November 6,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the staff of the Ridgewood blog recommends voting NO on all ballot questions.
Question #1 (Expansion of Casino Gaming) Question #1 deals with the expansion of casino gaming to northern New Jersey. CIANJ testified in support of the measure as it made its way through the legislative process. We believe any initiative that invites new investment and the creation of new private sector jobs is good for New Jersey’s economy. Casino gaming also subsidizes other New Jersey industries, such as the horse racing industry, providing nearly 7,000 jobs – including veterinarians, farmers, horse trainers, race track employees, etc.- to New Jersey residents. To view background information and the question see here.
Say NO , This is just a joke , think Xanadu the failed Meadowlands mall and Atlantic City’s bankruptcy.
Question #2 (Dedication of Motor Fuels Taxes) Question #2 asks voters to approve an amendment to our constitution which would dedicate all revenues collected from the gas tax to transportation-related projects. As of November 1, the NJ tax on gasoline is 37.5 cents/gallon (44 cents/gallon for diesel). Should the question pass, the money collected could not be used for other purposes like balancing the state budget. The CIANJ agrees with this dedication and supports approval of the question. To view background information and the question see here.
Best to say NO on this one , the key words are “amendment to our constitution” , amending the state constitution is a euphemism for a constitutional requirement to raise your taxes every year . Think Abbott school districts, a huge percentage of your property taxes goes to funding failing urban schools .Great for the NJEA not so good for you or the kids.
RESOLVED, That there shall be raised an additional $929,800 for General Funds in the 2016-17 School Year. These taxes will be used to employ additional personnel and to acquire additional equipment and supplies in order to implement the District’s full-day Kindergarten program. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the District’s tax levy. The additional taxes authorized herein will be used exclusively for purposes described herein and to finance expenditures that are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Just say NO ,sorry folks this makes no sense in Ridgewood , sure it’s great for parents easier schedule and teachers more hires , but no tangible upside for the kids . But you say it’s only $111 bucks per household precisely how we got to a $102 million dollar school budget ,just a couple of bucks at a time.
