Florham Park NJ, in what looks like the first of many, baby food giant Gerber food said Monday that it will be closing its headquarters in Florham Park and moving to Arlington, Virginia, beginning the transition in January 2019.
Gerber will move operations to the same building as its sister company Nestle USA, which also recently relocated to the Washington D.C. area, the company said in a statement.
This leaves close to 180 New Jerseyans will be out of a job mostly in corporate positions such as marketing, finance and HR. The company will offer a chance to relocate, as well as severance and outpatient support for those that can’t make the move.
A congratulations to Governor Murphy , who’s policies seem destine to produce the final mass exodus of companies and labor from the state of New Jersey.
Ridgewood NJ, , no this is not from the Onion ,and it a little late for April fools, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s administration on Tuesday made the case to skeptical legislators that nearly $1.6 billion in new taxes is necessary to take the state’s economy off “life support” . Is this a joke the reason the state’s economy is on “life support” because of high taxes , have driven out private investment and massive fiscal mismanagement .
Poll after poll shows that most New Jerseyians feel high taxes are the biggest issue and the primary reason for leaving the state ,yet Phil Murphy running on a platform of raising everyone’s taxes won election .
Republican Sen. Declan O’Scanlon warned against taxing millionaires for fear they might move to states with friendlier tax climates.“You can squeeze the golden goose to get it to lay more golden eggs faster but at some point you either crush the goose or it gets pissed off enough and it flies to Florida, and either way you have no more golden eggs,” Bad news Senator its already happened , the “golden goose ” is long dead and the ship is sinking fast.
Southampton N.J , New Jersey State Trooper Joseph Drew reached inside a young man’s underwear to conduct a body search after he said he smelled marijuana during a motor vehicle stop in Southampton, N.J. The search, conducted along a highway, was captured by dashcam and body cameras of the trooper and his back-up officer. The footage was obtained by the New Jersey Libertarians Open Government Advocacy Project.
New Jersey Libertarian Party’s Open Government Advocacy Project , “I did not realize that the odor of marijuana, without more, justified a roadside, under-clothes search of a motorist’s genitals and anus by a State Trooper clad in latex gloves. I received this video in response to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request made to the New Jersey State Police.”
Knowlton Township NJ, As Troopers, we must rely on our training and experience to make split-second decisions. And that’s just what Trooper Roy Sanchez did when he used a makeshift tourniquet to help save a man’s life after responding to an accidental shooting on Wednesday April 4.
At approximately 3:46 p.m., troopers from Hope Station responded to an accidental shooting at a residence in Knowlton Township, Warren County. When Tpr. Sanchez arrived, he discovered the victim sustained an accidental gunshot wound to the leg.
Tpr. Sanchez radioed to dispatch requesting advanced life support, but knew he had to tend to the victim’s heavily-bleeding leg by applying a tourniquet. Using a nearby computer cable and a decorative arrow, which was hanging on the wall, Tpr. Sanchez created a makeshift tourniquet to apply to the victim’s leg.
A short time later, Trooper I Aaron Coleman and Trooper Michael Butler arrived on scene and helped moved a desk in order to render further aid to the victim. When advanced emergency personnel arrived, they used Quick Clot gauze, which was provided by troopers, to control the bleeding and applied a second tourniquet before transporting the victim to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he was last listed as in stable condition.
Great job by all of the Troops involved, whose quick and decisive actions undoubtedly increased the victim’s chances of survival.
Ridgewood NJ, Senatorial candidate Bob Hugin reminds us of the anniversary of our ethically challenged senator ‘s indictment . There is no special schedule for New Jersey Transit or state holiday planned .
“New Jersey deserves a Senator who will represent them with honesty and integrity in Washington and fight for them every day—not one who spends his time trying to stay one step ahead of the law.” said Hugin Communications Director Megan Piwowar. “The more voters compare Menendez’s failed, corrupt track record with Bob Hugin’s background as a former Marine and job-creating business leader, we are confident that New Jersey voters will elect Bob Hugin and give our state a Senator we can be proud of again.”
