Whats next?

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy seems to be on one big continual tax bender. I seriously believe that he sits around Drumthwacket surveying the surroundings for inspiration to create a new way to tax NJ residents. We have too many taxes to even list here but the number has grown already this year to include a “Rain” tax and a “Parking Meter” tax. According to Central Jerse com it has been reported by the Office of Legislative Services tax collections were are at 2.9percent over last year however Murphy expected an increase in revenues by 7.2 at the end of the fiscal year. That increase is highly unlikely so a shortfall is expected. Murphy and company decided that was not acceptable and tuned in their collective thinking caps to new taxes.

The Clean Storm Water and Flood Reduction Act affectionately known as the Rain Tax for short, has already moved through the state Senate and Assembly. It now awaits the governor’s signature to become law. The bill “authorizes the establishment of local storm water utilities and …allow those utilities to assess fees that are based on a fair and equitable approximation of the proportionate contribution of storm water runoff from any real property.” I imagine the tax could somehow be calculated based on how many square feet of impervious surfaces are present on a given property multiplied by a certain rate. Whose brain child is this one?

Assembly Bill A-5070 passed on a vote of 40-32 on February 25th. Lovingly called The Parking Meter Tax it allows 6 municipalities to impose a tax in addition to what they are already taxing drivers to park their vehicles in their lots. Those towns are Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Paterson, Woodbridge and Edison. So if a rider is catching the Metro Liner in Edison or the train in Elizabeth or Newark be prepared to get slammed with this additional charge.

Perhaps a “Water Closet” tax is next on the Gov’s drawing board. Though municipalities do pay a sewer fee for their flow rights to their perspective sewer authorities; this tax would be separate. The dollar amount could be calculated by the number of flushes per household based on the number of persons in residence. There are undoubtedly those readers who recall the environmentalists of the 60’s who ascribed to the adage, “If it is yellow etc. etc.” and would be establishing that in their households.

As illustrated here the possibilities are endless for raising money from the hardworking residents of NJ. Perhaps if the powers that be did not give quiet approval to the governor’s granting money to illegal immigrants for college tuition or paying for their legal fees to fight deportation we could meet our other obligations regarding the health, safety and welfare of New Jerseyans.

Our GOP representatives in Trenton, in the Assembly and the Senate are in dire need of help to right our financial ship. It is common knowledge that one cannot spend more than one has, but the Governor and the party in control don’t appear to understand that. I for one have no more to give from my handbag. What I do possess is a common sense approach to government, and that is why I am running for the assembly representing Dist. 22. Visit me on Facebook: PatQ for Dist 22 or email at PatQ.Dist22@gmail.com.

Patricia Quattrocchi

Clark, NJ