Month: May 2013

Report: Average N.J. property tax bills grow to record high
Tuesday May 14, 2013, 2:09 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
Associated Press

New Jersey property tax bills grew last year on average by $126 to a record high of $7,885, according to new data released Tuesday by the state Department of Community Affairs.

The burden is even larger for homeowners in Bergen and Passaic counties, where average property tax bills now total $9,866 and $8,629, respectively.

Property tax bills have emerged as a key early issue in this year’s gubernatorial contest as Governor Christie seeks a second term.

While the average New Jersey property tax bill now sits at a record high, the bills have been growing at a slower rate since Christie took office in early 2010. Bills grew on average by $295 from 2009 to 2010; by $183 from 2010 to 2011; and now $126 from 2011 to 2012.

But the overall net impact property tax bills are having on the average New Jersey homeowner has increased during the Republican governor’s time in office thanks to cuts he made to the state program that funds property tax relief.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/Report_Average_NJ_property_tax_bills_grow_to_record_high.html

President Obama’s proposed cap on the value of the deductions and bite harder in New Jersey than many other states
Sunday May 12, 2013, 11:47 PM
By HERB JACKSON
“NJ/DC” COLUMNIST

Several deductions that help offset the high cost of housing in North Jersey and the property taxes that come with it may be scaled back as the White House and Congress debate ways to overhaul the federal tax code.

Among the 50 states, New Jersey is one of the biggest beneficiaries from the deductions of local property taxes, state income taxes and mortgage interest.

Given how federal policy usually scales back the value of benefits as wealth increases, and targets spending toward lower-income beneficiaries, the deductions represent a rare case where a high-wealth state such as New Jersey comes out near the top from a federal policy.

But economists also see these deductions as an expensive “tax expenditure,” with a national price tag last year of $181 billion that would have otherwise been owed to the federal government, according to the Congressional Research Service. And that high price tag makes them a tempting target for House and Senate tax committees trying to rewrite the code to meet different policy goals without raising rates.

For New Jersey, the three breaks combined were worth an average $9,879 per tax filer in 2011, about 80 percent higher than the national average.

One plan proposed by President Obama would cap the value of the deductions and bite harder in New Jersey than many other states.

A study by Citizens for Tax Justice found that while only 3.6 percent of taxpayers nationwide would pay more under Obama’s plan, the rate would be 6.7 percent — almost double the national average – in New Jersey.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/Jackson_If_DC_reform_kills_property_tax_write-offs_NJ_will_feel_the_pain.html

Along with Jews and Tea Party Groups, Conservative Hispanic Groups Targeted In IRS Scandal
By Andrew O’Reilly
Published May 16, 2013
Fox News Latino

The Internal Revenue Service scandal involving the apparently unjustified targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups has also hit home with the Hispanic community.

George Rodriguez, former president of the San Antonio Tea Party, said that when the organization applied for non-profit status, leaders were intimidated by IRS workers with excessive paperwork and meddling questions.

“They asked us all sorts of things that were out of the norm,” Rodriguez, now head of the conservative South Texas Alliance, told Fox News Latino. “We knew these questions were not the norm and we had our suspicions about them.”

Read more: https://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2013/05/16/irs-allegedly-targeted-latino-run-conservative-group/#ixzz2Tfp2tV1P

Valley’s Fertility Center recently hosted its annual Baby Jubilee to celebrate the more than 1,600 babies born since the program’s inception 13 years ago.  On hand (seated, starting third from left) were Medical Director Ali Nasseri, M.D., Ph.D.; Dehan Chen, M.D., Associate Clinical Director; and  Sheeva Talebian, M.D..  The physicians are joined by Margaret Robinson, RN, Director of Women’s and Children’s Outpatient Services (second from left), members of the Fertility Center’s staff, and some of the young guests in attendance.

The Valley Hospital Fertility Center Holds Annual Baby Jubilee

The Valley Hospital Fertility Center recently hosted its annual Baby Jubilee to celebrate the more than 1,600 babies born since the program’s inception.

May 14, 2013 — Approximately 450 adults and children attended this year’s event, which was held at Season’s in Washington Township.  The event offers parents the chance to enjoy an informal reunion with the Center’s doctors, nurses and staff who helped them achieve their dreams of parenthood, as well as an opportunity to socialize with other parents of children born following treatment at Valley’s Fertility Center.

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TODAY IS ARMED FORCES DAY

STRONG AND RESILIENT
Prepared To Meet Any Challenge
Saturday, May 18, 2013

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.

The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce presents Young Professionals Networking Event
Thu, May 23, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Arthur Groom & Co. Magnificent Jewelry, 262 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

RYPE will be holding their 3rd Young Professionals Networking Event on Thursday, May 23 at Arthur Groom & Co. Magnificent Jewelry.

