From WHYY:
Why are New Jersey housing costs continuing to rise — and who should pay for affordable housing?
On Monday, the New Jersey Legislature is expected to give final approval to the state’s fiscal year 2026 spending plan. The $58.8 billion budget is more than 2.5% higher than last year’s spending plan.
Part of the proposal calls for an increase in the real estate transfer fee for homes that sell for more than $2 million. If approved, sellers will pay $20,000 on properties that are sold for $2 million. That fee will increase 2.5% on homes that sell between $2.5 million and $3 million.
Peter Chen, senior policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, said this increase makes sense at a time when housing costs are pricing many people, particularly low- and moderate-income residents, out of the state, and a lot of the funding for affordable housing already comes from the realty transfer fee.
“So increasing those funds to ensure that more people can actually afford to live in New Jersey who aren’t in the top 15% of home sales in the state, that’s important for ensuring the state is affordable for all,” he said.
…
Douglas Tomson, chief executive officer of New Jersey Realtors, said increasing the real estate transfer fee would be a serious mistake.
“A million-dollar home is a middle-class home in many parts of our state, so we’re talking average New Jerseyans that would be affected,” he said.
Tomson argued increasing the fee would hurt the state real estate market.
“It would definitely give a lot of buyers and sellers pause before they want to make an investment or before they get off the fence,” he said.
Grant Lucking, chief operating officer for the New Jersey Builders Association, agreed.
“It impacts the market and it’s just not something that lends to additional affordability in the state, which is something that the legislature has been working on,” he said.
Friskies
Lots and lots of stupid posted over the weekend
“Most of these idiots will be gone 10 years from now because they did grow up there and don’t have the balls to stay.”
Doesn’t that describe a few on this board.
And where do you and the ones that were born there fit in that narrative. You took off after high school never to return, did the door hit you on the way out? You don’t get a vote either.
A costly bill:
The Senate version of the legislation would add at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said on Sunday. While that projection may change as differences are resolved, it is higher than for the version that squeaked through the House. Fiscal hawks, whose support is needed for the new version, already had serious concerns about its cost.
Spend spend spend
Juice, you want to tackle fraud start at the providers. That is where the fraud is concentrated and thats how you fix it. But this is not an attack on fraud, its an attack on the system to weaken it under the cover of fraud. Just like DOGE was gutting departments and people in the guise of going after wasteful spending.
Here in this Big Beautiful Bill, you focus on justifying Medicare cuts, yet ignore all the Tax Cuts, sale of Federal lands etc. You wonder why I say you carry water for this administration. But giving the stripping of Environmental Protections, I suppose it will be carrying Toxic Sludge going forward.
Tucked into the bill is a repeal of all subsidies and tax breaks for solar and wind energy, and throwing an additional tax on existing projects. Although they are giving coal an additional tax break. Makes sense.
Going to be a lot more swamps to drain.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/senate-bill-hastens-end-wind-solar-tax-credits-imposes-new-tax-2025-06-28/
” it would take 2.5 hours to get from Mahwah to Hackensack ”
This is misleading. What would you like to see, a high speed rail link? Realistically its a 45 min ride from Ridgewood the nearest hub, the rest of the time yes you will be waiting at a bus stop for a while depending on the time of day. Also time of day dictates what direction transportation flows.
The Bergen transport system is designed to flush people south and towards New York. Anything else is against the flow. If I want to get from my town to Newark, the quickest route is through Port Authority and New York Penn. If I get to a Train Town I can go south to Secaucus.
Peter Chen, senior policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, said this increase makes sense at a time when housing costs are pricing many people, particularly low- and moderate-income residents, out of the state, and a lot of the funding for affordable housing already comes from the realty transfer fee.
We prefer high-earning liberal progressives in New Jersey. If you can’t afford to live here, I suggest you pack up your Chex Mix and head for Delaware.
“The idea that you think you can build a transit system in Bergen County beyond hilarious.”
