New Jersey
Christie, Schundler, Obama and education
The federal government will finish this fiscal year, ending September 30th, with a $1.4 trillion deficit. Instead of reining in federal spending to get its fiscal house in order, the Obama administration is desperately trying to “stimulate’ the economy with money it does not have, including sending more money to public school’s via a competition, “Race to the Top,” supposedly to enact “education reform.”
Another black eye for New Jersey
The State of New Jersey was accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of committing fraud when it issued bonds between 2001 and 2007. According to the SEC complaint, the State did not fully disclose to bond buyers the extent of the growing shortfall in the state’s two major pension plans. › Continue reading
One down, three to go
Governor Christie’s first budget was passed by the Legislature before the June 30th deadline, but not before three Republican holdouts, Michael Doherty in the Senate and Allison Littell McHose and Michael Patrick Carroll in the Assembly vowed not to vote for the $29.4 billion budget and the supplemental bills containing tax hikes.
It’s the spending and the income tax, stupid
The New Jersey state budget is in perpetual crisis. Every year the governor and the legislature engage in the June 30th soap opera: Will a budget be in place by the June 30th deadline? Or, will there be a state shutdown because the legislature failed to pass a budget in time for the upcoming fiscal year?
Another reason to abolish the income tax
Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme ripped off thousands of investors, foundations, colleges and universities, and financial institutions for as much as $50 billion. Over the years, investors paid taxes on capital gains and interest their accounts supposedly generated for them. But after Madoff confessed to the largest private Ponzi scheme in history did investors realize they had been victimized twice, once by Bernie and the second time by the government that taxed their nonexistent gains.
Consolidation is in the air: How about Bergen County to the City of Bergen?
For years governors, legislators and others have been advocating “shared services” as a way for towns to hold the line on costs and thus halt the rapid rise of property taxes that has been plaguing New Jersey municipalities for decades. The Legislature may get an opportunity to do more than just advocate shared services; it may force Teterboro in Bergen County to be split among the four adjoining municipalities. › Continue reading
Another small step for the freedom movement
Although Tea Party candidates were shut in last night’s primaries except for Anna Little, who is holding on to the slimmest of leads in the 12th congressional district GOP primary, they made more than a respectable showing. Particularly impressive was Dave Corsi’s near upset of heavily favored, well financed, establishment candidate Scott Sipprelle in the 6th congressional district. › Continue reading
Choose free enterprise
Governor Christie announced the creation of a nonprofit organization, Choose New Jersey, to help revitalize the state’s economy. The mission of Choose New Jersey is to market New Jersey’s “strategic strengths” by making the state more attractive for businesses to relocate here and expand their operations if they are already doing business in the Garden State.
Guest column, Dr. Alieta Eck
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As Illegals Take, Are Americans Free? By Alieta Eck, MD
We do not have “universal health care. We have mandatory free “health care for the universe.” A middle-aged woman came to our local emergency room, suitcase in tow, complaining of a severe headache and diminished vision. A CT scan of the head showed a brain tumor. The neurosurgeon on call was summoned and within days the patient had surgery to preserve her vision. An inspiring story giving tribute to the wonderful ingenuity, generosity, and high standards in our country? There’s more.
Christie’s micromanaging New Jersey. Free the cities and suburbs instead.
Chris Christie became governor promising to “shake up Trenton”–exactly what is needed to overhaul the state budget. He has been praised for taking on the Trenton establishment and the NJEA. Christie, however, has been accused of being a “bully” for “waging war” on teachers, cutting school aid to the suburbs, and failing to resurrect the so-called millionaire’s tax to help close the 2011 budget gap.
There’s school choice and there’s real school choice
In a speech before a school choice group in the nation’s capital Monday, Governor Christie announced his support for a bipartisan bill in the legislature that would allow corporations to receive tax credits for scholarships they provide to children in failing school districts. Parents would be able to send their children to public or private schools with a scholarship that would be valued at about $15,000 per student. The Governor also supports increasing the number of charter schools in the state.
Racism–and sexism–is alive and well in New Jersey
Governor Christie announced the nomination of Anne M. Patterson, a former deputy state Attorney General, to replace Justice John Wallace on the state Supreme Court. If Ms. Patterson is confirmed, a majority of the New Jersey Supreme Court Justices will be women. However, by not reappointing Justice Wallace, who could only serve for two years because he would have to step down when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2012, Governor Christie will leave the Court without a black justice.
Guest column: Dr. Alieta Eck
Miracle on Page 327
“We have to pass the health care bill, so you can find out what’s in it,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It’s a good thing doctors don’t practice medicine that way. Imagine sending patients to major surgery and then checking to find out what is in their medical record! Those intent on a government takeover of medicine missed one item that is found in the bill. › Continue reading
When does 2+1=1?
Two plus one equals one. No, it’s not the new math concocted by some education theorist; it is how parents of children who attend independent schools are treated by the state and the municipalities where they live. Homeowners with children aged 5-18 pay local school taxes, the state income tax, and tuition at a parochial or nonsectarian independent school. In other words, parents pay two taxes and tuition to educate one child (or more), hence two plus one equals one.
Police salaries handcuff taxpayers
If you think public school teachers are overpaid, The Record (Hackensack, NJ) reports that the award should go to New Jersey police officers, whose average annual salary in 2008 was nearly $80,000, 25% more than school employees and nearly double the average public employee, who made $41,267 that year.