NJ Property Taxes

[VSdreams]

Corzine was taking the tax deduction of our property taxes away from us next year. He finally came to his senses and decided to let the deduction stand.

We have such high property taxes in NJ. I pay $9500 a year on a 50 X 200 lot. The economy is terrible, our budget sucks and the Mayor still gets an increase. LOWER OUR PROPERTY TAXES!! I am sick and tired of supporting everyone else while having a hard time supporting my family.

[bababooey]

Corzine tried to deliver us pie in the sky. There was no way he could ever deliver on his campaign promises to cut property taxes for 4 years. People bought into that. He knew what the emotional triggers were for voters, and he manipulated us. Now he is in bed with the labor and teacher unions and there will be no relief.

Now that my rant is over about Corzine, I'll address the property tax issue. VS, I believe this is mostly a town or municipality problem. Our services, pensions, and benefits cost too much. We need to drastically cut municipal spending to get out of this. That means looking at the salaries of town teachers, firemen, police, all municipal workers, and deciding what is excessive and what isn't. How do you do this when the unions will fight you at every step? And do we want to necessarily cut police and fire pensions, or leave them alone. If we don't touch those, how do we deal with the other groups when cuts are made?

Bottom line: if you were required to run cities like publicly held corporations accountable to stockowners (town taxpayers) there would either be a lot of cities going bankrupt, or a lot of cities with drastic cuts in spending and people being more frugal. I'm all for it, but how do you get this message across to each town and get people to support you? You don't unless there is a drastic change, which requires reform and people committed to it across the board. Most politicians know we as taxpayers complain for awhile and go away.

I was in Tennessee on business a few years ago. The taxpasyers will literally throw the politicians out of office in some cities there if taxes are raised in an unjust manner. Try doing that up here, no way to get people as involved as they do down there. :kooky:

[surfwalker]

I think a lot more people should do a search on datauniverse to see what public employees in their town actual earn plus how much in pensions are given out. I think you would be amazed, I was. Maybe I'm just outta touch.

[katiefishes]

Thanks surfwalker. What a great eye opening site that is. I found out that a town clerk makes $78,000 a year. I could run circles around her. I need to get a town job. If I have to pay the taxes then I might as well get some of the dollars back in a job.

I also did a government search and found out what my ex makes. It's time for him to pay more child support.

[surfwalker]

katiefishes, not looking to make trouble with the ex. Don't forget that when these workers retire they get a decent chunk of that salary, plus benefits. Might be paying a salary and a half(3/4) for the active worker plus the retired person(s) for that one job. I just think that some of these things should be brought back into line.

[i bd fossil]

Moved away from NJ in 1983, still feel the pull on my wallet when I haveto drive thru to get to relatives in NY.

[bluesdude71]

I couldn't imagine paying those high taxes. What do you get for your money?

[c4charlie]

Lots of traffic, high property taxes, not so clean air, expensive cost of living, municipal folks that do less than the normal citizens but make a lot more.