You actually can, there are a lot of abandoned train tracks that could be reclaimed . The Northern Branch used to run from Nyack in NY to Jersey City. Tie it into the light rail at Tonnelle Ave and you have something usable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Branch
Fab: Cool your jets, and take a deep breath. It was an article in the Bergen Record years ago, maybe even before you actually listened bird in Bergen Co, and knew anything about it. The article was addressing travel within Bergen Co, by public transportation, and according to the article at that time, to travel from Mahwah to Hackensack the county seat, it would take 2.5 hours. Nothing misleading about it, just you being argumentative to be argumentative as always.
I thought there was a transit system in Bergen County. The Main, Pascack and Bergen Line? As for building another one, is it even possible in NJ? Don’t we abuse money here like an overweight, three-legged mutt?
JUST NOW:
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill:
“They’re adding trillions of dollars to the national debt. They’re going to blow a hole in every state’s budget with what they’re doing to SNAP. They’re going to fire a ton of healthcare workers. They’re gonna throw people off their healthcare coverage. They’re gonna close rural hospitals and more people are going to go hungry. What could be beautiful about that? Absolutely nothing.”
That giant sucking sound are a lot of high earning individuals with money moving to Palm Beach from NY and NJ. This isn’t going to be pretty. Those left will be taxed even more due to ballooning state budgets. Glad I got out while the going was easy.
Should be before you actually lived in Bergen Co.
Fast: They have been talking about reviving the train line from the Pocono s station through NJ to NY for 40 years. It’s not happening. Yes, we have our 3 train lines, said broken down, mismatched cars, old NY MTA leased crap. And, all the lines lead into the Hoboken terminal, which is sad and decrepit again, after a renovation 20 years ago. NJ Transit the pride of NJ.
Donald Trump before the election: We’ll cut government spending and balance the budget.
Trump after the election, rushing a bill that would dramatically increase the deficit and debt:
“We will make it all up,” sometime in the future.
Total fraud
Need a new entry door. I’m guessing fiberglass? (No direct sun exposure)
No side lites or anything fancy, just some glass at top.
Thoughts on brands and vendors and installers?
Thanks!
NB: spent last week with my son and dil in Walnut Creek. Caught a night game at Oracle park. ok, about 45 degrees real feel, by seventh ining the mist was blowing in from the bay and it felt as if I was in an ice storm.
How many NIMBYs do you have to go through to get that done? You also need to get 70 municipalities to work together. Most cities are a single municipality. Btw, where’s the money for all of this?
Executive order. Send ICE in with flash bangs to remove the residents. Send in Army bulldozers to raze the path of the mass transit. Claw back the money given to foreign governments and Ukraine that was wasted there to pay for it.
By the time the residents get to court for any relief, their children will be having grandchildren.
BRT says:
June 30, 2025 at 9:35 am
How many NIMBYs do you have to go through to get that done? You also need to get 70 municipalities to work together. Most cities are a single municipality. Btw, where’s the money for all of this?
Train line? Lol… We cannot even afford to pay for the 28 train routes and 478 stations in NYC, so they had to implement congestion pricing to penalize those not using the trains.
One of the main reasons why the trains don’t run is because the people in those towns further north don’t want the undesirables taking the train to their town. Tenafly residents rejected the Bergen County light rail extension so it will terminate in Englewood. That extension of only 9 miles is two decades behind schedule too.
Good luck with that…
DP, You will enjoy Rebel Ridge on Netflix. Check it out.
Does BRT have a job?
Also, 3B.
So it’s the “elitists” fault?
Juice Box says:
June 30, 2025 at 11:14 am
One of the main reasons why the trains don’t run is because the people in those towns further north don’t want the undesirables taking the train to their town.
not only do I have a job, I have job security
Based on the news flow from the last few days, the answer is obviously “more white people use the subway” is why.