BYOB* Bring Your Own Business Cards and Your favorite bottle of wine to share for a tasting. RYPE will provide great food and cups.

RYPE will give you the opportunity to get to know other business owners in a non-formal setting so that you will feel comfortable both providing referrals to and receiving referrals from, other young Chamber Members.

For more information please contact Allison Beer at 201-444-0020, [email protected]

Ridgewood Council approves merit-based raises
Friday May 17, 2013, 2:31 PM
The Ridgewood News

The Ridgewood Council approved a salary freeze and merit-based pay raises for certain village employees of up to 1.5 percent of their pay for 2012 and 2013.

A pair of ordinances was passed last Wednesday, establishing new terms for the village’s incentive-based compensation program for several upper management employees and non-unionized workers.

Employees who are eligible for a merit-based raise include the chief financial officer, public works director, chief of police and court administrator, among others. Left off the eligible list, however, is the village manager.

The omission of that position from the terms of Ordinance No. 3378 was noted in the past by Councilman Tom Riche, who said the village manager should have been included. Last week, Riche voted against the ordinance, which ultimately passed by a vote of 4-1.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/207899961_Ridgewood_Council_approves_merit-based_raises.html

Ridgewood parents denounce special education outsourcing
Saturday, May 18, 2013
BY  CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record

RIDGEWOOD — A change in how the school district manages and administers its home programs for special needs students — a cost-cutting measure — has several parents in the village outraged.

Emotion was on display during an informational meeting Thursday night at the Education Center on Cottage Place, where parents chided the school board’s decision to outsource its home programs to Glen Rock-based Volt Wellness.

Parents challenged the district about the impact such a shift in their child’s routine would render, and at least one parent threatened legal action against the school board if the transition goes forward, as planned, on July 1.

Kerry Huntington, the retiring supervisor of special programs, told the parents that contracting with Volt was a cost-cutting move, but admitted the savings would not be “tremendous.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/207978151_Ridgewood_parents_denounce_special_education_outsourcing_denounce_special_ed_outsource.html

N.J. tax collections for April meet projections
Thursday May 16, 2013, 2:58 PM
BY  JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
The Record

New Jersey tax collections met Governor Christie’s targets during the important month of April, keeping the state budget in line with the lowered projections the governor released earlier this year.

The state collected $3.9 billion in revenue in April, according to data put out Thursday by the state Department of Treasury, a shade better than the $3.89 billion goal set in February after Christie revised targets downward in response to a projected shortfall at the time.

The April tax collections put the state budget for the fiscal year that ends on June 30 about $50 million ahead of the revised revenue goals with two months left in the fiscal year.

Though income tax collections missed the lowered targets by nearly 3 percent in April, sales and business tax collections exceeded expectations. Income tax collections for the fiscal year are still up nearly 13 percent over the last fiscal year.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_tax_collections_for_April_meet_projections.html

Federal government creates more low-wage jobs than Wal-Mart
Mark Koba CNBC

The federal government is better at creating low-paying jobs than Wal-Mart and McDonald’s combined, according to a new report.

A study released earlier this month from the public policy group Demos states that through various forms of government funding in the private sector, nearly two million people are making $12 an hour or less. The number of workers at Wal-Mart and McDonald’s together at $12 an hour or less is currently around 1.5 million, according to the report.

“The sheer number of those workers making so little is surprising,” said Amy Traub, a senior policy analyst at Demos and co-author of the study.

“We assume people working on behalf of America would be making more, but that’s not the case,” Traub said. “And many of these people are making less than $12 an hour.”

The report says that when tax dollars underwrite bad jobs, the economy as a whole is weakened.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/federal-government-creates-more-low-wage-jobs-walmart-1C9910466

IRS stalled conservative groups, but gave speedy approval to Obama foundation
By Carol D. Leonnig, Published: May 16 E-mail the writer

When the Barack H. Obama Foundation sought tax-exempt status to raise money for good works in Kenya, the Internal Revenue Service provided quick help.

The IRS approved charitable status for the foundation, which was run by President Obama’s brother and named after his father, in about a month’s time. The IRS also agreed to give the group this important financial status retroactively, back to 2009, when it had begun its fundraising.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/irs-stalled-conservative-groups-but-gave-speedy-approval-to-obama-foundation/2013/05/16/90c53e8a-be57-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html

Special interests alive and well, Christie says in lamenting lack of voucher programs

SAYREVILLE – Gov. Chris Christie again turned his attention to New Jersey’s teacher unions when talking about school vouchers.

The governor told residents the reason the state does not have a school voucher program is because of “the power” of special interests in New Jersey. Christie was asked by a resident whether he supports a voucher program. (Arco/PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/65607/special-interests-alive-and-well-christie-says-lamenting-lack-voucher-programs