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Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) : We told you that the IRS Wouldn’t Fall for Your SALT Workaround Scheme

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, In response to the news that the IRS has denied attempts by New Jersey and New York to circumvent the federal cap on SALT deductions, Senator Joe Pennacchio chastised Democrats for wasting taxpayer time and resources on a workaround that never had any chance of succeeding.

On Tuesday, the IRS issued final regulations prohibiting governments from doling out tax credits in exchange for charitable contributions – effectively negating the legislation advanced in the spring of 2018, despite the objections of legislators such as Senator Pennacchio, who warned that the IRS would take action.

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Democrat NJ Run Towns More Unequal than Others

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River Vale NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi,

“An incorrect narrative exists in New Jersey that Republicans do not care about the middle class or income inequality. I am one of the more vocal voices pushing back against this false narrative while trying to explain that democratic policies implemented that may sound good, such as Mount Laurel (aka affordable housing), Abbott School Districts, Areas in Need of Redevelopment, etc. have resulted in more disparity in our state rather than less. The Star Ledger today ranked the top 10 communities with the greatest income inequality in NJ. The one thing they all have in common? Each community on this list is controlled by the democratic party and most have been for decades. https://www.nj.com/…/the-towns-in-nj-where-income-inequalit…

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With new SALT limit, IRS explains tax treatment of state and local tax refunds

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog from the IRS website

WASHINGTON DC, The Internal Revenue Service today clarified the tax treatment of state and local tax refunds arising from any year in which the new limit on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction is in effect.

In Revenue Ruling 2019-11 (PDF), posted today on IRS.gov, the IRS provided four examples illustrating how the long-standing tax benefit rule interacts with the new SALT limit to determine the portion of any state or local tax refund that must be included on the taxpayer’s federal income tax return. Today’s announcement does not affect state tax refunds received in 2018 for tax returns currently being filed.

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Special Education Litigation Could Impact Ridgewood Schools

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Federal Department of Education has ordered New Jersey to revise their special education due process system within three months.  This comes on the heels of complaints that the system in New Jersey for special education cases takes too long, costs too much money, is biased with some feeling it is biased towards school district and others saying it is biased towards families.

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Another Manufacturer Set to Leave New Jersey

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By Scott Mele, Tektite Industries

Tektite IndustriesScott Mele is president of Tektite Industries in Trenton.

For 29 years, Tektite Industries has been proud to build a business in New Jersey and help carry the torch for manufacturing in our state’s capital city. I can remember when we first started producing LED lighting and strobes, we had two products. It was here in Trenton that we saw our business grow to more than 100 products.

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Want lower taxes? Murphy should focus on pensions, aid to some schools

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By Jack Ciattarelli 

On his inauguration day, Phil Murphy received two gifts any new governor of New Jersey could only wish for – the lowest unemployment rate in 17 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue based on U.S. Supreme Court decisions on internet sales and sports betting. It wasn’t enough. In his first budget, Murphy raised other new and existing taxes more than $1.5 billion, including New Jersey corporate and personal taxes, despite both already being among the highest in the nation. Murphy’s political justification was, “We need to make New Jersey stronger and fairer.” His policy justification was, “The Trump tax reforms lowered corporate taxes” and “People need to pay their fair share.” While businesses and people may never leave a country over taxes, they will leave a state. Moreover, if you try to offset federal tax decreases with state tax increases, you only make your state an outlier. That’s exactly what’s happening to New Jersey. The proof . . . For the fifth year in a row, New Jersey’s business climate has been ranked dead last in the country. And the annual United Van Lines study shows New Jersey is, once again, one of the leading out-migration states in the country, with nearly 50 percent listing “jobs” as their reason for leaving. 

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Retirees Fleeing New Jersey in Droves

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, no surprise here New Jersey, is the last place where people want to spend their golden years.

Almost 67% of all New Jersey moves were outbound last year, according to a survey from United Van Lines.