Why not just have a two fare system? White people pay double fares, and everyone else rides free. Seems sensible to me.
3b says:
June 27, 2025 at 8:28 am
Why not free NYC subway too?
Lost in the state senator’s initiative is that the renaming would create the connotation that it is a Superfund site.
Dark Phoenix says:
June 30, 2025 at 12:06 am
Another looney doing looney things. These turds have nothing better to do with their lives. Can they get a male version of the View going?
An all-out war of words has erupted on the East Coast after a New Jersey state lawmaker announced he plans to rename the Delaware Bay to ‘The Bay of New Jersey’ – echoing Donald Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.
Republican state Sen. Michael Testa introduced a new bill Thursday that would direct state agencies to officially change the Delaware Bay so he could ‘Make New Jersey GREAT AGAIN!’
The Trump supporter, who represents Cape May County, took to X on Friday to defend his bizarre idea, suggesting that New Jersians should be able to fish in a bay with its name attached to it.
Fares? Less than 1/2 of the MTAs revenues come from fares.
23% Fares
12% Tolls
37% Taxes
15% Covid Aid still!!!
Rest is other…..State money etc.
Dude, having an open anti-Semite voted in by transients for the municipality with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel is akin to having scores of Ridgewood/Wykoff WASP’s moving to Dublin and voting in a jackass with a platform built on NINA.
Fabius Maximus says:
June 30, 2025 at 7:08 am
Lots and lots of stupid posted over the weekend
“Most of these idiots will be gone 10 years from now because they did grow up there and don’t have the balls to stay.”
Doesn’t that describe a few on this board.
And where do you and the ones that were born there fit in that narrative. You took off after high school never to return, did the door hit you on the way out? You don’t get a vote either.
Beat me to the punch
Juice Box says:
June 30, 2025 at 11:14 am
One of the main reasons why the trains don’t run is because the people in those towns further north don’t want the undesirables taking the train to their town. Tenafly residents rejected the Bergen County light rail extension so it will terminate in Englewood. That extension of only 9 miles is two decades behind schedule too.
Good luck with that…
We need NJ Transit to run similar to Metro North. Our transit putter down the tracks at dinky speeds. Those trains fly.
You can take the Harlem line to Brewster in 75-85 minutes. Brewster to Grand Central is the same distance as Hackettstown to NYC Penn. How the fuck long does that take? 2 1/2 hours? What a joke.
Back from a very nice “free cruise.” Actually won in the casino, so the whole family got paid to cruise.
But on the topic of high-speed rail. We took the Brightline again. Privatized high speed light rail running from Orlando to Miami. We took it from Miami to West Palm on Saturday to get back to the airport. We fly through West Palm Beach since it’s cheaper, tiny (less delays) and my mom lives up in Boynton Beach, so it gives us a chance to check in on her.
Well, imagine an ultra-modern station, with security (yeah, they scan bags). HUGE air-conditioned waiting area with couches, bean bags (for the kids) and working power/USB outlets everywhere you look. The station also has a reasonably priced bar and restaurant, a small Hudson News type market and lots of large clean bathrooms. Oh, and a Starbucks type of coffee stand. Also, free ice water flavored with orange slices. Outside each station there is dedicated parking, bus stops, an Uber/Lyft area, etc. Free high-speed wifi too. When they announce your train, there are working escalators and elevators to the train platform. Both times I’ve travelled, the trains arrived early and left on time. The platform is marked where the doors will open and with which car and seat number you should stand by. When you board the train, there is a large luggage rack as well as a rack above the seats. None of that bullshit doubledecker crap where there is no room to store stuff. Every seat has electric and USB and the trains have free high-speed wifi. There is no food car, but there are a handful of drinks, bento snack boxes and sandwiches you can order through their app and the conductor will bring it to you. You never need to show a ticket as the seats are assigned. When you get off, someone will have already been assigned to refill your seat.
