Trenton NJ, taxes are getting so outrageous in New Jersey even some Democrats are getting nervous . State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1) said he opposes a seasonal rental tax.
“This is something that I thought a lot of us had made clear, that there is an out-migration of people from New Jersey and we have to be really careful on what we do, and we really have to be careful about adding on more and more taxes and fees. New Jerseyans have been taxed, tolled and charged to death.”
The fact is there are plenty of Beaches in Driving distance that are not in New Jersey
Christie staffers get hefty pay increases as other areas face cuts
MAY 29, 2014, 2:03 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014, 11:31 PM BY MELISSA HAYES STATE HO– USE BUREAU THE RECORD
Nearly all of the state employees responsible for helping Governor Christie craft and promote his image — from his press secretary to the staff that set up his town-hall events and put video clips of his appearances online — got raises in recent months that averaged 23 percent.
Gov. Chris Christie
Some of those who received the biggest boosts temporarily left state government to work on Christie’s reelection campaign last year, then returned with new titles and higher salaries. A deputy press secretary in the governor’s office who earned $75,000 last year before he left to serve as press secretary for the campaign, for example, now makes $110,000 as a deputy communications director.
The raises come as Christie is withholding more than $2.4 billion in payments to the state pension fund because of revenue shortfalls. And Christie has delayed a property-tax relief program that averages about $500 for seniors and some families.
And the raises to the governor’s staff appear to have happened around the same time Christie vetoed the minutes of the commission that oversees the Pinelands after its members voted to increase the budget for its staff by 5 percent. Christie castigated the commissioners and said the decision was a “conscious disregard of the fiscal realities.”
The governor’s office did not answer specific questions about the raises on Thursday, including questions about when they were awarded and whether other non-union employees were given pay increases.
“Changes in salary in the main reflect changes in position, promotions or expanded job responsibilities for these staff members,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said Thursday.
The Record sought the salary information in two Open Public Records Act requests. The first, filed in February, was denied and The Record was referred to the website yourmoney.nj.gov, which the state bills as New Jersey government’s “transparency center.” But at the time only salaries for 2012 and 2013 were listed.
Folks We Just Ran Out of “Other Peoples Money” Canceled rebate is a painful blow; some seniors, disabled vent frustration
Time for some serious budget cuts ?MAY 23, 2014, 8:27 AM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014, 11:19 AM
BY COLLEEN DISKIN
STAFF WRITER
NORTHJERSEY.COMIt may not seem a lot of money to others, but to senior citizens and the disabled, the loss of the few hundred dollars they used to receive from an annual state property tax rebate could make precarious financial situations even more worrisome, advocates say.
One recent widow, AnaMaria Tulk, a 71-year-old Waldwick resident, said she had been planning to use money that seniors and others with lower incomes are eligible to receive under New Jersey’s Homestead program to pay insurance premiums and other bills.
“I was counting on it,” said Tulk, whose husband died in August.
The Christie administration announced Wednesday that the more than 1 million people enrolled in New Jersey’s Homestead program will face another year without a property tax rebate. The latest delay – the third in Christie’s administration – means people won’t see this benefit until May 2015. Seniors and disabled residents have typically received an average credit of $516, for those earning under $150,000. Homeowners earning less than $75,000 have received a $402 benefit.
Seniors and the disabled often rely on a variety of assistance programs to help keep pace with inflation as they struggle to pay for food, utilities and housing costs on their fixed incomes, advocates say.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/canceled-rebate-is-a-painful-blow-some-seniors-disabled-vent-frustration-1.1022448#sthash.XWrizkc3.dpuf
