and-spend gene and he is not about to cut taxes or reduce spending in the face of facts.
Republicans see a grand political opportunity in New Jersey. A new Quinnipiac poll has found 46 percent of voters regard taxes as the largest problem faced by the state. As the Journal notes, that's "the highest number for any issue the polling firm ever found in New Jersey."
Republicans have presented the governor with a detailed list of spending cuts, totaling $2.2 billion. They include adjustments to salaries and benefits for government employees, suspension of nonessential programs, elimination of low-priority programs and politicized spending, consolidation of departments and deferral of some new spending. Corzine wants to increase state spending by a whopping $2.8 billion and leave the present bureaucratic government structure largely untouched.
Democratic infighting isn't over tax increases; it's about which taxes to raise. Most Democrats oppose an increase in the state sales tax, fearing political reprisals. They prefer to boost already high property taxes instead. Republicans want to cut taxes and reduce spending, a proven formula for economic stimulation, not to mention increased cash flow to the treasury.
The more New Jersey raises taxes, the faster the exodus of businesses to other states, thus draining the state of tax receipts and leading Democrats to raise taxes again to make up for the lost revenue. It then becomes a vicious circle, as even more businesses vacate. According to the Census Bureau, 60,000 more people left New Jersey than moved to the state in just the year 2000.
In 1990, New Jersey went through a similar economic crisis. Then-Governor Jim Florio pushed through the biggest tax increase in state history. The economic downturn that resulted led to Florio's ouster. Republican Christine Todd Whitman replaced him. If citizens decide to try another Republican governor, they should give him, or her, a Republican legislative majority made up of fiscal conservatives.
If Tony Soprano ran his businesses like New Jersey Democrats run the state, he'd be bankrupt. Maybe someone with Tony's style and attitude should be put in charge. Otherwise, New Jersey and the Democrats who are ruining it will continue to be the butt of jokes like this one: Why are New Yorkers so depressed? Because the light at the end of the tunnel is New Jersey!
"Tax Anything That Moves" Corzine is KILLING New Jersey.
Yeah , Corzine is killing New Jersey because the Conservatives wrote off the state as a loss and didn't bother to run or back with $$$ a candidate that hsd s chsnce to win. Sort of like Bob Dole running against Clintoon !
I've got a friend who lives in a nice but undistinguished house in a suburb of Newark. $18K/yr. He's been a liberal all his life, and he's starting to get annoyed.
Just check out the decisions by the NJ Supreme Court.
Tells you all you need to know, and don't cry for us. Some of my conservative friends were part of the problem. Schundler not pure enough, you know.
Property taxes of 18K per year????? They put up with that?
Read my tagline!
A cape-cod style home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on one-third acre will run $15,000 - $18,000 in annual property taxes in Montclair, Maplewood, Livingston or any of the so-called "nicer" towns in Essex County. If one is of conservative mindset they would be advised not to live in Essex, Hudson, Union, or Middlesex counties to preserve their sanity.
~ Blue Jays ~
You've named one of the towns my friend lives in.
Oops.
I mean, one of the towns you've named is the town my friend lives in.
Thanks for the info. I suppose the libs in my state will point to N.J. and use that as an excuse to raise our taxes.
OMG, that is INSANE!
As one Freeper said yesterday, since Corzine has shut down the NJ government, crime is down 50%!
Check out the rogues galley, complete with photos, of the demcorat party felons who give New Jersey such high taxes:
http://www.nj.com/corruption/stories/index.ssf?/corruption/stories/rogues_gallery.html
It is insane. The only reason that it can happen is because New Jerseyan's on average have the second highest per capita income in the United States.
I pay close to $10,000 per year in property taxes. That sounds unbearable until you realize that the average household income in my township is over $88,000.
Even with the high incomes, property taxes are out of control. At least in my county we don't have a big urban area like Newark, that the rest of the county has to subsidize.
We are trying some new things to lower or stabalize taxes, including sharing services with other communities and experimenting with school regionalization. We are also looking very carefully at new development to make sure that it doesn't put too much stress on the school syatem (which is the most expensive local responsibility).
" This taxing binge hasn't balanced the budget because state expenditures have ballooned by $8 billion, or about 45 percent, in six years."
Corrupt Dems in control trying to turn the Garden State into a vacant lot of weeds.
