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Cities Waste State Funding

New Jersey State Senators Steven Oroho and Marcia Karrow expressed disbelief and frustration with the Corzine administration for its decision to grant more than $80 million in so-called “Special Municipal Aid” to three cities that have no stated plans to make sacrifices next year that many other communities are being forced to make during this recession. The aid was granted to Camden, Patterson and Bridgeton.
“These three cities argue that they qualify as ‘distressed’ when they have not taken the necessary steps to control costs as Newark and Trenton have recently done as well as countless smaller communities throughout the state,” Senator Oroho said.
“Governor Corzine -- rather doing what he pledged to do in his budget proposal and demand a fair and equitable distribution of sacrifice -- is giving these towns a pass,” said Senator Karrow. “As far as I am concerned, every local official who has spent countless hours trying to figure out ways to reduce the tax burden should be outraged and crying foul.
“We all have to pitch in,” Senator Karrow said. “It’s not fair to ask taxpayers who are facing layoffs or cutbacks in local services to pay so that residents of other communities can avoid making sacrifices.”
Newark and the state of New Jersey are imposing furloughs on city workers. School districts across the state are cutting hundreds of teaching positions. Camden, Paterson, and Bridgeton today were awarded special municipal aid grants in the amounts of $56 million, $27 million, and $1.8 million, respectively, without being required to cut the size of their governments, impose furloughs or make cuts in spending in other ways. At today’s hearing, not one member of the Local Finance Board publically asked questions of city officials before approving the aid awards. Local Finance Board members are paid $12,000 a year and are eligible for state health benefits. Board members typically meet once a month.

City's Mayor Is Useless

From Monica Yant Kinney at the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Dana Redd recently unveiled a slick new Web site - http://unitedforchange09.com - and a catchy R&B campaign ditty in her quest to be the next mayor of Camden.
Redd seems like a smart, capable public official, but I'm not feeling the United for Change vibe. And it's not because she totally ripped off Barack Obama's swooshy campaign logo, which, while not illegal, is kind of lame.
For starters, there's the fact that Redd is a state senator, vice president of Camden City Council, and the latest golden girl of the Camden County Democratic Party, which is on the verge of dominating South Jersey the way the communists control China.
There's no shame in being a machine candidate, but if that's who you are, embrace it. Don't pretend to be a change agent who'll shake up the system.
The bigger issue is just how ludicrous it is that anyone is running to be mayor of Camden.
The city has been under state control since 2002, rendering its mayor a glorified bobblehead. She gets a $103,000 salary, a social schedule and a swivel chair. Major decision-making is left to outsiders.
In exchange for a pot of cash to aid the ailing city, Camden has seen its mayorship transformed into a legally sanctioned low-show job that makes a mockery of self-rule. If Gov. Corzine really wanted to save a few bucks, he'd mothball the office.

To read Monica Yant Kinney's entire column click here.

Schundler Boosts Christie Effort

From Politicker NJ via ChristieForNJ.com:

Bret Schundler's endorsement of Christopher Christie in the GOP gubernatorial primary is significant, although Steve Lonegan's camp will suggest it is not. Support from Schundler makes it more difficult for Lonegan to persuade conservative Republican primary voters to oppose Christie, the former U.S. Attorney who has become the front runner for the chance to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine in the fall. Like U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, whose endorsement of Christie is like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval within the pro-life community - a vote Lonegan must win big if he is to be successful in the June primary - Schundler is popular enough with conservatives that his support will be helpful.

Red Bank's Broadway Diner!

While we were in Red Bank we stopped for dinner at the Broadway Diner.
The Broadway is known to all as "the little pink diner."
Carried to town on trucks in 1959 this landmark eatery celebrates its golden anniversary this year.
The place was jammed on Friday night and it wasn't hard to figure out why.
This classic Joisey diner offers everything you'd expect and a lot more - from sandwiches and salads to platters and full course dinners with tempting cakes, pies, sundaes and other desserts.
The menu is huge and so are the portions. Our salad was big enough for four people.
The Broadway boasts "the world's best pancakes" and breakfast is served anytime, day or night. And they do mean day or night since the diner is open 24-hours.
Tucked into Red Bank's busy Monmouth Street this place is no 1950s recreation or retro chic outlet of some corporate chain. This is the real deal.
The place is relatively long and narrow but nonetheless bright with splashes of pink, green and purple and plenty of comfy booths. Many of the fixtures and adornments appear to be original but everything has been kept neat and clean.
Prices are very reasonable and service is quick and efficient. For example, a cheeseburger with "the works" (fries, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion rings and coleslaw) is only $6.45. For $9.45 you can enjoy an entire homemade meatloaf dinner with soup, salad, pasta or potato and rolls and butter. If you order any breakfast platter pancakes are only $1.75 more. And you can enjoy a triple scoop milkshake for $3.95.
Everything here is fresh since the place deals in volume and food disappears as fast as it arrives.
When you see locals flocking to a place and when you find whole families lined up to get in with tons of regulars and return visitors, you know the food is good.
That's what the Broadway Diner is all about.
It's a real Joisey classic!