Senator Menendez narrowly avoided federal prison, and still faces an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee where his shady behavior will continue to embarrass New Jersey. It’s why the New York Times and Star Ledger both called on Menendez to resign from office. He refused to listen and announced his re-election plans last week.
“Our new :60 ad highlights Senator Menendez’s embarrassing tenure as Senator, where his biggest accomplishment was trying to bury an investigation into his best friend’s scheme to defraud Medicare, and becoming synonymous with federal investigations, private jets, fancy vacations and strong-arming people to get visas for his married best friends foreign girlfriends,” said Piwowar. “New Jersey is 50 out of 50—dead last—in what we get back from Washington for the amount of tax dollars we send down there. Instead of fixing that, Senator Menendez was too busy serving himself and his big donors. New Jersey deserves better. It’s time for a change.”
BACKGROUND
SEN. MENENDEZ ADMITTED HE ACCEPTED EXPENSIVE GIFTS, INCLUDING LAVISH VACATIONS, FROM CONVICTED FELON, DR. MELGEN.
THE NEW YORK TIMES AND STAR LEDGER CALLED FOR SENATOR MENENDEZ TO RESIGN.
UNDER SENATOR MENENDEZ NEW JERSEY IS BIGGEST LOSER—RANKS 50 OUT OF 50 IN MONEY SENT TO WASHINGTON THAT COMES BACK TO THE STATE
MENENDEZ ADMITTED HE ACCEPTED EXPENSIVE GIFTS, INCLUDING LAVISH VACATIONS, FROM CONVICTED FELON
ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT, SENATOR MENENDEZ WAS ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING PRIVATE PLANE FIGHTS AND OTHER GIFTS FROM MELGEN IN EXCHANGE FOR MENENDEZ’S ASSISTANCE. “In exchange, the former chair of the senate foreign relations committee is accused of accepting several private plane flights to a Caribbean resort, other gifts such as a luxury Paris hotel stay and a bounty of campaign donations, according to the indictment. The physician, who was also indicted, even contributed $40,000 to the politician’s legal defense fund involving a recall issue.” (Jay Weaver, “Sen. Robert Menendez, South Florida Eye Doctor Indicted In Federal Corruption Case; Corruption,” The Miami Herald, 4/1/15)
SEN. MENENDEZ VIOLATED SENATE ETHICS RULES BY FAILING TO REPORT OR PAY FOR TRIPS ON MELGEN’S PRIVATE PLANE OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS. “He conceded he had not paid for or properly reported four flights (two round-trips) on Melgen’s private jet and wrote a check to belatedly comply with Senate ethics rules. A year later, his campaign reimbursed Melgen for a third trip. Both times Menendez aides assured reporters that these were oversights and that the senator’s travel had been thoroughly reviewed. But a federal indictment charging Menendez with corruption has revealed free flights the senator never disclosed or paid for – nine others for him, sometimes with a guest – in apparent violation of Senate ethics rules.” (Jonathan Tamari, “Failure To Report Free Trips May Be Used As Evidence Against Menendez, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/12/15)
THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE STAR-LEDGER CALLED FOR MENENDEZ TO RESIGN
THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD: “Mr. Menendez is evidently not in a hurry to get to the stage of contrition, having warned on Wednesday that he’s ‘not going anywhere.’ He would be doing a disservice to New Jersey by clinging to power as a disgraced politician. His colleagues in the Senate should demand that he step aside.” (Editorial, “Step Down, Senator Robert Menendez, The New York Times, 4/2/15)
THE STAR-LEDGER EDITORIAL BOARD: “U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez now begins a fight for his political life that could last for years. New Jersey would be better off if he would resign and conduct that battle on his own time. The state needs a respected senator who is focused on his job, not a tarnished defendant who spends his days fending off credible charges of corruption and raising money for his legal defense.” (Editorial, “Menendez: Resign And Spare Us the Drama, The Star Ledger, 4/1/15)
UNDER MENENDEZ NEW JERSEY IS BIGGEST LOSER WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES AND SPENDING
UNDER MENENDEZ, NEW JERSEY IS 50 OUT OF 50. “The biggest losers when it comes to taxes and spending are New Jersey, Wyoming and Connecticut. New Jersey gets back just 77 cents for every dollar it pays, while Wyoming gets back 81 cents and Connecticut gets 83 cents.” (“Tax Day 2017: Which State Sends Most Taxes to D.C.?”, The Associated Press, 4/16/17)
Ridgewood NJ, On April 18, Uncle Sam will once again take his cut from everyone’s earnings this past year. And many taxpayers are already wondering what that haircut on their finances will look like. However, with such a complex tax code further convoluted by the way taxes are imposed on Americans based on their individual household characteristics, it’s hard to tell unless you wrote the tax policies yourself.
