From the AP:
Property tax relief by year’s end?
“Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. and Senate President Richard Codey said they’ll ask Gov. Jon Corzine to address a rare summer session of the Legislature in July in which the Assembly and Senate will also form committees tasked with coming up with ways to control government spending and lessen the need for property taxes.”
“The lawmakers said they want reform bills signed into law by the end of the year. An exact timeline for the July session has not been set.”
“The state relies heavily on local property taxes to pay for county and municipal government and school operations, but property taxes have risen about 7 percent annually in recent years and hit low and middle-income households hardest.”
“Business leaders, who have been opposed to cutting property taxes by collecting more in other areas such as corporate taxes, were enthused.”
“‘We’re pleased the real issue in property taxes — that is government spending — is finally being focused on,’ said Art Maurice of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.”
The areas to be explored:
– Whether the state needs to change how it funds schools and tackle disparities between funding for urban, suburban and rural schools.
– How to end alleged abuses within the public employee pension system that costs state and local governments billions of dollars annually.
– How to make it easier for local governments to consolidate and share services.
– What constitutional changes may be needed to change how taxes are collected, including whether the state needs to shift more emphasis to income and sales taxes and whether citizens should be allowed to convene a special convention to change the state constitution.
This summer is going to be debate on Property Taxes. We should try hard to raise the House affordability issue and get Legislators look at wholistic solution, then a quick fix. It is very very important that Legislators know that everyone does not make $200K and can buy million dollar houses, especially people just starting now.
So, far 6 of us have signed this online petition. Thanks for the folks who signed. Please all other on this board, take a time to read the petition and sign it. The petition just tries to layout reality and asks legislators to consider this issue.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/njhome
We need more people to sign on the petition to make it impactful.
so we are already into next year.
Wheres the relief.
The Pols will screw the taxpayer
its all a front.
OT,
Franklin Raines formerly of Fannie Mae is being accused of lying to congress.
FYI, if it sticks it is a felony.
http://tinyurl.com/juy39
so what,, you know how long this
has taken. the horses out of the barn along time ago.
I will believe it when it happens
not holding breath
The shell game again:
What constitutional changes may be needed to change how taxes are collected, including whether the state needs to shift more emphasis to income and sales taxes
Ah, just raise income taxes, now that will work!
Long-term I am not concerned about affording a house in NJ based on price and ultilities. (I believe the prices will come down and at least with utilities you can cut back by insulating your house better, buy more efficient stuff, etc) What concerns me the most are the property taxes. They only increase, sometimes it seems there is little warning or justification for it. How can you hedge against it? (Other than moving.) And not just in the hot towns like Summit, etc. I have friends in small, old homes in “ok” towns paying $8k or more a year! Once your house is paid off, you are still stuck with a large never-ending payment. I’m surprised we haven’t heard more complaints from the senior crowd on fixed incomes.
Andy
seniors in nj are screwed.
many are just hanging on. the
state should be ashamed of themselves, but then again the
state is shameless.
everyday their is another example
of the stealing that has gone on
and continues.
Now they want the state workers to take a haircut on their salaries and pensions… good luck.
If property taxes go down, it’s only because the burden is being shifted to the businesses.
The state can not control it’s spending, so someone has to pay. If not through property/income of residents, it’s going to be through the businesses.
The business climate in NJ is terrible and the forecast looks even more grim.
Voters will not support reductions in spending. Voters will not support tax increases.
Voters will, however, support higher taxes on businesses. Unfortunately, they won’t understand the impact until it’s much too late.
grim
Voters will, however, support higher taxes on businesses. Unfortunately, they won’t understand the impact until it’s much too late.
grim
9:15 AM
Agreed.
At issue also is that NJ is currently only steps away from “much too late”, and these paper pushers foist this paln on the public.
A call to cut state workers’ perks
http://tinyurl.com/esboh
has anybody been following
Stephen Sweeney, D-Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester and other senators proposals to cut state employee perks… i dont think i’ve heard this every proposed before…
5 weeks vacation
17 paid holidays
15 sick days
health benefits for life, pension etc. etc……..
i guess they thought the perks were a bit over the top
http://tinyurl.com/esboh
there are a bunch of related stories
we should follow this closely.. it has a significant impact on our taxes
bobby
bobby
A call to cut state workers’ perks
Friday, June 2, 2006
By JOHN P. McALPIN
TRENTON BUREAU
Three South Jersey lawmakers demanded Thursday that unionized state employees give up raises, scale back benefits and work longer hours with fewer holidays to help balance the budget and avoid tax increases.
