Corzine's budget proposal

What do we think of Corzine's budget proposal? I feel there is quite an over-reaction to it by the press. I don't mind an increase in sales tax or some of the other hikes mentioned as that is inevitable, but is it a good idea to cut funding for state colleges? I realize there is is a $4B shortfall and that some things need to be cut, but I'm not sure cutting aid to colleges is the right thing. Anyone with a different view?

I support it in general, certainly some changes can be made. I'm all for finding more spending cuts, and I agree the education cuts do hurt.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

My caps because I'm shouting.

Corzine has proposed sales taxes on EVERYTHING - milk, eggs, flour, clothing.

I find this unconscionable.

because that state is screwed up and surely you don't want to see property taxes raised AGAIN

Do you understand that SOMEONE has to pay taxes? Do you REALLY want the POOR to pay a HIGHER RATE of taxes than the wealthy????

The taxes will have to be paid by US one way or another.

Do you really believe that raising sales taxes over property taxes means you pay less taxes?

Personally, I'm against sales taxes altogether. Our neighbor to the South, Delaware does it somehow. I really don't see why we should discourage economic activity (sales taxes) when it BENEFITS business and employment. We should be *ENCOURAGING* people to spend their money in NJ!

Living in a small house, I think property taxes are a very fair way of collecting revenue.

With property taxes, the wealthy are taxed in proportion to their appetite for large house(S), their use public resources. Middle class and upper middle class homeowners proportionately pay for the services which help protect their value (roads leading to and from, protection, etc).

People with more expensive houses pay more for insurance than those with cheap houses. No one complains about that arrangement. Everyone understand that.

By raising property taxes, however, the poor *will* pay higher taxes, but *in proportion* to their living in apartments or cheap housing. They won't pay a higher PERCENTAGE in taxes than the wealthy! HUH?

The rich are rich because they don't spend all of their income. The poor (and not so poor!) however, spend 100% of their income.

Therefore, the wealthy pay a smaller PERCENTAGE of their income in sales taxes than the poor.

OK, I'll say it again: with sales taxes, the wealthy pay a LOWER PERCENTAGE OF TAX than the lower classes.

How ANY sane person can argue that the rich SHOULD pay a LOWER PERCENT OF TAXES than the poor is beyond me.

The proposal to tax food and clothing *has been scrapped*, so this isn't so bad on the very, very poor, but still the wealthier you are, the lower sales taxes effect you.

Lastly, I would ask you to check out http://www.therationalradical.com and listen to podcast #34: http://www.therationalradical.com/audio/34-wealthtaxfdr.mp3

and trust me, even the working class home owners are hurting from property taxes. My parents (who live in the Harrisburg PA area) have a home that not only is 3 times bigger than the home of my best friend's parents but also has more acreage of land to it. And yet this small home in the suburbs of NYC has property taxes that are almost 3-4 times what my parents pay.

It's just a bad situation in there that personally started back under the Kean administration and still being felt some 20 years later.

Actually, on second thought I can see what's going on here....

Property valuations are OUT OF CONTROL in North Jersey. (I live in South Jersey). I see the **townhouses** $500,000 buys up THERE compared to the (near) MANSIONS it buys down HERE.

So... if "STATE" property taxes were increased, the North WOULD pay a higher amount than the South, because the values of your property is so much higher.

On the other hand, if SALES taxes were higher, then South Jerseyians would be paying the same amount....

BUT..... *WHERE* are the taxes *SPENT*? UP THERE!

I'm still for raising property taxes, but... how about increases the rates on the upper brackets instead of raising the sales tax?

I'm telling you. I HATE SALES TAXES!

and we have reasonable property taxes :D

My #1 client is located in outskirts of Wilmington, and it looks pretty nice down there..

A neighbor of mine MOVED to Smyrna JUST BECAUSE of property taxes...

I'm not saying, "Hey! Tax me MORE!" A neighbor of mine pays $1,000 every *month* on their 5 bedroom house...

I'd LOVE to see spending under control.

The FACT is that BushCo has pulled the rug out from under everything from colleges to roads, etc., we have to make up the difference....

I'm just saying that an increase in sales taxes offers no greater fairness than an increase in any other taxes...

It's just sucks out there because NJ is just slammed with spending. This out of control spending by our US government trickles back down into our state governments. Stuff like Homeland security has to be footed by our state governments and New Jersey is just a Homeland Security mess with all it's coastal line, ports and proximeties to both NYC and Philly.

Wilmington is starting to go up in costs, at least with real-estate, because people are seeing our city as a great alternative to living in Philadelphia. But it's still a great city and the property taxes are so much more normal

I live in south jersey and my house has gone up in value 150,000 in 2 years.

And is unacceptable.

My friend lives in NJ, and she is steaming mad right now that Corzine's cut funding for the Governor's School, of which her teenage daughter planned to take part.