United Van lines polled 26,998 of its customers who moved last year, through Nov. 30.

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No surprise NJ has built in automatic tax hikes! Here’s how it affects you, and how to stop it

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the staff of the Ridggewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  In a new GOP web ad released today, Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco explains how New Jersey’s progressive income tax brackets are reducing wages even when people receive cost-of-living raises.

WATCH: No surprise NJ has built in automatic tax hikes! Here’s how it affects you, and how to stop it.

“When income tax brackets are very close together, pay raises push taxpayers into a higher bracket even though they really aren’t wealthy,” said Bucco (R-Morris). “This can be costly for people and their families who rely on every dollar they earn.”

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Judge Rules Monmouth County Broke Law By Refusing OPRA Requests

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

FREEHOLD NJ, Monmouth County Assignment Judge Lisa P. Thorton ruled on Friday that the county broke the law by refusing to process certain public records requests under a new policy enacted last year, rejecting all of the county’s arguments in favor of refusing to respond to public records requests that will be automatically published online.

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Democrats reject Republican effort to help parents save more for college

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON NJ, Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce pressured Democrats to increase a proposed income-tax deduction for contributions to NJBEST, the state-sponsored college savings account.

For two years, Assemblywoman DeCroce and Assemblymen Anthony M. Bucco and Ned Thomson have sponsored bill A1405 that would allow a deduction up to $15,000 for married couples and individuals making up to a certain income limit.

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Did You Know that Every New Jersey Property Taxpayer Directly Funds New Jersey’s Most Powerful Special Interest Group?

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Last week, the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey issued a report that made news throughout the state, when we uncovered that the NJEA has been secretly funneling millions of dollars into a dark money group supporting Governor Murphy.

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Professor Murray Sabrin Suggests Support for “Millionaires Tax” filled with economics ignorance and a broken moral compass

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by Murray Sabrin’s Road to Liberty

I sent the following letter to the editor (The Record) this morning in response to the essay by several members of the clergy.

Re “Why we support Gov. Murphy’s millionaires tax,” (Your Turn, May 24″).

The essay by several North New Jersey clergy reveals not only their economics ignorance but also a broken moral compass – which is an unfortunate given they make weekly sermons from their respective pulpits.

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SOMERSET COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO HAMAS, AND MAKING THREAT AGAINST PRO-ISRAEL SUPPORTERS

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Discussed Bombing Trump Tower and Israeli Embassy in New York

the staff of the Ridgewood b log

Basking Ridge NJ, A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for attempting to provide material support to Hamas, lying on his application to enlist in the U.S. Army, and making a threat against pro-Israel supporters, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Michael McGarrity announced.

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Rating Agency Warns New Jersey Not Prepared for the Next Recession

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio is right about New Jersey needing a much bigger surplus than the one being proposed right now. But the same analyst she cited in support of her position also has suggested that raising the millionaires tax is the wrong way to go, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association said this morning.

“NJBIA agrees with the Treasurer that New Jersey should have a much bigger surplus than it has now, and the one being proposed by the Murphy administration is the largest we’ve had in a long time,” said Andrew Musick, NJBIA vice president for Government Affairs. “That’s to the governor’s credit. But the way to grow New Jersey’s surplus is through the structural spending reforms that were introduced by legislators last week, not raising taxes in an economy that’s been growing for years and remains strong.”

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ICE arrests 13 fugitive Aliens in 4-day New Jersey Surge

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Agency targets fugitive aliens and those with criminal offenses

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

NEWARK NJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 13 immigration violators in New Jersey during a 4-day surge effort that targeted aliens who have been issued a final order of removal in the past five years, have failed to depart the United States, and have received criminal convictions or have pending criminal charges.“As this operation clearly demonstrates, ICE continues to focus its efforts first on public safety threats,” said ERO Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris. “The vast majority of the individuals targeted in this effort have criminal offenses in addition to their immigration violations, making them among the highest priority for enforcement.”

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