Atlantic City's Cling Clang!

From Wayne Parry at the Associated Press:
It used to be the signature sound of gambling: the clacking of coins spilling into metal trays on slot machines. But newer electronic machines that spit out paper vouchers or credit winnings to cards emit only canned noise. Now, Atlantic City's oldest casino is bringing back the real clang amid indications that some gamblers miss the way things used to be. "You think you're playing a real slot machine here," said Jeanette Snell of Union, who won two $25 jackpots less than five minutes after she started playing yesterday at Resorts Atlantic City. "This feels like a game," she said. "The other ones, it's just losing money." Snell cashed out soon after the 47 dollar coins spilled into a metal tray at the bottom of her machine. She grabbed one of the oversize plastic cups that used to be everywhere in this gambling resort and scooped up her winnings. "This is real money," she said. "I like this better." Resorts is banking on others liking it, too. It became the nation's first legal casino outside Las Vegas when it opened in 1978 and has seen more than 14,000 slot machines come and go. Its coin experiment is swimming against the tide in the casino industry, where nearly 90 percent of the 900,000 or so slot machines in use in North America do not accept or pay out in coins. None of Atlantic City's 33,010 other slots uses coins, though a handful use tokens for high-denomination bets. The trend accelerated in 2003 when the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa opened as Atlantic City's first coinless casino. Casinos liked that the machines didn't jam as often, had to be maintained far less, and, best of all, required fewer employees. No longer was it necessary to pay workers to stock machines with coins, transport them to or from cash cages, and count and roll them. "It's very time-consuming and costly to run coins," said Christopher Downey, Resorts' director of slot operations. "As soon as this technology became available, the industry grabbed onto it." Resorts opened eight of the coin machines this week and will add more if they catch on. The casino, with one of the oldest customer bases in the city, has been doing well with a nightclub called Boogie Nights, where disco rules. It used the '70s Boogie Nights theme for the slot machines as part of a deliberate appeal to older players. Some of them gamble at the Skyline Restaurant & Casino in Henderson, Nev., where half of the 420 slots take coins. Those machines generate about 15 percent more revenue than do the paper-voucher ones, said general manager Mike Young. "It fills a niche, particularly for the older player," he said. "They like to get their hands dirty, they like to cash out, they like to hear the money drop into the trays."

Robbery Fails, Robber Cries

From the Associated Press:
Police say a 19-year-old who tried to rob a liquor store sat down and cried after 76-year-old owner locked him in the store. The man was accused of trying to rob Sykes Liquor Store in Trenton Monday night. Police said the owner, who was behind the counter, triggered the lock after the man grabbed a bottle of Hennessy cognac and bolted for the door.
The man then allegedly pulled out a handgun and demanded to be released. But the owner said he saw that the gun was a fake, refused to unlock the door and called police.
Police said the suspect threw away the gun, slumped to the floor and was crying when officers arrived to arrest him.

Top Four, Top Drawer!

Through a delightful serendipity Villanova is among the Top Four and so are we.
This website is among the four most influential sites in the region according to BlogNetNews New Jersey.
The other three blogs in the "Final Four" of most influential blogs are Politicker NJ, the Save Jersey blog, and MiddletownMike.
We congratulate the others in the Inner Circle of Influential Blogs and we wish them the best.
And we thank all of you for making us one of the most popular, most clicked, most influential blogs in the region.
Every day and every week and every month more and more people are coming to our blog.
We're gratified and we ask you to keep returning and keep telling your friends!

Christie Radio Campaign Begins!

Let's Get NJ Working!