To determine which states’ residents bear the biggest tax burdens, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states across the three tax types that make up state tax burden — property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes — as a percentage of total personal income in the state. Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of tax experts and a full description of our methodology
One simple ratio known as the “tax burden” helps cut through the confusion. Not to be confused with tax rates, which vary widely based on an individual’s particular circumstances, tax burden measures the exact proportion of total personal income that residents pay toward state and local taxes. And it isn’t uniform across the U.S., either.
Surprisingly New Jersey did not take the top spot as most over taxed state , in came in 7th worst ,bumped from 6th by fast decaying Connecticut that managed to tax two of its largest tax payers out of the state GE and Aetna. Of course this is before Governor Murphy gets his way pushing through his massive tax increases.
According to WalletHub’s analysts
1 New York total tax 12.94% property taxes 4.55% individual 4.76% sales and excise 3.63%
2 Hawaii total tax11.27% property taxes 2.11% individual 2.64% sales and excise 6.52%
3 Vermont total tax10.75% property taxes 4.96% individual 2.29% sales and excise 3.50%
4 Maine total tax10.73% property taxes 4.65% individual 2.58% sales and excise3.50%
5 Minnesota total tax10.24% property taxes 2.87% individual 3.59% sales and excise 3.78%
6 Connecticut total tax10.23% property taxes 4.16% individual 3.24% sales and excise 2.83% 7 New Jersey total tax10.14% property taxes 5.31% individual 2.32% sales and excise 2.51%
8 Rhode Island total tax10.09% property taxes 4.80% individual 2.15% sales and excise 3.14%
9 Illinois total tax10.00% property taxes 4.14% individual 2.66% sales and excise3.20%
10 California total tax 9.52% property taxes 2.72% individual 3.44% sales and excise 3.36%
Trenton NJ, multistate lawsuit over “citizenship census question ” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal all but admits states like New Jersey are allowing illegal aliens to vote ,receive federal benefits , federal funding and federal representation.
In his press release Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal cited the Voting Rights Act and the apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced today that New Jersey will join a multi-state coalition in suing the federal government to block the inclusion of a proposed citizenship question in the 2020 decennial Census.
“Notwithstanding the Administration’s rhetoric, we don’t need a citizenship question on the 2020 census. And the reality is that such a question would only do harm,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Particularly in the current national climate, a citizenship question will obviously cause great consternation and discourage participation in the census. That lack of participation will inevitably have far-reaching, negative effects – particularly in New Jersey, where we have the third largest percentage of immigrants in the country.”
The impending multi-state lawsuit, which is led by New York’s Attorney General, will name the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau as defendants.
The complaint will challenge addition of the citizenship question as a violation of the U.S. Constitution, and assert that such a question threatens the fair representation of states with large immigrant communities in Congress and the Electoral College, as well as cost those states billions of dollars in critical federal funds for programs like Medicaid.
Under the Constitution, the federal Census Bureau has an obligation to determine “the whole number of persons in each state.” However, the states’ lawsuit will assert, adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census – an idea four prior census directors appointed by Presidents from both parties have advised against — will limit participation in the census among immigrants. That lack of participation will inevitably result in a population undercount that will disproportionately harm states and cities with large immigrant communities.
“We are glad to stand with New York and the other participating states in challenging this unnecessary question regarding citizenship status – both to protect New Jersey residents and ensure a fair and accurate census,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Our objective is to have this citizenship question – which arbitrarily ignores decade after decade of our nation’s regular census practices – not included in the 2020 Census.”