Move to another swing state nearby like Pa. to help turn it red. Screw disgusting NJ.
(The Palestinian terrorist regime is the crisis and Israel's fist is the answer.)
Where's TORCH!!
Better to leave NJ stew in the Dem created mess and let it be an example to the rest of the nation.
"Must...Get...Out!"
I'm with you, not right now, but soon I hope.
New Jerseyans deserve it though, they are all so worried that some women somewhere won't be able to get an abortion, they keep voting in liberals.
What I don't understand is why his own partry is stabbing the power mad Corzine in the back. Is it Codey?
The current government shut-down in New Jersey will be resolved by midnight tonight or very, very soon thereafter. While the ordinary people of New Jersey, the tax payers of New Jersey, can and will be screwed over again and again, the big money people, the casino people, can never be screwed over! Thus, we need not worry about a state shut-down in New Jersey.
McQueery moved into a new digs with a different boyfriend last weekend. They bought the place for 1.2 mill.
So he's basically turning NJ into Best Buy - "your new sales tax is 7%, but 6% after rebate."
Extended warranties are next!
Knox Co., TN. one acre lot, 3 br, 3 baths, 2 car garage, 20 x 40 in ground swimming pool, no state inome tax, and annual property taxes of $1,500. RED STATES ROCK!!!
True, but was the previous Governor any better?
If there is a silver lining in this, Corzine's antics may kill the reelection bid of Senator Robert Menendez.
Wrong.
The State lost because the Republican Party in New Jersey, as usual, selected a super-doofuss as a candidate - a man with all ther personality of a dead fish who later demonstrated his integrity by attirbuting his loss to George Bush. A man who had the solid backing of Eisenberg and his liberal Republican PAC.
You can't offer the same product as a proven provider of that product is offering and expect to beat him.
I'm thinking North Carolina. Or perhaps Utah (my brother's moving there from Florida). A friend of mine moved to Kentucky 10 years ago and loves it.
On top of everything else regarding Commie Corzine's Reign of Stupidity, there's this:
Cutting the casino inspectors shuts down a huge source of revenue for the State of New Jersey.
So let's savor this sentence:
Corzine cut a major source of state revenue in response to a shortfall of state funds.
One more time:
Corzine cut a major source of state revenue in response to a shortfall of state funds.
(Where are the Republicans on this? Not surprising that the media is completely silent, but why are the Republicans letting this go by unnoticed?)
Either wallow in your envy or do someting about cutting local and state spending and taxes.
>>>New Jersey! You got the government you elected.
If you have any campaign suggestions to attract the dead from the democratic voting block, we are listening.
Not insane. Actually I think Blue Jays is a bit off.
I am a cape coder in one of the samples he posted. I'm on 100 x 50 property at 12,000 in taxes already.
We have a similar house in VA - valued at $650k, taxes $6500/yr
>>>>I hate to disappoint Cal Thomas but the GOP establishment in Trenton is packed with LIBERALS. They're just as corrupt as the Democrats.
Main Street Republican Coalition
The liberals are trying to take over the Republican party the same way they took over the Democratic Party.
I've not once understood the support some have here for supporting RINOs just because they are Rs. They are supporting the taking over of the Party.
The way the election board is set up in our state, only a Dem or Main Streeter can get elected to run.
Housing market in Monmouth and Ocean Counties has been booming because of the influx of of people from Northern Jersey and New York.
I miss thoughs days. I lived in N.C. for a few years. I miss my victorian home with property.
I remember my shock in learning we had to haul some things to the dump ourselves.
Now that I'm back in Blue Jersey, I miss being able to haul some stuff to the dump ourselves.
Unfortunatly, the "Republican" counties are only slightly better and who the hell would want to live in Sussex, Hunterdon (I hate that place), or Ocean if they have to commute to NYC or even Jersey City (as I do). Besides, although the taxes may be less in "Exurbia" (not for long!), the boredom will kill you.
My wife and her husband have a nice house (4 bed. 3 bath) in Morristown Township, NJ. I wonder what they're paying?
Carolyn
Oh yeah? Well, we have, ... ummm..., traffic!
Bet you don't have that.
So there :P
So...how many husbands does your wife have?
Have they contacted Bwaanie Fwank to see how they can Run IT For Profit?
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