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Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread for March 13-14, 2010

by: Rosi Efthim

Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 09:45:42 AM EDT

Warmies for the trees

In West Cape May a Mystery Knitter is sneaking up to trees and outfitting their trunks with knitwear. I thought you should know.

Still raining? Take it out on the peeps

There's a contest to Primp your Peeps, which I of course read as Pimp your peeps. Create a diorama, using marshmallow peeps. I would suggest perhaps a diorama of the governor's budget address, or maybe the governor-peep about to eat the rest of a package of peeps. Here's some from Washington Post's contest, totally worth sitting through the brief ad up front. If you do political peeps, we want the pictures.

We get more detail on the "tools" Christie promised for towns to hold down local property taxes

Gov. Chris Christie will propose a constitutional amendment limiting annual property tax increases to 2.5%, but for municipal, school & county property tax levies it would be a "hard" cap, without exceptions for rising health insurance costs or debt payments. Local voter approval would be needed to raise taxes higher than that. Plan is based on Massachusetts Proposition 2.5 (adopted 1980's), which critics say "resulted in cuts to valued services rather than simply calling forth greater efficiency from local governments." Of course, this has to get by the legislature.

Meet the "greedy" "bloodsuckers"

Not too many people say these things to their faces, but NJ pensioners feeling the harsh backlash going on in public forums.

Rutgers is cleaning house of old professors

I don't know any other way to put it.

N.J. tax revenue collections fall short by nearly $500M through last month

The state took in about $41.5 million less than expected for the state budget in February, keeping revenues 2.8% below target for the year.

Sen. Ray Lesniak's bill to replace COAH

Star Ledger calls it "deeply flawed" and urges that tomorrow's scheduled vote on it in Senate committee be postponed.

On time

NJ tax return checks won't be delayed.

The war on marijuana

Tom Moran on the expensive, and pointless drug war on a substance creating less havoc than alcohol does.

Joe Cryan kept out of key talks

The Auditor on an effort to make the Assembly Majority Leader the "black sheep" for his position on the "millionaire's tax," which by the way is the right onw.

A military mom's duty to her son, brain-injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq

Here's the article. And here's where you can donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Newark politics and message t-shirts

T-shirt FAIL.

Perth Amboy's non-partisan elections

Moving from May to November.

Harvesting wind

Sen. Steve Sweeney sees the $300 million marine terminal under construction in Paulsboro as a key to regional economic development and a place to manufacture wind turbines, which are big and heavy enough that it's hard to move them by road or rail. If they were made on the waterfront, they could be moved by barge and new jobs opened up for South Jersey workers.

E-mail invite sounded like offer you can't refuse

Charlie Stile on that "Godfather" political planning strategy session.

Open Space

Tough economic times means cutting back on county land preservation programs, to balance budgets and prevent tax hikes.

For Newark schools

A coalition of charter & district school educators, meeting regularly.

To earmark, or not to earmark

"Pork?" Or "member-directed spending"? Which view is better for New Jersey?

Rosi Efthim :: Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread for March 13-14, 2010

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Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread for March 13-14, 2010 | 13 comments

Boil Water Notice (0.00 / 0)

The Middlesex Water Company has issued a boil water notice for the next 48 hours because of Saturday's storm.

by: Jason Springer @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 17:31:48 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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2.5% percent (0.00 / 0)

means inflation will kill the towns. Note that in MA it's 2.5% of assessed value, which at least might go up in times of inflation, but Christie apparently will make it 2.5% period. It's designed to cause a disaster.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

by: Hopeful @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 17:52:50 PM UTC

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this is NJ's proposition 13 (4.00 / 1)

working on a diary about this right now.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

by: tabbycat31 @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 18:04:39 PM UTC

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we are in deflationary period (0.00 / 0)

and we will be for the next years ...with unemployment at 10 pct and expected to be around that level for 2 to 3 years and not recovering for 10 who has the money to chase prices higher . With taxes at the highest percent of income in this state you won't see home values rise for many years .Any cap would force towns to consolidate or reduce staff ....that would be a good thing

by: speedkillsu @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 20:43:02 PM UTC

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It's a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT (0.00 / 0)

It will be around for 2011's low inflation and 2026's high inflation. It's irresponsible in the extreme to made permanent, inflexible decisions for every town for all time.

If towns can consolidate or reduce staff just vote for the local candidates advocating that.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

by: Hopeful @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 20:58:18 PM UTC

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Did you read the whole thing (0.00 / 0)

At any time through popular referendum the municipality can vote to exceed the cap. If the spending is vital and reasonable why wouldn't residents vote for more taxes?

by: HobokenSchmo @ Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 01:15:00 AM UTC

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because (0.00 / 0)

they don't want to pay more taxes.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

by: Hopeful @ Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 01:24:24 AM UTC

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I think towns could do this without King Christie's reigns (0.00 / 0)

I just went to a lecture on New Jersey types of government that left me more confused than I came. I live in Monmouth County, home to several small shore towns (including where I live). I would love to see some of them share services (such as garbage pickup, beach cleaning, etc) to reduce costs. Also my town and the 2 south of me have school districts that consist of one building for K-8 students that are sent to regional high schools. I'd love to see the 3 towns combine their school districts to one and still keep the kids in the same school, but share administrative services. My local school graduates between 25-30 eighth graders every year.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

by: tabbycat31 @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 21:40:02 PM UTC

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Consolidation (0.00 / 0)

School consolidation? Would that result in firing teachers and custodians?

by: HobokenSchmo @ Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 01:16:04 AM UTC

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