From the Courier Post:
Taxpayers plead for relief at hearing
By LAVINIA DeCASTRO
Ten years ago, John Sullivan moved to Gloucester County to escape Cherry Hill’s ever-climbing property taxes.
But the problem followed him to National Park, where he pays nearly $6,000 a year in taxes, double what he paid when he first moved there.
“I can’t afford to live in this state anymore,” Sullivan told a panel of legislators who came to Collingswood on Thursday to hear property tax reform suggestions from citizens. “I’m ready to put a “for sale’ sign on my house.”
…
Many residents said a constitutional convention would take too long.Instead, some residents said they prefer to support the NJ SMART bill. Under NJ SMART, which stands for save money and reform taxes, half of education funding would come from income taxes instead of property taxes.
“I’d rather see an income tax because if you make a lot of money, you pay more taxes and when you make less money, like when you retire, you pay less,” George Kuetemeyer, of Collingswood.
But some supported a constitutional convention, saying the problem is too complex to solve with a single bill.
“We think that the problem we face today in the state of New Jersey is too serious for Band-Aid, quick-fix solutions,” said Vic Vellace, a Cherry Hill resident and treasurer of the South Jersey Citizens for Property Tax Reform. “If it takes longer to do a convention, but we get results, it’s worth waiting for.”
One of my personal favorite pieces of economic data out at 8:30am this morning, the personal savings rate.
jb
“I’d rather see an income tax because if you make a lot of money, you pay more taxes”
Sure, chase the people who make the money out of NJ. Before any discussion takes place on how to redistribute the tax load, the citizens of NJ should demand that our elected officials exhaust all options for cutting spending first.
As I have said all along, no real reform will happen. We will just play a shell game with taxes, shifting the burden from one area to another. In the end, corporations and the upper middle class will be asked to take on a bigger burden, and seniors and the pool will get modest relief.
everybody should get a tax cut. not just seniors. no one is forcing them to live in a 4 BR house. also, many of them could keep working if they had to. retirement was originally supposed to be for people who were infirm– not a 25 yr government subsidized vacation. I have no sympathy if they don’t want to pay for schools. I don’t want to pay for Soc Security or Medicare which cost way more.
Not so sure an income-based taxation system would drive out the rich. Many of the well-compensated work in NYC; where else they gonna go?
Back to New York?
Not so sure an income-based taxation system would drive out the rich. Many of the well-compensated work in NYC; where else they gonna go?
Pennsylvania?
Maybe, when they’re planning building new offices or infrastructure, they’ll plan themselves a shorter commute by putting those positions in PA instead of NY and just slap in some huge-screen video conferencing gear?
Frankly, I bet tons of folks, particularly in the backoffice, if given the choice, would relocate to PA, DE or VA if their companies decide to relocate.