The legislators, led by a powerful senator who is also a prominent labor union boss, openly derided Governor Corzine and legislative leaders for lacking the will to challenge the unions and their members even as they cut programs for the poor and raise taxes.
Sen. Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, faulted Corzine for looking to the rest of New Jersey to pay for lavish union benefits instead of going to the unions and asking for cuts.
“We’re scrubbing and scrubbing everywhere we possibly can to find savings so we don’t have to do a tax increase, and this big pool of money is on the table and we’re not even taking a look at it,” said Sweeney, the business manager for Ironworkers Union Local 399 and chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.
Sweeney pointed out that state workers enjoy a range of concessions that many private-sector employees only dream of – a 35-hour workweek, 17 paid holidays on top of their paid vacations and retirement eligibility at 55 with complete health benefits for life.
He said the state should raise the retirement age, cut the number of holidays and ask workers to stay longer than their seven-hour day. Union members should also pay more for health care benefits, he said.
Those moves could save the state at least $700 million over time, Sweeney said.
The lawmakers noted that unions across the country have voluntarily made concessions to help save corporations, and many state unions working for private companies in New Jersey have been asked to pay for benefits.
Yet, in New Jersey, the state’s 70,000 union workers now enjoy salaries, benefits and other perks that far outstrip those of their counterparts in the private world, the lawmakers said.
“We want to talk about good government, then this is where we start. Raising taxes isn’t the answer,” said Assemblyman Gerald Green, D-Union. “It’s time we say enough is enough.”
Reaction to the lawmakers’ proposal was swift and pointed. Union leaders said state workers already have done their share, the Corzine administration said the time to discuss wages and benefits was at the bargaining table, and fellow Democrats called them “demagogues.”
“I think it’s pretty shameful that a guy that comes out of labor is trying to make a name for himself by vilifying middle-income state workers and attacking the collective bargaining process,” said Bob Master, legislative and political director for Communications Workers of America District 1, referring to Sweeney. “I think it’s a diversion from the real fiscal issues of the state.”
Master said the current contract, which expires next year, features over $100 million in health care concessions and had a wage freeze in its first year.
“When the contract comes up next year, we know that every issue will be on the table,” Master said.
During an Assembly Budget Committee hearing Thursday, legislators pressed Treasurer Bradley Abelow about budget cuts and consolidating state operations to save even more money.
But the givebacks called for by Sweeney were dismissed.
“This idea of demagoging a deal some years out in my view is suspect,” said Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, who also heads the state Democratic Party.
Abelow rejected the idea of givebacks, too.
“The right place and time to do that is when we go to contract,” he said.
In a brief statement, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, D-Camden, said that he had not seen the details of the proposal but would review it. Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, was also cool to the proposal.
“There needs to be a balance between the needs of our hardworking employees and the needs of our hardworking taxpayers, taking into account that we must honor existing contracts,” Codey said.
In March, Corzine proposed a $30.9 billion budget that froze or cut spending for a broad range of social service programs but still managed to make a 10 percent increase to popular property tax rebate programs. To pay for the budget — which boosts spending by 10.4 percent – Corzine is asking for a $1.8 billion package of tax and fee increases.
The biggest tax increase would raise the sales tax from 6 cents to 7 cents on the dollar and extend the tax to hundreds of commodities and services.
Corzine’s budget would cut nearly $200 million in community programs sponsored by lawmakers and eliminate $117 million in funding for higher education. Arts programs, community groups and social service providers would also be hit, as would outlays for homeless shelters, after-school programs and homeland security.
But the lucrative package of benefits for union workers was never considered, spokesman Anthony Coley said.
“The budget is not the time or place for contract negotiations. The governor inherited a contract and intends to honor it,” Coley said. “Contracts are legally binding documents and budget negotiations are not contract negotiations.”
Few legislators of either major party are willing to cross the CWA or other state unions for fear of election-year reprisals. Gov. Jim Florio was the last to tinker with a contract in midstream, and his 1991 attempt helped fuel a tax protest that booted him and Democrats from office.
Their challenge to the all-powerful union is guaranteed to make them unpopular, Sweeney and the other legislators said.
“We truly expect to be picketed, protested and vilified,” said Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester.
“We can’t ask all the people to sacrifice and leave our own employees off the table.”
Gov. Corzine will answer questions on njn.net tonight 8 pm
http://www.njn.net
5 weeks vacation
17 paid holidays
15 sick days
health benefits for life, pension
That’s obscene.