Christmas Can Can

• Tweet

The Prodigal Nation

By Ernesto Cullari, also published in the December 15, 2011 edition of the triCityNews

I don’t know anything about football, except that I like cheerleaders and half-time shows. As for the game, it just gets in the way of my ability to appreciate those gracious and hardworking women on the field. With that said, I’m not even sure who this guy Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos is. What I am sure of is that he’s quickly becoming a legendary quarterback and, according to Tebow himself, he owes every one of his glorious game performances to Christ Jesus and to his teammates, facts that he is consistently quick to point out.

God is a funny topic, because for too many people in this nation God and His Son Jesus are offensive. Take former Broncos’ QB Jake Plummer for example. During a radio interview in November, with XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix, when asked about Tim Tebow, Plummer stated:

“Tebow, regardless of whether I wish he’d just shut up after a game and go hug his teammates, I think he’s a winner and I respect that about him,” remarked Plummer. “I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ, then I think I’ll like him a little better. I don’t hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every single time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff….Like you know, I understand dude where you’re coming from…”

In a nation where people are quick to either pat themselves on the back for the smallest of achievements or deprecate (and likely medicate) themselves over their personal shortcomings and where celebrities and athletes wallow in vainglory, Tebow’s expression of faith in Jesus is humbling. When a person with such great accomplishments refuses to take the credit for himself first, but instead thanks God and his amazing teammates, it is a clear indication of where true glory, long-suffering and meaningful victory comes from. It all comes from the providence of God.

But we are a nation at war with God. Nothing is sacred. We have lost our greatness along with our reverence of God. Look at the evidence. We hate and abuse our greatest of His blessings, our children, by killing them in the womb. And those that survive, we degrade them by sexualizing them in our popular culture. In defiance man’s institutions vainly protect child abusers so as not to sully their reputations. Tim Tebow is a man who knows his place in the world and the value of his life’s blessings. By placing God first in his sights his victory on the field has proper perspective. He is careful to point out that God probably isn’t concerned about the outcome of Broncos’ football games, he acknowledges that God’s work through the faithful can accomplish many great things, least of which is a win on the field. Tebow knows that God is concerned with humility and character.

All across America this Christmas season public schools, city halls and other public settings, once adorned with heartwarming reminders of the Lord’s birth are carefully obscuring any indication of it. Schools no longer celebrate Christmas they celebrate the winter festival. We once were a nation that revered God for blessing us with Liberty. However, groups like the ACLU and others have turned us into a nation that fears litigation over outward expressions of the very traditions and practices that made us a great. A nation without its culture is no more. The indivisible has become divisible.

One of the forefathers of Conservatism, Christopher Dawson once wrote, “It is the religious force which supplies the cohesive force which unifies a society and a culture…a society which has lost its religion becomes sooner or later a society which has lost its culture.”

Take this from a guy who hasn’t been to church on time in a decade. I sit in the last row, in the seat closest to the door and most of the time I forget my Bible in the trunk of my car. We are a nation of ungrateful, profligate spenders with our hands out looking for a piece of someone else’s glory. From the self-righteous Occupy Wall Streeters to the Wall Streeters themselves who willingly received taxpayer bailout money all the way down to little ol’ me, it’s time we kept our hands to ourselves and thanked God as one nation for what we do have.

By putting God back into our culture, back into our daily conversations and back into our moral fabric all things (a great many wonderful things) will once again be possible.

• Tweet

Kyrillos “Grow New Jersey” Legislation Gets Senate Approval

Bill Extends Tax Credits to Companies that Create Jobs, Invest in New Jersey

Trenton–  Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth/Middlesex) seeking to create jobs and business investment in New Jersey has received full Senate approval. The Grow New Jersey Assistance Program established by S-3033 provides tax credits to businesses that invest at least $20 million in New Jersey and retain or create at least 100 jobs.

Kyrillos lauded the bill as an incentive for firms to relocate or expand operations in the state.  “This legislation will help businesses put people back to work by reducing the tax burden of those that make a commitment to New Jersey,” he said.  “Businesses that make a substantial investment of jobs and capital in New Jersey will receive a tax break from state government. This is exactly the kind of incentive program we need to bring New Jersey’s economy back.”

Businesses that qualify will receive a $5000 credit against its tax liability for each job created or retained in state under the program for up to 10 years. Senator Kyrillos joins Senator Ray Lesniak (D- Union) as co-prime sponsor of the measure.

The measure now heads to the Governor.

• Tweet

A Voters’ Guide To Republicans

• Tweet

Rumor

From InTheLobby’s Three Ring Circus:

I’M OUTTA HERE!

Rumor has it that a state politician has been in discussion with Roger Ailes of the Fox Network in order to become a commentator for that organization. Supposedly the pol will not seek re-election in 2013. He will sign a contract with Fox that will permit him to speak around the country and receive big speaking fees.

I wonder who that could be?

• Tweet

Keeping New Jersey’s Tax Structure Competitive

By Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, Republican Budget Officer

It’s a simple question loaded with political appeal: “With so many people hurting, and income disparities rising, shouldn’t we ask New Jersey’s millionaires to a ‘fair share’ in taxes?”   

OK. What’s a “fair” share?  If the current share of state income tax paid by the top 1% of New Jersey’s taxpayers — about 37 percent — isn’t high enough, what is?  Would 80 percent be fair?  90 percent?  Taxpayers earning $1 million pay an effective tax rate this is about four times what taxpayers earning $100,000 pay.  When and how will we know when we’ve achieved “fairness”? 