The trip takes about the same amount as it would to drive, but without traffic. Now here is the best part. The cost. It was $15 a person to ride the train for a little over an hour. So $75, with bags all in for the 66 mile, 71 minute journey. For shits and giggles, I checked the Uber/Lyft price and it was around $250, without a tip.
I did some research and the line is already profitable. Which is why they are extending it from Orlando to Tampa.
It goes to show you, how shitty our government is. Most of the stops are not big cities nor are the stations in any popular parts of these towns or near stadiums/airports, etc. People are sick of the traffic on I95 and Florida Turnpike and are taking the train and rideshares instead.
Why wouldn’t this work up here?
Straight up corrupt government.
I’ve been waiting two decades for them to finish a few miles of road on 206 through open space. You want NJ to build a public transit system in Bergen County?
“Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline
Yet some people want government run grocery stores.
Summer reading for Mamdani:
https://commonwealthfoundation.org/research/the-failure-of-government-run-liquor-stores/
But he thinks NYC government run grocery store experiments will buck the trend of history and logic.
“Libturd says:
January 25, 2024 at 1:13 pm
Sofi will go up 75% in one day if earnings are good on the 29th. You may want to look at that one Leftwing.”
SOFI closed January 25th at 7.65.
Currently SOFI sits at 18.50 for a measly return of 142%.
At the same time, Gold went up 64%, Crypto 114%, Nasdaq 33% and the S&P 26%.
Any questions?
I hope some of you listened. I really do.
FabMax & Mamdani wished this oppressor was rightfully murdered by Hamas operatives riding free NYC busses paid by taxing the white people.
Former Hamas hostage Noa Argamani said she was trapped inside a Canadian university by “terror sympathizers” who shouted vile threats that “Hamas is coming.”
Argamani, 27, was invited to speak at the Jewish National Fund (JNF) event at the University of Windsor on June 26, when about a dozen anti-Israel protesters — part of the University of Windsor’s Palestinian Solidarity Group (PSG) — swarmed the venue in an attempt to intimidate attendees.
Some shouted “Hamas is coming” through a megaphone as attendees attempted to flee, according to the X account FactsMatter.
Argamani — whose boyfriend, Avinatan Or, is among those still held by the terror group — said she refuses to be intimidated from speaking “for those who can’t.”
“Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived. Now, I speak for those who can’t,” wrote Argamani, who was freed in June 2024 after eight months as a hostage.
“I’ll keep exposing Hamas’ crimes and fighting for the hostages’ release—including my partner, Avinatan,” she said of Or, who remains in Hamas captivity with 49 other hostages.
“I refuse to let terror sympathizers control the narrative,” she added.
In a video from the chaotic scene outside the venue, one of the anti-Israel protestors is heard shouting, “Hamas is coming” through a megaphone as attendees attempted to flee from the hostility, according to the X account FactsMatter.
Event chair Miriam Kaplan condemned the PSG’s blockade as “a disgraceful attempt to intimidate a survivor,” and called on the university to speak out against the protesters.
“These students crossed the line from free speech into aggression,” Kaplan told The J.
Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs also slammed the protestors for their blockade.
“Blocking a hostage survivor is unconscionable. This is not a protest but intimidation of a vulnerable witness to terror,” it said.
Argamani garnered international headlines when footage of her kidnapping during Hamas’ massacre of Israelis at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, went viral.
In the chilling video, a terrorist drove away with Argamani on the back of his motorbike as she pleaded, “Don’t kill me!”
After 246 days in captivity, Argamani was one of four Israelis freed in a daring daylight mission on June 8, 2024, that saw Israeli troops and police raid a Hamas compound in a hail of gunfire to rescue the hostages.
Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, who were also at the Nova Festival when Hamas attacked and took them hostage, were also freed with her.
Argamani has since become one of the most vocal advocates for a hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, seeking to free Or and the remaining captives.