New Jersey State Senator Marcia Karrow (R-Warren/Hunterdon) expressed her deep concern today after New York announced that its unemployment rate is significantly lower than New Jersey's.
"It pains me to see fear grip New Jersey families faced with the loss of jobs and income,” Karrow stated. "Governor Corzine has to stop touting his alleged ‘successes’ and start leading the way in asking why New Jersey has proportionally more workers out of work than neighboring states do. Then we need him to lead on coming up with a far more comprehensive plan for diversifying our economy and reviving the entrepreneurial culture that once made New Jersey an economic powerhouse.
“A good first step: Repeal bureaucratic red tape that is preventing job growth in New Jersey. Corzine should rescind increases in home energy taxes, roll back newly increased fees on motor vehicles and insist he will not sign a budget until ‘affordable’ housing rules that discourage job creation are ended."
Yesterday the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development released state unemployment figures which showed the rate surged in February to 8.2 percent from January's 7.3 percent. This is higher than New York's at 7.8 percent, Pennsylvania's 7.5 percent and Delaware's 7.4 percent. It also marks the first time since October 2006 that the state unemployment rate was higher than the national rate.
"Until Democrats took control in 2002, New Jersey had a rich and proud history of being the economic powerhouse of the Northeast," Karrow continued. "Governor Corzine's failed policies and misplaced priorities have strangled New Jersey businesses, suffocated New Jersey entrepreneurs and hurt the New Jersey middle class. We need a drastic change of course if we are to recover."

Joisey Jobless Climb

From Eli Segall at the Associated Press:
New Jersey's jobless rate continued to climb last month, surpassing the national rate for the first time in two years and keeping the state firmly entrenched in the global recession, according to analysts.
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February's unemployment rate of 8.2 percent was nearly a full percentage point above January's rate, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which released the figures Wednesday.
It was the 13th straight month New Jersey shed jobs, pushing the state's jobless rate just above the national rate of 8.1 percent.
"These are dismal numbers," said Rutgers University Professor Joseph Seneca, of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. "New Jersey's economy is fully engulfed by the national recession."
Job losses were heaviest in professional and business services, manufacturing and construction, according to the state. Education and health services had the only significant job growth, but most industries shed workers.
A soaring number of unemployment claims has helped empty the state's unemployment insurance fund, a key source of help for jobless New Jerseyans. It's also been depleted over the years by lawmakers raiding the fund for other programs.
State Labor Commissioner David Socolow said the state has borrowed $185 million this month from the federal government to make its unemployment payments. A provision in the federal stimulus package makes the loans interest free, he said.
Corzine taxes and spend, taxes and spends, taxes and spends and things get worse and worse and worse.

NJ Debate Targets Jurist

From Josh Margolin in the Newark Star-Ledger:

Slim, slight and studious, Barry Albin can walk down just about any street in New Jersey without being recognized. But that may soon change. Albin, one of seven justices on the New Jersey Supreme Court, is about to become a lightning rod in what promises to be a tough gubernatorial campaign.
The 56-year-old jurist is the only member of the court due to be nominated for lifetime tenure before Election Day. And he's already being targeted by Republican candidates as a symbol of too much judicial activism in New Jersey.
"Not only do we look forward to it (the hearing process), we intend on making it an issue, and I want to make sure that Barry Albin is not reconfirmed," said Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan.
Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, the other leading Republican in the governor's race, said Albin's record and questions about Supreme Court nominations are "a legitimate part of the debate. The constitution set it up that way. It is an absolutely appropriate matter to be discussed in a gubernatorial campaign. There are many things this court has done over the years that have tied the hands of the governor and the Legislature." . . .
Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee that holds the confirmation hearings, said he has told Corzine's staff he plans to gavel the Albin hearing to order in June. Sarlo insisted he is "not going to allow this to turn into a political circus" but will let Republican senators engage in detailed questioning.
"I'm going to give all the members ample opportunity to ask their questions and discuss the work that he has done on the bench," Sarlo said.
Sarlo said he realizes Albin's tenure process will be the appetizer for Republicans who have long railed at the court for pushing everything from billions in school funding for poor school districts to civil unions for same-sex couples. Just last week, the court disappointed GOP leaders by unanimously refusing to consider their appeal of a decision saying Corzine does not have release e-mails he exchanged with former state workers union leader Carla Katz.
The GOP's main course, Sarlo said, will be this fall's gubernatorial race because the next governor will be responsible for nominating or renominating four of the seven justices, as two will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 and two others will be at the end of their initial seven-year terms. . . .
New Jersey's Supreme Court, modeled on the nation's high court, has the final word on interpreting state law and the Garden State's constitution. The justices are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
Albin, who was both a prosecutor and prominent criminal defense lawyer before coming to the bench, was nominated by his friend, then-Gov. James E. McGreevey, in 2002. A prolific writer of more than 100 majority opinions and author of controversial decisions including the civil unions case, Albin has helped decide hot-button issues from the moment he joined the court.
One of the first oral arguments he heard was in the groundbreaking case that allowed state Democrats to ignore statutory deadlines and replace U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli on the 2002 ballot. Albin also has voted with the majority of justices on key cases on mandatory funding for poor school districts and allowing state authorities to borrow money without voter approval.
Conservatives like Lonegan take issue with what he calls Albin's "activist" judicial philosophy, saying he tries to make law rather than interpret existing law.
"Now it's time to hold him accountable," Lonegan said.
Christie said he has not yet studied Albin's record closely, though he was emphatic "the court has no business legislating. The court has no business making new law."