On December 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice requested that the Census Bureau include a citizenship question on the 2020 census form sent to every household in the United States, even though the Census is supposed to count all persons—citizens and non-citizens alike. The Department of Justice argued that the collection of such information was necessary to ensure an accurate count, consistent with proper enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The multi-state lawsuit argues that a citizenship question would have precisely the opposite effect by driving down participation in immigrant communities—a concern that is even more acute in today’s political climate. The resulting undercount would deprive immigrant communities of fair representation when legislative seats are apportioned and district lines are drawn.
To the extent that the Voting Rights Act requires a calculation of the number of eligible voters in a given jurisdiction, the Census Bureau provides an adequate—and far less intrusive—source of citizenship information based on sampling, including the American Community Survey, the participating states maintain.
The decennial census is used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives, and to determine the total number of delegates each state receives in the Electoral College. As a result, an undercount of population in states that are home to large immigrant communities will impair fair representation, a principle fundamental to the fabric of our democracy, the multi-state lawsuit contends.
Bill Aims to Stop Corruption on NJ State Investment Council In Wake of Pension Scandals Legislation sponsored by Senate Republicans Joe Pennacchio and Kristin Corrado to combat corruption on the State Investment Council, by forbidding members from voting on investments that present a financial or familial conflict of interest, has passed the New Jersey Senate.
Ridgewood NJ, Sens. Joe Pennacchio and Kristin Corrado’s bill would combat corruption on the State Investment Council, by forbidding members from voting on investments that present a financial or familial conflict of interest. The bill was introduced in response to scandals involving the council and the state pension system. (Pixabay)
“State Investment Council members should serve the people of New Jersey, not themselves,” Senator Pennacchio (R-26) said. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the despicable violations of public trust that have occurred in recent years. People who handle taxpayer dollars must be held accountable.”
The Senators’ bill, S-396, was introduced in light of reports that in 2008, the State Investment Council invested in Lehman Brothers right before the firm went bankrupt. The Lehman Brothers managers who sat on the council did not recuse themselves prior to voting to approve the investment in their firm. The misguided vote cost the pension system nearly $116 million.
Additionally, in 2014, concerns arose that Robert Grady, the former chairman of the council, had invested public money into a fund which his own private firm also invested in. Such potential conflicts of interest would not be tolerated under the Pennacchio/Corrado legislation.
The State Investment Council was created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1950 to develop policies governing the investment of funds by the Director of the Division of Investment.
S-396, would require members of the State Investment Council to recuse themselves from a vote if the matter before the council involves one of the following conflicts of interest:
The member or their spouse is or was employed by the entity in which the investment is being made.
The member or their spouse has a direct investment exceeding $5,000 in the entity in which the investment is being made.
Under S-396, a member who breaks this law would be removed from the council, and must be immediately reported to the Governor and the Legislature.
“Any member who casts a vote despite an obvious conflict of interest does not deserve to sit on the State Investment Council,” Senator Corrado (R-40) said. “The hardworking families we represent must be able to trust that the state is investing and spending these funds wisely. This legislation will ensure council members who use public money for personal or political gain are punished accordingly.”
TRENTON NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced the following new law enforcement policies designed to identify and address problematic behavior and illegal drug use by police officers:
Random Drug Testing Policy – Attorney General Directive 2018-2 establishes a uniform policy requiring all law enforcement agencies statewide to conduct mandatory random drug testing of all sworn officers and requires that officers who test positive for illegal drug use must be suspended immediately from all duties pending termination of their employment.
Early Warning Systems Policy – Attorney General Directive 2018-3 establishes a uniform policy requiring all law enforcement agencies statewide to establish early warning systems to identify officers at risk for harmful behavior and mandate remedial programs for them before their conduct escalates.
The Attorney General’s Office developed both of these policies in close collaboration with stakeholders, including law enforcement leaders, community leaders, and advocacy groups. Indeed, the new statewide policies improve upon and standardize protocols that a great number of law enforcement agencies have already implemented as part of their efforts to not only improve officer and public safety, but also the public’s confidence in law enforcement.
