Well now that Christie is the Governor... (Trenton: school districts, income)

[BergenCountyJohnny]

...I look forward to seeing if he can help the state and fix whatever problems we have. I definitely didn't want him, but now that he's the Governor he has my full support until I have a good reason to dislike him. I'm hopeful he'll surprise me, pleasantly. I won't mind eating a lot of crow if it improves this Great State of New Jersey.

Good luck, Governor Christie!!!

[jknic]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

...I look forward to seeing if he can help the state and fix whatever problems we have. I definitely didn't want him, but now that he's the Governor he has my full support until I have a good reason to dislike him. I'm hopeful he'll surprise me, pleasantly. I won't mind eating a lot of crow if it improves this Great State of New Jersey.

Good luck, Governor Christie!!!

Completely agreed, hopefully you'll find some good recipes

[DarkWolf]

I already think hes Corrupt , i found some budget cuts and deals that affect everybody else except for Republican control areas or his towns

[JERSEY MAN]

I wish and hope he attempts to fix our #1 problem in New Jersey PROPERTY TAXES. Every governor Repubs and dems have failed to do so. They can spend money easily, we all can, but none have attempted to tackle this problem.CUTS,CUTS,CUTS. Thats what we need. Not stem cell research- "that should be done privately". Sending 3 year olds to school and the list goes on and on and on. When I talk to friends,homeowners, family, neighbors the #1 complaint is property taxes. Either they have to have a constitutional change with the funding of schools or you will have a mass exudus of middle class continue out.

[njkate]

Originally Posted by JERSEY MAN

I wish and hope he attempts to fix our #1 problem in New Jersey PROPERTY TAXES. Every governor Repubs and dems have failed to do so. They can spend money easily, we all can, but none have attempted to tackle this problem.CUTS,CUTS,CUTS. Thats what we need. Not stem cell research- "that should be done privately". Sending 3 year olds to school and the list goes on and on and on. When I talk to friends,homeowners, family, neighbors the #1 complaint is property taxes. Either they have to have a constitutional change with the funding of schools or you will have a mass exudus of middle class continue out.

I agree~~~~BUT~~~~~~ how many are willing to give up school for 3 year olds and all the other perks in order to attain a reasonable tax rate. Problem is most want thier cake and be able to eat it as well....

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by JERSEY MAN

I wish and hope he attempts to fix our #1 problem in New Jersey PROPERTY TAXES. Every governor Repubs and dems have failed to do so. They can spend money easily, we all can, but none have attempted to tackle this problem.CUTS,CUTS,CUTS. Thats what we need. Not stem cell research- "that should be done privately". Sending 3 year olds to school and the list goes on and on and on. When I talk to friends,homeowners, family, neighbors the #1 complaint is property taxes. Either they have to have a constitutional change with the funding of schools or you will have a mass exudus of middle class continue out.

JM - interestingly enough Christie not ONCE proposed ANYTHING about relieving property taxes in his campaign. He spoke about NJ's income tax and consolidation and waste and blah blah blah as a way to cut costs, but he didn't say WORD ONE about property tax relief. He's now waged war on the NJEA and you may be next. I hope you're willing to fork out more to pay your bennies and forgo raises in order to give us all relief...are you?

Whatever. Considering 70% of your property tax goes to schools, and those budgets are developed and voted on by TOWNSHIP, I'd love to see how this is going to work. Consolidation? I've already provided a link where people voted this DOWN. Teachers, cops and state workers are the tangible, low hanging fruit for everyone to direct their ire. Firing people, freezing wage hikes and dismantling the NJEA may get everyone cheering, but in reality I don't think it's going to make much difference.

I wish the guy luck too. Maybe he can start working on getting back more than the .62 cents for every dollar we pay to the federal government. But wait, that would make us socialists unlike the "real America" states that take far more than their fair share. Or does it? God, it gets so confusing. But look luck with that one too Chrissy, no-one's been able to do it at least for the past 30 years.

I have a prediction...in 4 years...if we have no progress, Christie supporters will say "4 years isn't enough time to work through all of NJ's problems, we need to give him another term".

[elflord1973]

He's now waged war on the NJEA and you may be next. I hope you're willing to fork out more to pay your bennies and forgo raises in order to give us all relief.

Teachers unions have become a self serving enterprise. Hmmmm... they primarily push for lack of accountability for long serving teachers, early retirement, retirement benefits so generous that they perhaps threaten the integrity of the pension system, and a pay scale that favors longer serving teachers. I wonder who benefits from that ? Not entry level teachers.

As for forgoing raises -- I work in the private sector. If my company can't produce products and services that customers have the will and the means to pay for, we just don't get money any more, simple as that. If our customers want "relief", they can have it at any time -- by not paying us. If only this simple remedy were available to tax payers!

What consequences are there for school districts who fail to offer a product that the tax payers are willing and able to pay for ? My understanding is that the state just sends them more money (Abbott districts)

Originally Posted by tahiti

Whatever. Considering 70% of your property tax goes to schools, and those budgets are developed and voted on by TOWNSHIP, I'd love to see how this is going to work.