NJ Jobless Rate Spikes

From the Associated Press:
The number of larger New Jersey cities and towns with double-digit unemployment rates rose to 24 in January from 11 the prior month.
That's according to data released Thursday by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics on the 97 New Jersey communities with more than 25,000 residents.
APPeople wait in line to talk with Wiley Publishing recruiter Eva Drew, right, at a job fair at Rutgers University in January.
Newark's unemployment rate climbed to a five-year high of 12.5 percent in January, from 11.3 percent in December. That compares with 9 percent for New Jersey's largest city during the same period a year ago.
It's Newark's highest jobless rate since January of 2004, when 12.6 percent of the city's work force was idle.
Six New Jersey cities had unemployment rates higher than that in January, led by Trenton at 17.5 percent.

Corzine Seeks Tax Hike

New Jersey State Senator Steve Oroho, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding Governor Corzine’s retreat from a “temporary” elimination of the property tax deduction for every taxpayer.
“I’m relieved that the governor has partially retreated from a remarkably bad policy decision that threatened the middle class in a state with the highest property tax burden in the nation. The 10-day conversion took place only after long-suffering middle class residents made it known loud and clear that this governor could no longer ignore their needs.
“Sadly, the governor still hasn’t gotten the message that no state should raise taxes during a recession. In 2006, the governor told Gannett News Service that New Jersey’s high income taxes made the state ‘less attractive’ than Connecticut and put it at a ‘competitive disadvantage’ to Pennsylvania and Delaware. Now the governor wants to raise income tax rates to rates higher than almost every state in the nation. He also still plans to take away the property tax deduction for people, making over $150,000, who are also struggling to keep their homes during this economic crisis.
“The governor should listen to his own words. A recession is the wrong time to make New Jersey less attractive and uncompetitive to neighboring states that have been stealing our jobs for the last three years. Last year alone, 58,000 people left the state and took their incomes with them. Governor Corzine decision to raise the income tax will only accelerate the exodus of our friends and neighbors, and threaten the jobs and financial security of those who remain.
“Governor Corzine should be honest with the people of New Jersey and tell them what the true cost of his budget will be in lost jobs and future tax increases. If there were ever a time to finally end the waste, fraud and abuse in New Jersey government, it’s now. ”