“For our police to perform their jobs effectively, they need the trust of all of the communities they serve,” said Attorney General Grewal. “These policies promote that trust by assuring the public that police are going to be proactive in addressing internal problems. A majority of our police departments already have implemented random drug testing and early warning systems to identify at-risk officers, but these directives make these important programs universal in New Jersey. We support our officers in their difficult jobs, and at times that means intervening with a troubled officer to protect the public, the individual officer, and his or her fellow officers.”
“These are commonsense policies to promote safety and build trust in police-community relations,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Police officers are granted extraordinary authority to protect us and enforce our laws, including authority to use lethal and non-lethal force, and we must ensure that those who wield such power are individuals of sound mind, body and judgment. An officer who uses illegal drugs or has repeatedly shown poor judgment cannot be trusted to make rational decisions and exercise appropriate discretion.”
Random Drug Testing
Testing of law enforcement officers in New Jersey for illegal drug use is governed by the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Drug Testing Policy (“AG Drug Testing Policy”). That policy was established in 1986 and has been regularlyreviewed and updated over the years. The AG Drug Testing Policy already included a requirement that applicants and trainees be tested, and that individual officers be tested when there is reasonable suspicion that they are using drugs illegally. That does not change under the new directive.
With respect to random drug testing, the policy previously encouraged such testing, but did not require it. The new directive issued by Attorney General Grewal, Directive 2018-2, amends the AG Drug Testing Policy to require, at a minimum, that every police agency in New Jersey conduct random drug testing at least once in 2018, and at least twice in every subsequent calendar year, and that at least 10 percent of the officers within an agency be tested each time. Each agency must ensure that its random drug testing policy is consistent with the procedures set forth in the AG Drug Testing Policy.
The AG Drug Testing Policy is found at this link: www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/drugtest2012.pdf
In the event of (1) a positive drug test by an officer, (2) a refusal by an officer to take the drug test, or (3) administration of a reasonable suspicion drug test to an officer, the law enforcement agency’s chief executive or a designee shall provide a confidential written notice to the county prosecutor or a designee within 10 days. Upon completion of any disciplinary action, each agency shall report the discipline to the county prosecutor or designee.
Early Warning Systems
Early warning systems are designed to monitor officer conduct using objective measures that indicate a potentially escalating risk of harm to the public, the agency, and/or the officer. They are intended to increase public safety and public confidence, while assisting officers through early intervention. While such systems previously have been adopted by individual police departments and mandated by certain county prosecutors, Attorney General Grewal’s directive is the first statewide mandate that all police agencies in New Jersey must implement them.
Under Directive 2018-2, the following performance indicators are required to be included in all early warning systems:
Internal affairs complaints against the officer, whether initiated by another officer or by a member of the public;
Civil actions filed against the officer;
Criminal investigations of or criminal complaints against the officer;
Any use of force by the officer that is formally determined or adjudicated (for example, by internal affairs or a grand jury) to have been excessive, unjustified, or unreasonable;
Domestic violence investigations in which the officer is an alleged subject;
An arrest of the officer, including on a driving under the influence charge;
Sexual harassment claims against the officer;
Vehicular collisions involving the officer that are formally determined to have been the fault of the officer;
A positive drug test by the officer;
Cases or arrests by the officer that are rejected or dismissed by a court;
Cases in which evidence obtained by an officer is suppressed by a court;
Insubordination by the officer;
Neglect of duty by the officer;
Unexcused absences by the officer; and
Any other indicators, as determined by the agency’s chief executive.
Under the policy, if an officer engages in conduct involving three separate instances of performance indicators within any 12-month period, then the department’s early warning system review and intervention process will be triggered. If one incident triggers multiple performance indicators, that incident shall not be double- or triple-counted, but instead shall count as one performance indicator. The agency’s chief executive may, in his or her discretion, adopt additional performance indicators tailored to the department and the community it serves and determine that a lower number of performance indicators within a 12-month period will trigger the intervention process. Each department is required to adopt a tracking system to enable it to identify officers who display the requisite number of performance indicators necessary to trigger the early warning system review process.