Unfortunately, intense partisanship feeding on visceral emotions has made it virtually impossible to have a rational conversation about taxes in America.  As a senior member of the State Assembly’s Budget Committee, I think those of us in positions of leadership have a responsibility to do more than stoke emotions, and instead adopt tax policies that generate the revenue needed to support the State’s budget priorities on a fair and sustainable basis. 

Piling taxes on the “rich” may be great politics, but it’s lousy public policy.  New Jersey already has a “progressive” income tax system which, thanks to high-income households receiving a greater proportion of their income from investments and capital gains, has made our revenue base highly volatile.  Additionally increasing our relative reliance on high-income taxpayers will increase volatility, making it more difficult to engage in prudent long-term financial planning. 

Most experts believe increased volatility is a problem because fiscal stability is a condition precedent to sound policymaking.  Wild fluctuations in revenues fuel an inefficient boom-and-bust approach to budget-making that mismanages popular expectations. The impact of emergent budget cuts on New Jersey residents is regressive – those at middle and lower income levels experience the pain of budget cuts disproportionately since they more often benefit from state programs. 

Some editorialists have suggested Governor Cuomo’s recent decision to embrace higher rates for high income New Yorkers should serve as an example for New Jersey.  Perhaps they should read the fine print.  New York’s “tax increase” is no such thing.  New York’s current high rate is 8.97%, the same as New Jersey’s.  Instead of letting the rate go down to 6.85%, as scheduled, Cuomo is saying he’ll let the rate fall to 8.82% for taxpayers at $2 million or more, but let the rate fall to 6.85% for taxpayers between $300,000 and $2 million.  Everyone in New York will get a tax cut, but folks above $2 million will get less of a tax cut than they had expected.  If that’s the standard of “fairness,” maybe the editorialists are right and we should follow New York’s example!  Here’s the critical point: the top marginal rate in New York will soon fall below the top rate in New Jersey; that’s not good news for our competitive position. 

New Jersey Treasury’s Chief Economist’s review of national IRS data confirmed a statistical connection between tax increases enacted under former Governor McGreevy and an increase of affluent taxpayers who moved out of, or never moved into, New Jersey.  The Chief Economist also conducted a survey confirming a significant proportion of tax advisors had discussed moving out of New Jersey with their relatively affluent clients.  Contrary to the often inaccurate summaries in the popular press, the study and the separate survey were modest in scope and merely confirmed what we already know: yes, Virginia, taxes matter.

Are they the only competitive consideration? Absolutely not. Infrastructure, regulations, climate, educational levels and other factors play a major role.  But there’s no denying taxes figure into investment and location decisions. 

Instead of asking “what’s fair?” we should be asking “what’s in our long-term self-interest?”  I suggest it’s in New Jersey’s self-interest to pursue policies that support sustainable and growing revenue collections over time.  Although New Jersey cannot expect to compete globally on the basis of low taxes alone, we should avoid negative “outlier” status and with it the kind of reputation that once prevented New Jersey from getting into the starting blocks when companies and leaders make site selections.

• Tweet

Christie Town Hall Meeting in Spotswood Next Week

Governor Chris Christie will hold a town hall meeting meeting on Wednesday December 21, 2011 at the Spotswood Knights of Columbus, 30 Crescent Ave, Spotswood, NJ 08884. 

Doors open at 11:45 am for the noon meeting.

Seating is on a first come first served basis, but the Governor’s office requests that you RSVP here in order to ensure adequate seating.

• Tweet

Senatorial Courtesy

Senatorial Courtesy, an oft written about unwritten rule of the legislative confirmation process that is in the news in New Jersey due to a battle that Governor Chris Christie is having with the Essex County senate delegation over the confirmation of Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf.

On the federal level, both U.S. senators of a state, or the senior senator of the presidents party, can block the confirmation of a presidential appointee  who resides in the state the senators represent. 

In New Jersey, a senator can block the confirmation of a gubernatorial appointee who resides in the senator’s home county.

On both the federal level and in New Jersey, the senators don’t need a reason to block the confirmation.

The Democrats who control the New Jersey Senate are apparently stung by Governor Christie’s campaign against senatorial courtesy and the Essex County Democrats that Christie has targeted with criticism.  Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) has instructed the Office of Legislative Services to restrict access to the data base of who is exercising senatorial courtesy to only the Senate President and top staffers, thereby preventing Republicans from finding out who is blocking the governor’s appointments, according to The Star Ledger.

We don’t hear much about the Monmouth County delegation invoking senatorial courtesy.  The last time I can recall it the tradition being discussed publicly regarding a Monmouth County nominee was when Democratic County Chairman Victor Scudiery asked then Republican Senator Joe Palaia to block Luis Valentin’s appointment as prosecutor in 2005.  Palaia declined and Valentin was confirmed.

Just because we don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

• Tweet

Hope for light bulbs

From our friends at the Eagle Forum:

• Tweet

About the poll

Tim said at 7:09 am on December 16th, 2011:

Nice credible poll. Obvious it can be rigged. Read the site last night at about 11pm and Walsh had like 4 votes. And them whamo…overnight he gets 200 more. Yeah right.

Tim has a point. I laughed heartily first thing this morning when I saw that the Freeholder poll had 300 votes overnight.  I checked the site statistics which revealed there was only 140 overnight visitors.  Even though I set the poll up for only one vote per IP address and one vote per computer (by cookie) someone figured a way around that, which is not rocket science.

Online polls like these are not scientific.

• Tweet