Van Drew Finds Conservatism

5 April 2009 @ 10:24 | Posted in » New Jersey, Politics

New Jersey state senator Jeff Van Drew (D-1) has found conservatism. At least on one issue he has. Perhaps Sen. Van Drew would like to apply this principle to throughout his politics.

Atlantic City is a gambling destination. Bus after bus hauls in dupes gamblers to spend their money in the city’s casinos. Just drive the Expressway and one sees the convoys. With a food voucher and a cup of tokens, the lure of lights for the blue-hairs is great. As a college student, these bus trips were a money-making trip to get a ride home.

Nevertheless, like all bad ideas, Sin City is on hard times. One symptom of that is that the number of buses rolling into town is down significantly. Atlantic City is no longer the only gambling destination on the east coast. The economy sucks. And New Jersey taxes the buses.

Yes, New Jersey taxes each bus that travels to New Jersey. It’s one of those “revenue raisers”, like the hotel tax, that government stuck in there when the economy was doing well. Skimming off the top is seen differently when affluent, but now when money is tighter, the tax is seen in a totally different light. It hurts business.

When Gwen Elmore books trips with her Virginia Beach, Va., bus company, she has to consider if it’s worth it to travel to New Jersey, where her travel is taxed, versus other states, where it is not.

Enter Jeff “I Sponsor Every Bill” Van Drew. He wants to repeal the tax. He feels it hurts the casinos.

Van Drew and others said the tax is to blame for the 38.5 percent drop since 2001′s 7,986 bus trips.

We applaud Van Drew’s awakening that taxes hurt business. This is a tenet of conservatism. Given that New Jersey is consistently rated among the worst states to do business in, we welcome Van Drew calling to repeal more business taxes that hurt New Jersey’s economy.

Sen. Van Drew, are you willing to now state your support of the Paid Family Leave Act was a mistake? Are you willing to call Gov. Corzine to repeal it in an effort to spur our state’s economy?