Speaking to a room full of G7 embassy representatives in Tokyo last year, Argamani described her survival in Gaza as a “miracle.”
“Every night I was falling asleep and thinking, this may be the last night of my life,” Argamani said.
“And in this moment that I’m still sitting with you, it’s a miracle that I’m here. It’s a miracle because I survived October 7, and I survived this bombing, and I survived also the rescue,” she noted, referring to Israel’s counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip and the risky rescue mission.
During her address, she also pressed the world leaders to secure the release of the remaining hostages, including her boyfriend, Or.
Or’s last known sign of life was in mid-March, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Brightline suspended operations on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[61] All train services ceased, and the company cut 250 jobs.[
NJ Transit maintained their regular schedule of empty trains throughout COVID-19.
Ten 423.
A little bit of a technical move due to close of quarter in 1 1/2 hours.
I’m mostly sitting around in metals, euros, swiss francs, and yen. I want to be entirely shielded from a big move down in the dollar. My union negotiated a 5 year contract below the rate of inflation. Stupid move.
So many geezers playing music in Glastonbury. Robert Smith of the Cure looks a bit like Frankenstein’s monster. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood look older than Biden.
https://www.ft.com/content/9f2bab19-627b-4056-816b-3a195606e499
Rent; You are a sad pathetic little man, always looking for approval. Yes, I have a job, actually more than a job And yes BRT had a job, he is a teacher, but you knew that already. You are a just a troll that gets angry if people don’t share your opinions or believe your tall tales. I think you have ruined the blog. The question should be do you have a job, you are always on this site,
I forgot to include the b in the above post 3b.
Chicago 12:25 We have anti Semites on this blog, they don even try to hide it any more.
Chicago 12;25 We have anti Semites on this blog, they don’t even try to hide it anymore.
Still working on the Rt 4 Englewood Over pass bridge and exit upgrades> it has been going on since before Covid. Exit 172 (northbound) closed for 2 years for expansion/upgrades. It’s been 6 months, so we will see how that goes.
A million dollar home is a middle class home in many parts of the state. I would say that is an oxymoron.
3:26 – that’s what happens when you have one finger up your ass while you comment here. Get a life.
Rent: I guess you would know a lot about fingers up you ass. You have a lot of free time on your hands. So pathetic, angry little man,
Oh my my you fellas are gonna hafta learn to get along. “They” want us divided.
BREAKING:
US stocks climbed to fresh records on Monday amid signs of progress in trade talks, ending one of the most volatile first halves of a year in recent memory.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose over 0.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) and the S&P 500 (^GSPC) moved up about 0.5%, with both indices notching new record highs as the benchmark index closed above 6,200 for the first time.
While it’s true that S&P 500 is higher (in USD), it’s not the highest if you look at it in Euros (eg. VUSA)
Look at the USD to EUR chart for the year.
Brightline isn’t exactly how it appears to be. It has taken public money. It runs on others right of way. Its average speed is 62, with a max of 125 in a small section. And it has the highest accident rate for trains, too many train crossings, they refused to spend on bridges or tunnels.
They picked the one place in America where they could be potentially profitable . There is no other place and it will actually work except for maybe Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Enjoy it it’s the best you’ll ever get out of America
S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Rise to New Highs
Thanks Joe Biden
Chi,
WTF is “platform built on NINA” If the population of Wykoff and Ridgewood want to move to Dublin and vote, let them at it. If you reside and pay taxes you get a vote.
When I lived in London, resided, paid taxes and voted.
When I lived in Germany, resided, didn’t pay taxes and didnt vote.
Have never had a say in NYC as I never lived there, even though I pay NY taxes.
Lived in Jersey, pay taxes in Jersey, vote in Jersey.
Its an easy system.
You are a sad pathetic little man, always looking for approval.
Projecting much. You always say you are above these types of attacks, take a look in the mirror. You are very needy, you constantly seek the approval of others in the Circle Jerk.