The agency’s chief executive must assign personnel to conduct the early warning system function, typically members of the internal affairs unit. Supervisory officers in the subject officer’s chain of command also will be directly involved in any early warning system review process. Once an officer has displayed the requisite number of performance indicators necessary to trigger the review process, assigned supervisory personnel must initiate remedial action to address the officer’s behavior, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:
Training or re-training;
Counseling;
Intensive supervision;
Fitness-for-duty examination;
Employee Assistance Program referral; and
Any other appropriate remedial or corrective action.
Early warning system personnel must continue to monitor the subject officer for at least three months, or until the supervisor concludes that the officer’s behavior has been remediated, whichever is longer. Early warning systems generally are focused on corrective actions to remediate officer behavior and to provide assistance to the officer. They generally do not address disciplinary actions (to include termination of an officer) that might be warranted against an officer, which remain within the purview of the agency’s internal affairs function.
The agency’s chief executive must notify the county prosecutor in writing regarding any officer who triggers the early warning system, both at the initiation of the review process and upon completion of that process. The written notifications are to include information on the triggering performance indicators, the outcome of the review process, and the remedial steps planned/taken for the officer.
If any officer who is or has been subject to an early warning system review process applies to or accepts employment at a different law enforcement agency than the one where he or she underwent such process, it is the responsibility of the prior or current employing law enforcement agency to notify the subsequent employing law enforcement agency of the officer’s early warning system review process history and outcomes.
Ridgewood NJ, got a few mails by readers asking what does it really mean with the Governor declares a state of emergency? We found this on the New Jersey State Police Facebook page
So, what does a State of Emergency mean? Here are a few Q & A’s provided by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.
Q: What does a State of Emergency mean?
A: A State of Emergency means more for the police, fire and other public safety officials responding to the event than it does for the average person. New Jersey State law (N.J.S.A. App.A:9-37) allows the Governor and County and Local Emergency Management Coordinators to declare a State of Emergency during significant weather events and natural disasters. The emergency declaration is a tool used by the government officials who are managing the emergency. It allows State agencies to quickly respond to needs of citizens, reassign personnel, and deploy vehicles, trucks, and equipment to respond to the incident. A State of Emergency allows the government to act more quickly than it can during non-emergency times.
Q: What does this mean to me?
A: When a State of Emergency is issued, State and/or local Emergency Management officials will communicate with New Jersey’s citizens through traditional media outlets such as television, radio and newspapers, and through other information channels, such as the Internet or the Emergency Alert System. Citizens should pay close attention to news reports when a State of Emergency is announced.
At times, travel restrictions are part of a State of Emergency. This is typically done to allow snowplows to clear the roads. At other times government offices may be closed, or evacuations may be recommended. A State of Emergency permits government officials to recommend specific actions that citizens should take to insure the safety of their families and homes during the emergency. Each emergency is different, and different factors will impact the decisions made by State officials in response to the incident.
Note: In response to this nor’easter a commercial vehicle travel ban was implemented as of March 20, 2018 effective 8pm by New Jersey State Police. For more information check out https://www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY/photos/a.176301939053879.48503.165525506798189/2077783765572344/?type=3&theater
Q: Do I have to stay home? Am I allowed to drive?
A: By declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor urges all nonessential personnel to stay off the roads so not to interfere with law enforcement and emergency responders. An emergency declaration does not mean motorists will be ticketed for merely being on the roads, and “essential” personnel is not defined by law.
If conditions were to worsen and driving needs to be restricted for public safety reasons, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management will alert the public using all available means, including, but not limited to: the Emergency Alert System, urgent press releases, DOT highway signs, social media and law enforcement advisories.
Large and small private businesses should make informed decisions about early closures, delayed openings, cancellations and closures based on current and impending weather conditions, emergency plans and policies of your organization, designation of essential employees, and restrictions on travel. If travel restrictions are put into place, it will limit whether or not employees can travel to your worksite.
Q: Are all State Offices closed during a State of Emergency?
A: The Governor’s declaration does not automatically close State Offices. Should it be necessary due to conditions experienced during the Emergency to scale back or close State Offices, the Governor will make an announcement to his/her Cabinet and through the media, similar to what is done during a snow storm.
Note: In response to this nor’easter all State Offices have been closed on March 21, 2018.
One more thing…..The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management does NOT make decisions about school closings. That includes colleges and universities. Those decisions are made by individual school districts.
