Author: hankkalet

The New York Times puts it pretty straight in an editorial that will run tomorrow on a congressional pay increase — pushed forward by the GOP-led House even as it balks at raising the federal minimum wage:

(I)t is hard to have patience with a body that allows its own pay to rise automatically while systematically stonewalling any increase in the national minimum wage. The private-sector workers who need a pay raise the most have been waiting nine years and counting for some kind of increase to offset the rising cost of living. But there has been no sign of mercy yet from the Republican leaders.

It is, to put it bluntly, unconscionable.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press

I’m not sure what this means, ultimately, but the governor seems willing to put everything on the table. As I’ve written on more than one occasion, that is exactly what needs to happen. There are too many towns, too many school districts (some without schools), too many fire districts — too many taxing entities.

Will it be easy? No, as State Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) told The Star-Ledger:

“The only problem with putting everything on the table,” said Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), “is that it would be pretty radical. There would be big winners and big losers, and, believe me, the big losers would not be happy.”

But, the governor seems to know this (also from the Ledger):

The governor said he was prepared to endure the political fallout from opening up the discussion, because the special session presented such a rare chance to affect change.

“I hope we use this opportunity to really go at trying to get a more efficient way, a more productive way, to deliver the fundamental services that people want from government,” Corzine said.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press

No one likes taxes. No one.

But, the reality is that if we want government to do things for us, we have to pay government something. The question, ultimately, is what is the fairest and most efficient way to do this.

As the Legislature moves toward tax reform discussions later this summer, we need to keep in mind that we cannot reform state government and taxation in New Jersey without all of us sharing in some of the pain.

1. We can’t lower property taxes without either paying more in some other kind of tax (income would seem the best bet) or giving up some service that we have come to rely upon.
2. We are going to have to give up some local control. Consolidation of towns and school districts must happen — without it, we cannot eradicate duplication of services and the associated costs. (This will not be popular in Cranbury.)
3. Some government workers will have to lose their jobs.
4. Pension reform will probably mean some form of 401k — a defined-contribution plan — and an end to defined benefit plans. I don’t like this, but it is difficult right now to justify not moving in this direction when most taxpayers already work under this kind of pension system.
5. Real campaign finance reform must be enacted and patronage must be ended.

None of this will be greeted with fanfare and applause, but anyone who thinks we can fix things without this kind of stuff is sadly mistaken. It is about to get realy ugly in Trenton.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press

I’m not the only one having difficulty finding out about Tom Kean Jr.’s position on Social Security. Here is a post from Talking Points Memo.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press

A quick post from a late Monday on vacation:

Read this story and tell me Iraq has not descended into civil war.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press