No plan to fund roads and bridges?

Under the influence of a local politician, four municipal governments have offered resolutions opposing any legislation being discussed that includes an increase in the tax on gasoline.  The tax on gasoline is the principal way New Jersey funds road and bridge maintenance and repair.   It is a user tax charged to those who actually use the state's roads and bridges -- 30 percent of whom live outside New Jersey. 

The user tax on gasoline that New Jersey charges drivers who use the state's roads and bridges hasn't been raised since 1988.  That means that the price charged drivers in New Jersey hasn't even kept up with inflation.  If it was adjusted for inflation, the 14 1/2 cents still charged today would be 29 cents.

This represents a huge windfall for out-of-state drivers -- who in effect are being subsidized by New Jersey taxpayers. 

Instead of raising its tax on gasoline in line with the inflation over the last 28 years, New Jersey put its road and bridge maintenance and repairs on a credit card -- using massive debt to fund its transportation infrastructure, while states like Pennsylvania raised their user tax on gasoline to 50 cents or more. Because New Jersey used so much debt, the first 10 1/2 cents of any gasoline tax increase will be needed just to pay the interest on that debt.

It was pointed out to us, that by formally opposing any legislation that includes an increase in the tax on gasoline, these local elected officials from these four towns have gone on the record as opposing the elimination of the tax on retirement income, cutting the sales tax, ending the estate tax, an earned income tax credit, income tax deductions of charities, an income tax deduction for the gasoline tax, and the elimination of property taxes for disabled veterans. 

Watchdog was asked:  "Do they realize that an opponent would be free to run a campaign against them, on these issues, using every message delivery system at their disposal?"

But it gets much worse for the taxpayers of Sussex County.  By rejecting EVERY legislative proposal that includes an increase in the tax on gasoline, these local elected officials from these four towns have gone on record as supporting increases in property taxes as the primary way in which to pay for road and bridge maintenance. 

Unfortunately for their taxpayers as well, is the fact that none of these elected officials in these towns took the precaution of figuring out how their resolutions would affect local property taxpayers.  If the TTF is broke and the current 14 1/2 cents insufficient to even pay the interest on the debt (it would take a tax of 25 cents a gallon just to do that), then how will road and bridge maintenance and repair be paid for? 

One member of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities called the resolutions "stunningly irresponsible" and damaging to local taxpayers.  The State League of Municipalities -- the organization that represents the state's local governments -- takes a view in opposition to towns like Andover Township and Hamburg.

One local council member said:  "Are these local officials advocating the end of civilization as we know it?  With no roads, no commerce, no deliveries of everything from food to heating fuel?  And what about Amazon.com!" 

A former mayor asked:  "Are these elected officials who put up these resolutions advocating another form of taxation to fund road and bridge maintenance and repair?  Without increasing the tax on gasoline, the default is increasing property taxes (at least for local and county roads).  But we would all like to hear from them what their plan is going forward."

It is not enough to tell us what you are against.  Nobody wants higher taxes.  But responsible elected officials take the time to understand what the ramifications of their actions will be, what the cost to taxpayers will be, and then they come up with a plan to tackle the problem a different way.  Pissing and moaning without a plan isn't responsible governance -- it is bar talk.

Andover Twp picks fight with Governor

Facebook is the destroyer of political careers -- and it just isn't those politicians who use it to advertise their private parts.  For every Congressman Weiner there is a Committeeman John Jack Burke, a guy who takes up some issue and goes off half-cocked on Facebook, and only afterwards collects together a reason -- or an excuse -- for doing so. 

John Jack or, rather, Mr. Burke, is a corporate factotum who was elected to the Andover Township Committee in 2014.  His method of covering up his Facebook faux pas is to implicate his entire Township -- its committee and people -- in an uninformed pissing contest with the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie.  Oh, and by the way, he also managed to put Andover Township on record as pissing on the Speaker of the Assembly, the Republican Leader of the Assembly, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the New Jersey Association of Counties, and the New Jersey League of Municipalities. 

Committeeman Burke or John Jack or... whatever he calls himself, doesn't like the gas tax.  Hey, nobody does.  New Jersey has kept its tab on an open credit card since 1988 just to avoid raising the gas tax.  When states like Pennsylvania raised their gas tax to 50 cents a gallon to pay for their roads and bridges, New Jersey kept it right at 14 1/2 cents and put the rest on the credit card -- and kept right on doing it for three decades. 

Think of it this way:  The same burger that cost you a $1.70 in 1988 now costs over $5.00.  Just try buying food for your family at 1988 prices and see how far you get.  Why should roads be any different? 

Nobody faults Committeeman Burke for opposing higher taxes.  Opposing taxation is a very Republican thing to do.  We just wish that more Republicans would oppose spending as well. That's the problem with so many suburban Republicans.  They always want more -- but never want to pay for it. 

What we fault Committeeman Burke for is not telling the truth.  You see, Committeeman Burke talked the other people in Andover Township's local government into attacking Governor Chris Christie for his proposal "to increase the gas tax by $0.23 per gallon."

But that's not true.  That's not the Governor's proposal.  And people who purport to represent a town as upwardly mobile as Andover Township should have the brain power to know that it's not true. 

You see, state legislation isn't some words that the town committee of Andover Township throws together and then imposes on both chambers of the Legislature.  Legislation can only be proposed by members of the Legislature who have been elected by the people of their districts.  Committeeman Burke should try running and find out.  That's how it works. 

The legislation in question is a bill called A-12.  Yes, it does contain a 23-cents per gallon increase in the gasoline tax, as well as a 1 percent cut in the sales tax, and the elimination of taxes on retirement income for more than 80 percent of retirees.  As members of a T-O-W-N committee, the voters have not given you the authority to split this legislation.  You support A-12 or you oppose it -- the whole thing.  And you live with that.  That is the honest way.

The dishonest way is to act as though legislators can vote for part of it and then against another part.  That is misleading.   

But what is more  disconcerting is the juvenile way in which this handjobbery was conducted.  Andover Township is very fortunate to have a member of the Legislature as both a resident and a former mayor and township committeewoman.  As far as we know, all the members of the Andover Committee are Republicans. 

Now we all know that John Jack jumped the gun and started spraying on Facebook, but a more adult crowd would have contained his juvenile urge and then would have brought their concerns face-to-face to make strong and reasoned arguments against this proposal supported by the Governor, the Assembly Speaker, and the Republican Assembly Leader.  Unlike most towns, you actually have a legislator in your town to facilitate it. 

Instead, by appearing to be afraid of making your arguments face-to-face, and then by misrepresenting the legislation, you strike a dubious, dishonest pose.  It is as if you dare not make your case face-to-face for fear it will be refuted.

Be honest, be forthright, make your case.  Republican-to-Republican.  Face-to-face.

Update on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 9:56PM by Sussex County Watchdog

Governor Christie destroys Andover Township surrogate Spadea.