Trenton NJ, this is from an article called , New Jersey’s Fiscal Train Wreck, Just ask Greece how well continually raising taxes and spending works.
by Daniel J. Mitchell, Daniel J. Mitchell is a Washington-based economist who specializes in fiscal policy, particularly tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review.
He starts with , here’s something especially amazing from a bit more than five decades in the past. New Jersey used to have no state income tax and no state sales tax.
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. The basket case of New Jersey used to be a mid-Atlantic version of New Hampshire. But once the sales tax was imposed in 1966 and the income tax was imposed in 1976, it’s been all downhill ever since.
An article in the City Journal helps explain the state’s fiscal decay.
Brendan Byrne, a Democratic former governor of the Garden State, …told mayors that the state would need a “large revenue package”… The heart of the package would be a new statewide income tax, which went into permanent effect in 1977. Byrne promised that the additional money would help relieve the high property-tax burden on New Jersey’s citizens… Four decades later, the plan has failed. …politicians and special interests don’t see new streams of tax revenue as a means to replace or eliminate an existing stream, but rather as a way of adding to the public coffers. (For those who entertain fantasies of a value-added tax replacing the federal income tax, take heed.) New Jersey’s income tax started with a top rate of about 2.5 percent; it’s now around 9 percent.
Needless to say, nothing politicians promised has happened.
Property taxes haven’t been reduced. They’ve gone up. The government schools haven’t improved. Instead, the test scores in the state are embarrassing. And debt hasn’t gone down. Red ink instead has skyrocketed.
And what’s amazing—and depressing—is that New Jersey politicians continue to make a bad situation worse. Here are some excerpts from a Bloomberg report.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed taxing online-room booking, ride-sharing, marijuana, e-cigarettes and Internet transactions along with raising taxes on millionaires and retail sales to fund a record $37.4 billion budget that would boost spending on schools, pensions and mass transit. …Murphy, a Democrat…has promised additional spending on underfunded schools and transportation in a credit-battered state with an estimated $8.7 billion structural deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1. …Murphy said Tuesday in his budget address to lawmakers, “A millionaire’s tax is the right thing to do—and now is the time to do it.” …The budget…would…restore the state’s sales tax to 7 percent from 6.625 percent… Murphy’s proposal would almost triple the direct state subsidy for New Jersey Transit, which has been plagued by safety and financial issues.
More taxes, more spending, followed by even more taxes and more spending.
I wonder if Greek taxpayers would want to tell their counterparts in New Jersey how that story ends.
Assuming, of course, there are any taxpayers left in the Garden State. There’s already been a big exodus of productive people who are tired of being treated like fatted calves.
And don’t forget that New Jersey taxpayers no longer have unlimited ability to deduct their state and local taxes on their federal tax return. So these tax hikes will hurt much more than past increases.
In any event, taxpayers better escape before they die.
Though I know one guy who won’t be leaving.
P.S. Anybody want to guess whether New Jersey collapses before California, Illinois, or Connecticut? They’re all in the process of committing slow-motion suicide.
Trenton NJ, Assemblyman Robert Auth (R-Bergen) issued the following statement in response to Gov. Phil Murphy’s $37.4 billion spending proposal:
“Governor Murphy has something for everyone with this budget whether you’re a business owner or hardworking citizen: taxes, taxes and more taxes. Raising taxes on the state’s job creators and spiking the minimum wage by $2.40 an hour will be devastating to our business community and, ultimately, our economy. Middle class families will also take a direct hit with a sales tax increase. The governor obviously is not listening to the people. Asking already overburdened taxpayers to pay more to balance this governor’s budget is grossly irresponsible.”
Wayne NJ , Calling Gov. Phil Murphy FY-2019 budget another nail in New Jersey’s economic coffin, the New Jersey Organization for Economic Growth is calling on all legislatures to reject the governor spending plan and create a fiscally responsible budget.
“The governor’s economic plan in no way represents the fiscal reality facing New Jersey; nor does it address the concerns of the business community,” said OEG Chairman Joseph Caruso. “New Jersey leads the nation in taxes and has the worst business reputation in the country — and Gov. Murphy, unfortunately, wants to continue those trends”.
