My issue with Christie’s remedy is a constitutional amendment. Government needs to be prudent; it should not take the state constitution to do so. Obviously, the economy has tanked. A 2.5% annual increase sounds prudent today. But should/when the economy bounces back and “revenue” is flowing, 2.5% may very well be an impediment to government.
There’s more to be wary of, however.
Today the New Jersey Assembly passed the bill for a 2% cap. Governor Christie is expected to sign it tomorrow.
Thanks to the quick action taken last week by the Senate and today by the Assembly, New Jersey families can finally look forward to the kind of real, long-term property tax relief that Trenton has failed to deliver for decades. A hard cap of 2 percent with limited exceptions that puts final authority to exceed the cap in the hands of the people is the substantial and sustainable reform New Jersey needs.
What are those limited exceptions?
According to the AP, those are “costs for pensions, health benefits and capital expenditures”.
Let’s play this out some, shall we? As Millville prepares next year’s budget, it is prevented from raising property taxes more than 2%. That sounds great for the overtaxed home owners around here. But salaries of police and fire officers will increase. Did they agree to a contract for less than a two-percent increase? I gather the firemen are still without a contract, but I am relatively certain the police have more than 2% coming their way. Teachers will be held to zero increase according to their contract.
Who thinks health insurance will increase less than 2% next year? What about energy costs?
How can this deal be called a hard cap? Our property taxes are going to rise. No matter what is done, what is spun, you and I will continue to pay more.
FWIW, I applaud the Millville City Commission for drawing the line this year that there will be no property tax increase. You see Governor Christie, the will of the people is supposed to keep spending in check.
I can envision there being times (Not this year. Not next either. ) when public employees should earn more than a 2% raise. That cannot happen now unless something else is cut. There isn’t much to cut anymore.
This cap has holes that the taxpayers will be plugging.
I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
The Delaware River Port Authority seems to not be following its charter. Zachary Fink of NJN did a wonderful investigative piece exposing what certainly seems to be a government agency that has run amok. New Jersey (and Pennsylvania) taxpayers should demand government investigations!
Seeing an opportunity to take profits, it has proposed a 10% tax on the industry. Seriously!
Some will say the tax will discourage tanning use and that is a good thing. If government wants to discourage indoor tanning it can either outlaw it or put a 97% tax on the industry. Both would be far more efficient in reducing use. Just like tobacco taxes, it’s about the money, not the social ill.
So tanning salons have to absorb this tax . . . or pass it off to its customers. Cha-ching!
Customers will pay 17% to the government for the privilege to sit inside under heat lamps. Precious.
Think this will stimulate business here?
That tax began today. Browning ones boobs indoors now has the government grabbing 17% on the price of the service. How does this help anyone/thing other than government coffers?
Is this the role of government?
Tanning tax in the health care bill: Ledger Live goes ultraviolet
My wife’s best friend required a bone marrow transplant. Like many, she died due to complications that arose from the procedure. Watching her die was excruciating. My daughter’s middle name is in honor of her.
Regardless, why the state of New Jersey is going to debate tomorrow a bill that would require the state’s web site to prepare certain information and encourage doctors to discuss a brochure with patients is beyond me. This is not something politicians should be involved in.
If, God forbid, I find myself ill to the point where I need a bone marrow transplant, I suspect I will get myself to a doctor that will be conversant in the procedure. I will not rely upon the likes of Loretta Weinberg and Joe Vitale to ensure a brochure is read to me.
Is this the kind of business you expect from state government?
I am an avid baseball fan. Yet, I have a vivid memory from my youth forgoing a pickup game with my friends to remain at home to bake brownies with my mother. FWIW, I like them fudgey. Dad worked the county Vo Tech. There they had a culinary program. The students practiced making humongous cookies. Dad would bring home white bakery bags filled with awesome cookies. It was from that I learned I love oatmeal cookies. Yum!
Since then, my love of food has had me make both treats many times. Oatmeal cookies are about the simplest this to make. Brownies are not all that difficult either. Make certain to have eggs, butter, flour, sugar, and salt at hand. Aren’t those staples? A bag of semisweet chocolate and walnuts aren’t too much of a stretch for a normal household. Vanilla and oatmeal sit on my pantry’s shelves, and I bet on many people’s too. With these ingredients both cookies and brownies can be made at a moment’s notice.
Need a recipe, search the Internet. No biggy.
Unless you’re the federal government. If you want to make either oatmeal cookies or brownies at the federal level, one needs to digest the 26-page recipe. Yes, you read that correctly. The feds have a 26-page document to explain how to make these all-American treats.
Here’s a tasting of what the military includes:
3.3.3 Brownie cutting. The brownies shall be cut to the appropriate size when cool (see 3.4f).
3.3.4 Brownie moisture content. The moisture content of the uncoated brownie shall be not more than 8.0 percent.
3.3.5 Brownie coating. The brownies shall be completely enrobed with a continuous uniform chocolate coating (see 3.2.14) in an amount which shall be not less than 29 percent by weight of the finished product.
How about this?
3.3.11 Chocolate coating preparation. The formula for chocolate coating shall be blended on a dry-solids basis. Sorbitan monostearate and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate shall be melted, mixed with the added fat and the dry-solids blend and brought to a temperature of not less than 1500F. The mixture shall be held at that temperature or higher for a period of at least 30 minutes. The coating shall be refined (20 microns or less, 7/10,000 inch) so that is has a smooth mouthfeel without grittiness. The coating shall be such that, when the vacuum packaged product (at least 72 hours after manufacture) is held at a temperature of 1000F for two hours, the product can be easily removed from the bag without loss of coating. The product shall be allowed to cool at a temperature between 400F and 700F, for resolidification to occur, for approximately one hour prior to performing the test. The chocolate coating shall be Salmonella free (see 4.5.1.4).
When the recipe includes:
If necessary, each ingredient shall be examined organoleptically