NJ Indictments Keep Comin

Former Democrat Mayor (and now State Assemblyman) Joseph Vas of Perth Amboy had been indicted on charges that, while he was mayor of Perth Amboy, he conspired with city employees to steal approximately $5,000 in funds from the city to pay for personal purchases and expenses.
Vas, 54, was indicted with his personal driver, Anthony S. Jones, 48, of Perth Amboy, on charges he rigged a city housing lottery so that Jones won the opportunity to buy a home through the city’s affordable housing program.
Vas is the 13th Democrat Mayor in New Jersey to recently be indicted. Here's the (nearly)complete list (from Red State) with links to the full story for each.
(1) Orange Mayor Mims Hackett Jr, who pleaded guity to extortion;
(2) Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera, who pleaded guity to extortion;
(3) former Newark Mayor Sharpe James, convicted along with his former mistress in connection with shady land deals;
(4) former Atlantic City Mayor Robert Levy, who pleaded guilty to making false claims to receive more than $24,000 in veterans’ benefits;
(5) former Hoboken Mayor Anthony Russo, indicted for extortion and bribery and who ultimately pleaded guilty to mail fraud;
(6) former Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna, who was convicted along with his wife of extortion and tax fraud;
(7) former Irvington Mayor Sara Bost, indicted for taking kickbacks and who ultimately pleaded guilty to witness tampering;
(8) former Irvington Mayor Michael Steele (no relation, I assume) indicted for bribery;
(9) former Patterson Mayor Martin Barnes, convicted of accepting gifts in exchange for city contracts;
(10) fomer Brick Mayor Joseph Scarpelli, convicted of taking bribes;
(11) former Burlington Township Mayor Joseph Foy Sr., who pleaded guilty to tax evasion;
Oh, and throw in Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy, convicted of resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. Of course, the list * * goes well beyond Mayors.
We can only hope that Joisey residents are FINALLY beginning to come to their senses and are prepared to vote for Christopher Christie for Governor. We need to throw the bums out and turn our state over to a tough prosecutor. That person is CHRISTIE!
To get involved in the Christie campaign, click here.

Kean: NJ Slips Further

New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-21) responded to a report in Crain’s Insider titled “Nearby states doing worse than New York.” The March 13, 2009 report, published in the highly respected and influential business publication, noted that New Jersey experienced a 6.8% drop in tax revenue in the 4th quarter of 2008, while New York experienced a dramatically lower reduction of just 0.2%, despite serious problems in the financial sector.
The report also noted that Pennsylvania experienced a 2.4% decline in 4th quarter 2008 tax revenues, and a 50-state average decline of 3.6% during the same period.
“While Governor Corzine has repeatedly maintained that his efforts to sustain state spending have put New Jersey closer to economic recovery than other states, the data shows that New Jersey is actually doing much worse than our neighbors and the nation as a whole,” said Kean. “Governor Corzine’s proposal to increase business taxes by $350 million, while cutting thousands of dollars of rebates and property tax deductions for middle-class families, will only ensure that the New Jersey economy continues to suffer unnecessarily.”
Senator Kean is the primary sponsor of the “Economic Development Promotion Act,” S-281, which would make New Jersey job growth programs more efficient, target high paying industries, and give middle class families the economic security of a stronger job market.

No School Tax Hike!

An editorial from Gannett's Courier-Post:
Districts that want voters to approve budgets must minimize tax hikes.
"It's not that I don't want good schools. I can't give more.'
That was Winslow resident Rich Reilly explaining why he voted against a $69.9 million plan to build an elementary school and improve existing schools in Winslow.
Reilly's sentiment echoes others in Winslow, where the referendum failed by a more than 3-1 margin Tuesday.
But the sentiment goes beyond even Winslow. In these tough economic times, school districts have to be extremely frugal with taxpayer dollars and realize that the residents they're asking for money from aren't in a position, because of the recession, to see their already inflated property tax bills go up further.
On April 21, five weeks from now, voters in every community will go to the polls to vote on local and regional school district budgets for the 2009-2010 school year. We hope that school district officials across South Jersey see what happened in Winslow and understand what it means. Even residents who fully support the public schools and want the best are feeling financially pinched these days.
Property tax increases absolutely must be kept to a minimum. If that means delaying some projects, putting off buying some new books or computers, etc. school districts need to do it. All public institutions these days, including schools, which take the largest slice of the property tax pie, need to tighten their belts and do everything they can to ease the burden on taxpayers.
We'll go one ste further: In the weeks ahead and on April 21 we hope New Jersey taxpayers speak loud and clear and say "NO SCHOOL TAX INCREASES!"
We simply cannot afford any further burden on our property taxes.

