Thursday, June 23, 2016

HOODWINKED and BAMBOOZLED

State Democrats have advanced on a $35.3 billion state budget with two tax increases that would more than double the money for government workers' pensions next year . . . by raising income taxes on millionaires and corporation business taxes.
Since 1996, governors from both parties have been underfunding the system and using it to balance the budget.
In 2006, the sales tax increased from 6% to 7% and was to generate $1.2 billion in revenue. Under the Corporation Business Tax, a 4 percent surcharge had been placed on what businesses owe to help generate an additional $100 million for New Jersey.
New Jersey’s property taxes in 2010 had increased by more than 70 percent from the previous 10 years.
Between 2003 and 2010 there were 115 tax increases and that still didn’t generate enough revenue.
In 1997, the energy surcharge fee was created, was to have been phased out but was kept to generate $53.5 million for the state in 2006, and to this day, it is still in effect.
Did you know that as a New Jersey resident a portion of your utility bill pays for state facility utilities and energy costs at New Jersey Transit?
The New Jersey Office of Legislative Service projected that for typical residential customers, for each household that surcharge runs about $73 a year on their electricity bill and about $89 annually on their gas bill. New Jersey’s proposed budget for 2017 includes a reallocation of $112 million from the Clean Energy Fund to pay for several of New Jersey government’s utility bills . . . A portion of your utility bill goes towards balancing the state budget!
More often than not, NJ government mismanages our money and then pushes the consequences of their actions back onto the taxpayers. I didn’t bankrupt the pension fund, I didn’t bankrupt the state’s transportation fund . . . but all we hear is how we must tighten our belts and dig deeper to fix their errors.
Now, New Jersey Democrats want raise the gas tax to fund the Transportation Trust Fund, once again placing the burden on its citizens. Already we are being lied to. The gas tax was supposed to have been 'only' 23 cents and that is not the case. The public was not told of all the hidden add-ins built into the bill.
The states drivers will be paying close to 40 cents per gallon or more, it is not a fixed tax and will increase as gas prices escalate. Not one of our representatives have said it would be a dedicated fund to be used only for infrastructure costs.
Another tax that will escalate . . . if one refinery goes dark, that tax will rise faster than the morning sun.
We, as the people of this state already paid for the TTF . . . misused and mismanaged we are being asked to fund it a second time with no guarantees that it will not be used to balance another shortfall somewhere else.
Unless we hold our elected leaders responsible for their actions . . . leaders supposedly elected to look out for our interests, we will continue to roast ourselves over a self-perpetuating fire pit.
The more money government collects . . . it will find a way to spend it, creating more of the same mess it claims it is trying to fix. Any money they do collect goes towards paying off the bonds from the prior year. The shell game is in play; we are being hoodwinked and bamboozled at what cost?
I for one am tired of having my pockets siphoned to fill the states endless money grab at my expense while paying for their self-interests at the same time.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I hope your happy with your republican tax increase.
Did your accountant instruct you on behalf of your savior trump on how to bend over? Or maybe you haven’t gotten to the accountant yet.
How could you blame Hillary for this one you fool.