Labor laws aren't voted on by the township. Those contracts are negotiated under very union-friendly laws. The towns can vote on the budget, but they can't just appraise each teacher's performance and pay each teacher what they're worth.

Also, the unions have been able to play a kind of political arbitrage game with retirement plans -- politicians offer retirement benefits that impose cost on future generations of tax payers. Because the politicians are long gone by the time the voters understand what happened, they can give a favor to the unions without spending any political capital. Win-win for the unions and the politicians. Guess who the losers are ?

Because many of these costs were imposed by previous generations of leaders, the benefits of getting the pensions under control won't be felt for some time.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by tahiti

JM - interestingly enough Christie not ONCE proposed ANYTHING about relieving property taxes in his campaign. He spoke about NJ's income tax and consolidation and waste and blah blah blah as a way to cut costs, but he didn't say WORD ONE about property tax relief. He's now waged war on the NJEA and you may be next.

I thought that this was the complaint about Corzine and the reason those who voted for Christie voted for him. So if he's not going to lower any taxes, what exactly is he going to do? If he eliminates waste and corruption, isn't it supposed to free up so much money that people's property taxes can be offset by the savings??? (I ask all this rhetorically, and of anyone who did vote for the man.)

Originally Posted by tahiti

I wish the guy luck too. Maybe he can start working on getting back more than the .62 cents for every dollar we pay to the federal government. But wait, that would make us socialists unlike the "real America" states that take far more than their fair share. Or does it? God, it gets so confusing. But look luck with that one too Chrissy, no-one's been able to do it at least for the past 30 years.

He'll need the luck, he has a tough crowd to play to. It gets confusing what is socialism or not. I think it's socialism when it's a democrat but when it's a lot of red states taking from a blue state it's Patriotism and Supporting Your Country. I guess it's kind of like deficits; when Republican Presidents and Governors are running up deficits, they don't matter, but when a Democrat tries to reduce a deficit but still taxes and spends, he's a "Tax-and-spend Democrat" who is obviously CRAZY to charge anyone taxes and spend even a dime while we have this HUGE deficit.

Originally Posted by tahiti

I have a prediction...in 4 years...if we have no progress, Christie supporters will say "4 years isn't enough time to work through all of NJ's problems, we need to give him another term".

I'm curious what his nickname will be. Corzine was "Corslime"; I won't use such a name with Christie while he's in office, but maybe those who came up with "Corslime" will think of something equally insulting and creative??? Nah, they wouldn't do that to him, he's got an "R" next to his name (and it isn't for Rutgers, either).

[doc1]

Originally Posted by tahiti

Maybe he can start working on getting back more than the .62 cents for every dollar we pay to the federal government. But wait, that would make us socialists unlike the "real America" states that take far more than their fair share. .....

Wouldn't that be more up Mendendez and Lautenberg's alley?

Drop them a line and let us know how they respond.

Especially Lautenberg.

As far as the other things our Gov should pursue, Christie asked for the job and he now has four years to get things moving in a forward direction.

Given NJ's current state of affairs he certainly has a lot of opportunities.

If he doesn't do anything, he can join Corzine.

[ReluctantGardenStater]

I voted for him, and I'm proud of it.

I think what some people have to realize is that Christie is just a politician, not a divine being. I voted for him to put an end to the negative changes being implemented (and proposed for the future) under Corslime, and hopefully come away with some degree of positive change as well. Of course, New Jersey and positive change don't exactly go together so I realize I'm banking on a long shot. He wasn't elected because he had an "R" next to his name. This is NJ, not Utah, so don't even pull that BS. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If a Republican IS elected (gubernatorial or senatorial position) in this state, it must mean that the Democrats are doing a very poor job.

I really don't understand the rationale of the people attacking Christie before he has a chance to say two words. We put up with our last criminal for years until we realized he was no good and some people (you all know who you are) were even willing to elect the idiot again after he was a proven miserable corrupt, criminal failure. He should be behind bars now, but of course like everyone else in this state, if you're connected to Wall Street money, the bloated socialist unions, and the good 'ol boys in Trenton and Hudson County, you literally could rape and murder a child and come away as a state hero. There's no balance, no filter of the corruption which has gripped this state for so long now.

You know, I understand why the union bosses send their shock troops out to put people like Corslime in power, and I understand why Corslime's office bussed in inner-city minorities to voting booths who probably know more about syringes and pipes than the democratic process. What I'll never understand is the braindead who really have nothing to gain but continue to put pieces of human excrement like Lautenberg and that traitorous lowlife illegal-lover Menendez into power as if out of some form of religious devotion. It's almost similar to the Kennedy cult in Massachusetts. However, if the voters wised up there, and we did finally get SOME credibility and national respect back as a state by kicking our criminal to the curb last November, then perhaps things are looking up.