Nice to see there is some hope of Israel moving away from the right wing Theocracy.
https://x.com/ireallyhateyou/status/1939776724709122323
Fewer Americans think we’re great again…
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nd0HN/gallupchart.png
Viva Le Bush.
If you have more of a less worthy currency, are you richer? An asian guy saying he has the biggest… ok, never mind this is not snl.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/business/dollar-decline-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Yes, GOP take pride in it. I need to check if this is from The Onion. I dont think so.
https://x.com/LongTimeHistory/status/1939715040384348416
Minnesota school voting to repeal ban on hate symbols—to allow xxxxxx & yyyyyy
Pete Hegseth graduated from this high school—who brought back confederate names to Defense Dept.
“I’m deeply offended by rainbow flag used by LGBT,” so allowing KKK signs is “inclusive” said School Board Chair Curt Rebelein.
One speaker brought the debate back to why the ban on hate symbols was implemented in the first place:
“The reason that this policy exists is because a Black kid was beaten just for being Black at Forest Lake High School.”
For the Fox News crowd that doesn’t have NYTimes, here’s an excerpt from the link above.
The Dollar Has Its Worst Start to a Year Since 1973
It has continued to slide even as President Trump has backed down from his tariff threats and the U.S. stock market has recovered from its losses.
The dollar is off to its worst start to a year in more than half a century.
The United States’ currency has weakened more than 10 percent over the past six months when compared with a basket of currencies from the country’s major trading partners. The last time the dollar weakened so much at the start of the year was 1973, when the United States made a seismic shift and ended the linking of the dollar to the price of gold.
Overdevelopment of NJ
https://x.com/wakeupnj/status/1939777380417192146?s=46&t=fOujZk55fmaIKC1jvQBjiw
7:21 – wow, just unbelievable.
Here’s boomer exiting the world
https://x.com/llandoniffirg/status/1939356542941155543?s=46
Mine are like plums.
I see Rant and Unstable got into a bit of a tussle this weekend…
https://worldstarhiphop.com/videos/wshhsF1t20skO1aW6J9n/chicks-throw-hands-during-bachelorette-party-in-frisco-texas
Finally something actually good from this administration. Yes Juice they went after the providers not the patients. The way it should be.
https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/doj-shares-results-of-largest-coordinated-healthcare-fraud-takedown-in-agency-history-medicare-medicaid-pills-dr-oz-dan-bongino-dea-fbi-trump-illegal-crime
The DOJ says 324 defendants are being charged for their involvement in healthcare fraud schemes. The DOJ says $14.6 billion in false claims were made.
Fab: We have had this discussion before. If I am attacked by that individual I will strike back. Today again he lashes out and I responded. As for projection a little self awareness on your part is called for, but you do struggle in that area. As well as being argumentative and self righteous. As for the circle jerk, kettle pot black on your part, but that’s no surprise.
7:37 why don’t you pick you a plum.
Fairy god mother
Take dat plum in your mouff like a lil girl
3b, you are stinking up this blog with your stinky fingers. GTFOH. And drag the loaded diaper smalls along with you.
Everyone here knows how small minded smallguy is… so he can yell all he wants.
But 3b – just so ignorant and areogant at the same time. No qualifications but ready to opine on everything under the sky. Like why the fuck should he care if Juice’s neighbors kid is fat?! I wonder how many times he got punched in real life.
Rent: A bitter angry little man as I said. In all seriousness you might want to consider some therapy, to get to the root of your issues.
We all should calm down with the personal attacks.
Lib: If you want people to calm down with the personal attacks, you might want to specifically address Rent.
“When a clown moves into a palace he doesn’t become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Gonads says:
June 30, 2025 at 8:15 pm
7:37 why don’t you pick you a plum.
Fairy god mother
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_hPp4dgmrc8&pp=ygUbZWFzdGJvdW5kIGFuZCBkb3duIGJsb29wZXJz