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.
Archive for the ‘New Jersey’ Category
Police salaries handcuff taxpayers
19
Apr
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.
Let teachers run the schools
16
Apr
Governor Christie and the New Jersey Teachers Association (NJEA) are in a war of words over his call for teachers to accept a wage freeze for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The governor is asking teachers to forgo any salary increase so the more than $800 million cut in state aid to school districts next year would not result in teacher layoffs. Teachers are crying foul. “A contract is a contract and salary increases must be honored, because the sanctity of a contract cannot be violated.”
Dishonest ads from the NJEA and the CWA
05
Apr
The New Jersey Teachers Association is running a television ad asserting that Governor Christie has “given” tax cuts to “millionaires’ instead of fully funding state aid to local school districts. The ad featuring New Jersey’s Teacher of the Year is long on rhetoric and short on the facts. First, the governor cannot cut anyone’s taxes. Tax bills can be passed by the legislature and then signed by the governor. For taxes to be cut or raised both the legislative and executive branches have to agree to a change in the tax code. Neither branch of government can unilaterally raise or lower taxes.
Libraries, Netflix and the collapsing public sector
03
Apr
Librarians are bemoaning the plight of their libraries because of the state’s fiscal crisis. Supposedly, the public will be shortchanged if Governor Christie’s budget cuts are implemented, even though libraries are providing great services…for free! So-called free government services is one of the most widespread myths perpetuated by not only librarians, teachers and school administrators but anyone who asserts that the government provides services for ‘free.”
Take the money
01
Apr
Governor Christie’s proposed 2010-2011- budget calls for sharp cuts in aid to suburban school districts and municipalities. In some towns school districts will see a 100% reduction in their state aid, despite the fact families are paying millions of dollars in state income taxes that are supposed to offset property taxes in all communities. In other words, the income tax is a big scam–nothing more than a redistribution tool foisted on New Jersey by a mendacious state Supreme Court to funnel more taxpayer dollars from upper and middle income communities to very high cost urban school districts.
Christie and Greenwald are both right about taxes
27
Mar
Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, chairman of the Budget Committee, wants to give municipalities the power to impose taxes to make up for the reduction in state aid next year. Governor Christie rejected Greenwald’s proposal. The governor does not want more taxes levied on the people of New Jersey, claiming they are overtaxed and that spending must be reduced instead to close next year’s $11 billion budget gap. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Christie implementing the Sabrin Plan?
25
Mar
Governor Christie’s proposed 2011 budget cuts state aid to school districts and municipalities to help clsoe the $11 billion deficit. In fact, 59 school districts will see their state aid cut to zero. In other words, the State of New Jersey will take monies from affluent communities and not-so-affluent communities and not send them any of the $60 million in state aid they are receiving this fiscal year. Many of the towns are located in Bergen County. Read the rest of this entry »
Fixing New Jersey’s budget–less spending, less taxes, more freedom
24
Mar
Yesterday, the Senate and Budget Appropriations Committee held a hearing at Bergen Community College about Governor Christie’s proposed 2011 budget. The hearing was dominated by well meaning individuals who want the state to keep on spending at current levels for all the programs the state government has created or supported over the years to deliver numerous social services. In addition, public officials pleaded for maintaining state aid to balance their school and municipal budgets. Read the rest of this entry »
Repeal the Blue Laws
18
Mar
Governor Christie wants Bergen County’s Blue Law repealed so the state could reap another $65 million in sales tax revenue to help pay its bills next year. Allowing Sunday shopping in Bergen County will not raise $65 million in sales tax revenue. In fact, Sunday shopping in the County will probably not raise a single dollar for the state. Read the rest of this entry »
Governor Christie’s budget address: getting closer to the mountaintop?
16
Mar
Governor Christie’s budget address to the Legislature outlined the challenges facing the State of New Jersey, offered some conventional solutions to 2011 budget deficit, but fell short in proposing a plan to diminish substantially the role of state government in the lives of New Jerseyans. Instead, the governor’s budget maintains New Jersey’s welfare state programs, rather than begin the transition to the nonprofitization of New Jersey. Read the rest of this entry »
The privatization task force, first steps to fixing New Jersey
12
Mar
Governor Christie has created a privatization task force headed by former congressman Dick Zimmer. The task force will make recommendations to the governor that ostensibly will reduce the cost of state government. The governor will accept or reject the task force’s recommendations. One member of the task force is John Galandak, president of Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, was president of the Foundation for Free Enterprise, the education affiliate of CIANJ, prior to being appointed head of CIANJ. I have known John for 25 years, and we worked together for more than 20 years delivering the World of Free Enterprise program to public school children, primarily in Bergen County. Read the rest of this entry »
Gas taxes, user fees and the roads
08
Mar
A tax is a coerced levy by a level of government to pay for so-called public services. Our theory of the public finance is that we pay taxes to local and state governments for schools, welfare benefits, police protection, courts, prisons, and all sorts of services to create a humane, compassionate and safe society as well as produce an educated citizenry. (The federal government is omitted from this discussion.) In addition, we are taxed at the gas pump so state and local governments can provide an infrastructure—roads, highways and bridges–to help commerce flourish by providing safe and smooth driving conditions for the people of New Jersey. That’s the theory. The reality in New Jersey is at odds with the fundamental theory of public finance. Read the rest of this entry »
Big government libertarianism?
01
Mar
The editorial page editor of the The Record (Hackensack, NJ), Alfred Doblin, has described himself as a libertarian on more than one occasion in essays on the editorial page. In his latest essay, Doblin is at it again, claiming he believes in “small government” and the welfare state. Below is my Letter to the Editor about Doblin’s essay that will not be published because my recent op-ed on the end-of-life care. Read the rest of this entry »
Sheriff Larkin Must Go!
23
Feb
Sherriff Larkin must go: no ifs ands or buts
According to published reports, Mercer County Sheriff Kevin Larkin entered the Political Science class of associate professor Michael Glass at Mercer County College to have a “chat” with him about statements he made regarding the “double-dipping” law enforcement officer. It seems the Sheriff is collecting a pension of $85,000 and a salary of $129,634 for the same job. Read the rest of this entry »