Murphy’s $37.4 billion spending plan is $2.7 billion – or 8 percent higher than the state’s current budget. Murphy’s FY-2019 budget increases spending by $1.5 billion and calls for an increase in the sales tax, as well as increases in the corporate business tax and another millionaire’s tax .
Murphy called his budget proposal “fiscally and morally sound,” which raised the ire of OEG Executive Director Alex Cucciniello.
“There is nothing moral about raising taxes on hardworking people and those who are trying to run businesses,” said Cucciniello. “There is nothing moral about supporting a budget plan that will lead to fewer jobs. The governor’s sense of morality is out step with residents of this state,” said Cucciniello.
“This budget will crush small businesses and the middle class in New Jersey. If the Governors goal is to get people to leave the state he is doing the right thing, ” said OEG Vice-Chairwoman Katie Cericola, an accountant. “New Jersey already has the highest corporate tax in the nation, increasing it will result in fewer jobs.
“Young people like me want to stay in New Jersey; it’s our home. But politicians like Gov. Murphy are making it hard for us to live here. He and his administration are out of touch with the economic struggles of Millennials,” added Cericola.
The governor’s proposed increased in taxes and spending — including adding $2.1 million to pay for legal fees for illegal immigrants who face federal justice, is an attack on working people in New Jersey, said Vice-Chairman John DePinto.
‘There are hard working legal residents of our state who cannot afford an attorney; yet we have a governor who wants those working people to pay for the legal bills of illegal immigrants so they can continue to violate federal law. That is not a morally or fiscally acceptable position,” said DePinto.
“The governor wants the already overtaxed people of New Jersey to pay for his progressive ideology. His personal priorities are wrong for the state,” added DePinto.
OEG officials said Murphy’s FY 2019 budget proposal failed to even consider cutting spending.
“In a state that is recognized as the most overtaxed in the nation; a state that is losing jobs and business investment; the fiscally prudent thing to do would be to find ways to reduce spending. But it appears that the governor’s team just larded more fat on an already bloated state budget,” said Cucciniello.
DISAPPOINTING
Caruso called the governor’s introduction of his first budget disappointing beyond expectations.
“The people of New Jersey elected a governor who ran on a platform of raising taxes. and that’s just what he intends to do. But I don’t think anyone could imagine that it would be this bad,” he said.
Caruso noted that the governor’s budget proposal fails to address the state’s very real and very damaging pension deficit.
“Like governor’s before him, Mr. Murphy actually believes New Jersey taxpayers can afford the public pension system the politicians created. And to continue the deception, Gov. Murphy, like governor’s before him, has greatly exaggerated the return on pension investments so he doesn’t have to deal with the giant pension and retiree benefits hole that gets bigger every month.”
REJECT THE PROPOSAL
Cucciniello said he hopes the legislature will reject the governor’s proposal and start over.
“Hopefully there are fiscally responsible people in Trenton who will not ignore the fact that New Jersey’s fiscal policies are causing great damaging the people of this state Hopefully, they will not continue to ignore the plight of many people — Millennials and retirees – who have to make the tough decision to leave New Jersey because our elected officials simply don’t want to make the tough decisions required to make this state affordable for the middle class,” said Cucciniello.
Trenton NJ, Gov. Murphy introduces 2019 budget in State House address, and no surprise he rattled off a series of significant tax increases for the garden State . Murphy had run on a platform of raising taxes or what critics called “Murphy’s Law” and here is just a few he wants to start with ; a sales tax increase to 7%, tax on AirBnB rentals , new taxes on Uber and Lyft, E- Cigarette taxes, legal Marijuana taxes of 25% plus sales tax, income tax for $1 million plus and new business taxes.
photos courtesy of NJ State Police
March 8,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, New Jersey State Police update storm totals . It was a busy day yesterday, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Roads are still being cleared, and many schools are closed or have delays.
Yesterday, New Jersey State Police responded to 530 motor vehicle crashes and 1,017 motorist aids in #NJSP patrolled areas. Motor Vehical aids can be anything from mechanical breakdowns, spin outs, and flat tires.
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