Corzine Assaults Middle Class

New Jersey Senate Republican Whip Kevin O’Toole of Cedar Grove wonders if Governor Jon Corzine has ever totaled the cost of the burdens he has loaded onto the backs of New Jersey’s middle class during his three years in office.
“This year, Governor Corzine wants to raise taxes by more than $420 million by eliminating the middle class tax deduction for property taxes. He wants to raise the costs of owning a car or boat or motorcycle by as much as $60 million by raising fees charged by the Department of Motor Vehicles. He plans to raise sales taxes on some products by $40 million.
“Last year, he raised tolls on the most popular highways in the state, making it more expensive for middle class residents to get work each day and for small businesses to create jobs. He drastically cut property tax rebates in 2008, and he wants to cut them even more this year in a state where average homeowner pays $7,045 in property taxes, the highest rate in the nation and the highest rate this state has ever seen. All this during the term of a governor who ran on the promise of lowering property taxes.
“In his budget message yesterday, he called for a nearly $400 million increase in payroll taxes, a move that will drive away even more middle class jobs at a time when New Jersey’s unemployment rate is higher than every neighboring state’s. It’s now 7.6 percent while the rate was 7 percent in New York and Pennsylvania and 6.7 percent in Delaware. Unemployment in New Jersey was 5.8 percent when Jon Corzine took office.
“This governor’s legacy will be an unprecedented impact it will have on lowering the quality of life for middle class New Jersey. Higher taxes. Fewer jobs. Diminishing opportunity, and an increasingly unaffordable cost of living. Governor Corzine has abandoned the middle class taxpayer.”

Wacky Jon Strikes Again!

Here's the latest pick-your-pockets scheme from Joisey's wacky Governor Jon Corzine: The former Wizard of Wall Street actually wants to eliminate our real estate tax deduction on our state income tax. In other words, he wants to prevent us from deducting our outrageous local property tax when we file our state income tax forms.

Here's what Senator Jennifer Beck, (R- Monmouth, Mercer) has to say about this idea:
“Governor Corzine’s proposal to eliminate the property tax deduction from state income taxes is offensive. This is nothing more than a thinly disguised income tax hike on every homeowner in New Jersey who is not a senior citizen.

“This tax hike is the capstone of seven years of relentless Democrat tax and fee increases on the people of New Jersey. These increases have crippled our State and ruined our economy. As in the past, we will work to identify common-sense budget savings over the next several months.
“Governor Corzine says he is protecting vulnerable middle-class tax payers, but this is simply not true. Middle class families will be hit by not only the elimination of the property tax deduction and rebate checks, but with skyrocketing property taxes as State Aid to municipalities is decreased.”

NJ: It Just Gets Worse

Higher and higher property taxes (via an end to tax rebates). Higher payroll taxes. No cut in the bloated state employee rolls. Frozen or reduced aid to schools or municipalities (more taxes!).
The news is all bad from wacky Jon Corzine's proposed budget that the Governor is set to unveil today.
Of course, Corzine will preserve rebates for "low income" residents. As always, Corzine is out to punish those who are productive and pay taxes and reward those who aren't productive and pay no taxes. And even in the midst of a total economic meltdown (with businesses closing down or fleeing the state in droves) Corzine continues to punish the private sector.
Democrat Senate President Dick Codey says this is the worst economic scenario he's seen in 35 years in the legislature. Hey, Codey: After all that time in Trenton if it's so bad why don't you pack up and get the hell out of town? You've earned enough at our expense and piled up enough money in your pension to pack it in. What are you waiting for?
As for Corzine, we've pretty much given up any hope that this old-line liberal will ever come to his senses. His elitist tax-and-spend mentality is hopelessly out-of-touch with current realities.
New Jersey needs smaller government, fewer regulations, consolidation of government agencies and local government entities, an end to waste and mismanagement, lower taxes and a new, solid pro-business climate.
Here's what Christopher Christie plans to do:
It will be a priority in the Christie administration to reduce New Jersey’s gross income tax during Christie’s first 4 year term as Governor. Christie will seek two types of income tax reductions: One will be an “across the board” rate cut for all taxpayers. The other will be an additional cut or credit for those taxpayers who derive business income from New Jersey-based small businesses. These taxes will be reduced to encourage investment in and expansion of New Jersey-based small business, and make our tax policies more competitive with the other states in the region that have better private sector job growth.
And Christie also plans to reduce the corporate business tax rate, freeze all new agency rules and regulations to eliminate red tape, eliminate agency funding from fees and fines and mandate funding "on budget" from the general fund, eliminate special interest giveaways and nurture and expand the state manufacturing base.
Christie's been one tough prosecutor and he will be an equally tenacious Governor. New Jersey's culture of corruption will be put on notice: Clean up you act or wind up in jail.
New Jersey will face one of the most critical decisions in its history this November: more waste, corruption, mismanagement and tax and spend or a new era of positive action under a new, courageous, independent leader committed to growth and reform.
Avanti!