News Round-up and Open Thread for Tuesday, December 12

These Sales Tax Repeals Are Unfair To Working Class Folk (0.00 / 0)

As far as I'm concerned people who pay for elective cosmetic surgery or gyms should not be in front of the line for getting sales tax relief.  The parking lot relief should be applied to park n ride commuter lots only.

If we're going to repeal sales taxes selectively; then one item to start with is laundry detergent.  It's outrageous and bizarre that the poor have to pay tax to keep their clothes clean, yet folks who can afford to take their clothes to the cleaners don't pay a sales tax.

http://www.njpp.org/...

Obviously the dry cleaning industry has an effective lobby, and ordinary working class citizens who use laundromats can go scratch.

This is not a small thing as it's symbolic of just what's wrong with Trenton and of the kinds of fundamental fairness issues that Corzine was elected to deal with.

If we wanted to continue to allow poor and working class folk to be screwed over we could have elected Doug Forester.

To the state legislators who vote for this de facto corrupt crap:  This is no way to build an ongoing Democratic majority; and no way to treat your core constituents.

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by: Nick Lento @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 16:11:22 PM UTC

PS (0.00 / 0)

The link above was to document the fact that laundry detergent is taxed and dry cleaning is not...I'm not endorsing Jon Shure's agenda to raise sales taxes in general.

If I had my 'druthers we would be making the income tax more progressive and higher by eliminating the cap.  Also, second homes, investment/business properties would be taxed a higher rates, and there would be a massive expansion of anti-corruption laws and enforcement.  I bet those three item alone would go a long way towards solving our fiscal woes.

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by: Nick Lento @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 16:39:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Universal Health Care in N.J.? (0.00 / 0)

Another news report, this one from the NY Times, is stating that NJ legislators are moving forward with a plan for universal health care throughout the state, a move that I completely support.

http://www.nytimes.c...

The Times reports that the plan, "which could be introduced as legislation as soon as March but may not be enacted for years, would compel each of the state's roughly eight million residents to sign up for insurance plans. New Jersey residents who do not have coverage would enroll in a plan sponsored by the state."  There are lots of good reasons to support this compassionate initiative, and it may actually save money for the state in the long run.

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by: Martin @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 18:54:01 PM UTC