NJ State Government

New Jersey taxpayers bear the heaviest state and local tax burden in the country for the third year in a row, according to a report released Wednesday by a fiscal policy organization in Washington D.C.

The Tax Foundation found the state's residents paid 11.8 percent of their income in state and local taxes. The national average is 9.7 percent.

Taxpayers in New York and Connecticut aren't far behind. Residents in those states pay 11.7 percent and 11.1 percent of their income to state and local taxes respectively.

They are the only three states where taxpayers give up more than 11 percent of their income in state-local taxes, according to the report.

Union leader Carla Katz

Federal authorities have opened an investigation of Carla Katz, the ousted leader of New Jersey's largest state worker union and former girlfriend of Gov. Jon Corzine.

The inquiry into her union activities came into public view Tuesday afternoon when federal agents served a subpoena on the national headquarters of the Communications Workers of America in Washington, D.C., according to three people familiar with the subpoena.

Investigators are seeking records connected to Katz's management of Local 1034, the largest state-worker union, said the sources, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the probe. Authorities are focusing on an internal CWA probe that recently accused Katz of misappropriating union money, the sources said.

An application has been filed to the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Maritime Administration to build a man-made island nearly the size of six Giants Stadiums, located 13 miles off the coast of New York and 19 miles off the coast of New Jersey, to serve as a deepwater port for liquefied natural gas (LNG). This same area is home to endangered species and is prime fishing grounds. This proposed project is a threat to the improved ocean ecosystem that all have worked so hard to achieve in this region.

Yet, currently the state of New Jersey and its citizens are not officially part of the review process because New Jersey is not considered “an adjacent coastal state” in the application.

Currently, the application lists the state of New York as an adjacent coastal state. New York Governor Elliott Spitzer has been alerted that NY has the right to review and approve the application. In addition, public hearings will be scheduled for NY citizens to voice their concerns. Right now, New Jersey’s voice is not recognized.

WARNING: TRANSLATION of Governor Jon Corzine’s complex statement of June 28 from Governmentaleeze to English. This document could cause taxpayer’s nausea and vomiting. Consult your physician if side effects continue.

CORZINE STATEMENT: “In countless ways, New Jersey is the best state in America. But we need to invest in our future if we’re going to stay on top. As a result of decisions made across administrations and across party lines over the past 20 years, New Jersey has amassed over $30 billion in debt and staggering unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities.

TRANSLATION: The strength of this state has been drawn from its people, not the government. This was once a bastion of free market capitalism. Not any more. New Jersey leads the nation with the most destructive progressive income tax and advanced social engineering schemes. We have the highest sales tax, highest property tax, and third highest debt in the nation. Rather than reduce the size of government and make it affordable to taxpayers, we will raise taxes to fund lucrative employee salaries and benefits handed out to political cronies. Wake up, New Jersey taxpayers - you work for the government, it doesn’t work for you.

TRENTON — The Legislature is all for letting the people decide things when doing so is in the lawmakers' best interest, but at other times the people's will is a nuisance.

The Senate and the Assembly passed a measure headed for the November ballot that would, if approved, amend the state Constitution to mandate the remaining half of last year's sales tax hike be used for property tax relief.

That would happen without the signature of Gov. Corzine, who opposes the measure because it ties the hands of what the state can do with the money. Members of the Legislature want it because every seat in the Senate and Assembly is up in November and they need you to think they did something great. In reality, they can't think of a way to lower taxes and continue to kiss the feet of special interests.

Three questions arise: If the sales tax hike can be devoted to property tax relief, was there a need for the hike in the first place since relief wasn't the stated purpose? If there is real need for the penny hike beyond property tax relief, does that mean another increase is in the offing?

A state ranking of highway conditions by the Reason Foundation and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Researchers evaluated roadways by traffic fatality rate, congestion, pavement condition, bridge condition, highway maintenance and administrative costs. 

Bet you can't guess where New Jersey came out on the list.

Click on the full story link. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.....

The following appeared today on the NJ.COM Statehouse Forum

20019. Breaking News
by peaceatlast, 2/26/07 12:36 ET
Rumors are rampant in the Statehouse this morning that as part of the subpoena probe by Chris Christie, a legislator may have been wired for a number of months. We also hear that as many as 15 lawmakers and other politicos are among the targets. (2/26/07)

20019.1. Mostly Dems??
by happyjoey, 2/26/07 12:38 ET
Re: Breaking News by peaceatlast, 2/26/07

20019.1.1. Who Cares
by Babypig, 2/26/07 12:40 ET
Re: Breaking News by peaceatlast, 2/26/07
Dem, Repbub, gay, straight, man, women, black, white, don't matter, just throw them in jail!

20019.1.1.1. Mostly theDems
by happyjoey, 2/26/07 12:46 ET
Re: Breaking News by peaceatlast, 2/26/07

20019.2. I dont care what
by AntiTerror, 2/26/07 12:49 ET
Re: Breaking News by peaceatlast, 2/26/07
Party affliation, sex orientation, or religion they are from. NJ needs to clean house.

Let us pause to rejoice. Because Democrats in the Legislature are finally right where they belong -- standing against a wall with their feet spread while the FBI searches their pockets. They are in trouble now. And they deserve it.

The problem is that they got greedy. Every year at budget time, legislative leaders meet behind closed doors to divvy up millions of dollars for their pet projects.

TRENTON — Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney's Office and [NJ] state Office of Legislative Services said nothing publicly Wednesday after a closed-door, 80-minute hearing before a federal judge about a subpoena that the OLS is reportedly blocking.

The two sides met before U.S. District Judge Mary Cooper concerning a subpoena related to a grand jury investigation of whether lawmakers used their positions to illegally steer state grants to entities for personal or political profit. The probe began as an examination of state Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, but could include others.

Three groups of lawyers representing different interests left the room seemingly bound by court order to keep the grand-jury proceeding sealed.

Gaze across the border to New York state, and see what it looks like when a governor is willing to draw blood in the fight for reform.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer is getting mean and personal these days. He's visiting legislative districts to attack his opponents by name. He's refusing to help them raise money. And he's promising only more blood and tears if they keep resisting him.

The twist is that his main targets so far are not his Republican opponents. They are members of his own Democratic Party.

If only Gov. Jon Corzine could catch that virus.