Ongoing Questions About Value of Tax Credit Program are Underscored by Award to TV Series of Dubious Value to State
Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today vetoed the Economic Development Authority’s (EDA) award of $420,000 in film tax credits to the Jersey Shore television program, citing New Jersey’s difficult fiscal climate and the need to direct limited state resources to programs and projects that actually benefit the state.
In his veto letter to the EDA, which he signed today, Governor Christie noted his long held, serious concerns about the limited value and return on the cost of the New Jersey Film Tax Credit Transfer Program, which was the basis for his veto of legislation earlier this year to “grossly expand” the program.
“We must ensure that our limited taxpayer dollars are spent on programs and projects that best benefit the State of New Jersey,” Governor Christie said. “I have no interest in policing the content of such projects; however, as Chief Executive I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the State and its citizens.”
The Governor also noted the contradictions coming from legislative supporters of the program who complained about EDA’s award of the tax credit to Jersey Shore just days before their most recent legislative action to expand funding.
“Legislators who championed the Program’s original legislation, and who later sponsored legislation to expand it, must surely have appreciated the consequences of their actions. The tax credit to Jersey Shore illustrates the potential for wasteful spending inherent in the implementation of the Program,” the Governor wrote in the veto letter.
“For such legislators to now complain of its implementation with respect to Jersey Shore is, at best, mystifying.”
Governor Christie concluded by noting that while it appeared “that the EDA felt compelled” to include Jersey Shore in the Program, “I am not so constrained” and vetoed the $420,000 tax credit award.
Posted: September 26th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, EDA | Tags: Chris Chrisite, EDA, Jersey Shore, Press Release | 6 Comments »
Posted: September 26th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: Barack Obama | 13 Comments »
In seven weeks New Jersey voters will have the opportunity to elect an entirely new state legislature.
Patrick Murray’s Monmouth University/Neptune Nudniks poll conducted in August indicates that New Jersey voters disapprove of their legislature by a 48%-35% margin. Democrats disapprove by 45%-38%. Independents, the majority, disapprove by a whopping 50%-28%. Surprisingly, Republicans approve of the legislature by a 45%-41% margin. Public workers disapprove by 55%-26%.
Based solely on those poll results, one might expect that we’d be in the middle of a spirited campaign with Democrats and public workers rallying to throw the Republicans out of office. Obviously that is not the case. Democrats control the legislature that their base and Independents disapprove of strongly.
Due to Dr. Alan Rosenthal’s decision that New Jersey voters are better off being continuously represented by legislators they don’t know, there are only a handful of competitive legislative races. The Democrats will continue to control the legislature for the next two years. Probably the next ten years.
11th District
The 11th district race is the only local race that is remotely interesting, so far.
There are two reasons that it is interesting. Independent candidate Dan Jacobson is colorful and is wisely using MMM, as well as his own publication to generate interest in his campaign. Republicans are not happy about this, but MMM has had a long standing policy welcoming voices other than Art Gallagher’s. Democrats have foolishly ignored the opportunity for years despite Gallagher’s overt invitations.
The other reason that the 11th district race is interesting is that Senator Jennifer Beck made gay marriage an issue. That’s right, Beck, not Jacobson, not MMM, gave gay marriage prominence in this race. She did so when she told Gannett columnist Jane Roh that she would change her vote on the issue.
“There are lots of reasons why I ultimately voted no. My position has evolved. I spent a lot of time on this issue, and at the end of the day, I would support it if it came before me.”
The Democrats, jumped on Beck’s curiously timed “flip-flop.” She had given them an issue.
The issue heated up again when Beck told Garden State Equality that she would vote to override Governor Christie’s veto of same sex marriage if given the opportunity. Put on the spot, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini took the same position with some reluctance.
As a result, Beck and Angelini’s running mate, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, is now in a tough spot.
Casagrande has been, ummm, straight, in how she has responded to the issue. She could have remained silent and let people continue to assume that she was against gay marriage rather than say she has yet to take a position. This has resulted in attacks by Jacobson, Olivia Nuzzi and other Democrats who scoff at Casagrande’s insistence that the issue is not simple and that the rights of religious organizations need to be respected as well.
Gay marriage advocates say they have no problem with religious rights being protected and that is no longer a valid reason to withhold support of marriage equality. While that might be true now, it has not been true in the 11th district’s recent past. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association lost the tax exempt status of its Pavilion in 2007 when it refused to allow a lesbian couple have a civil union ceremony there. The Methodist organization told the couple they could have their ceremony on the boardwalk that is also owned by the group, but not in a structure where religious ceremonies are held.
That compromise wasn’t good enough and the couple complained to the State Division of Civil Rights. Eventually, Lisa Jackson, Governor Corzine’s DEP Commissioner and now President Obama’s EPA Commissioner, declined to recertify the pavilion’s tax exempt status which the Camp Meeting Assoication had enjoyed under New Jersey’s Green Acres program. Reports indicate that the loss of tax exempt status for the structure cost the association about $20,000 per year.
New York’s recently enacted gay marriage law would have protected the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association from the lesbian couple’s complaint and from Jackson’s punitive action had it been law in New Jersey in 2007. I’d be willing to bet that Jacobson, Nuzzi and the 11th district Democratic candidates did not know that before it reading here. Garden State Equality was front in center in the 2007 fight against the Camp Meeting Association. I’ve yet to hear a peep from them about the rights of the religious or the rights of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in particular with regard to gay marriages now that New York has set a new standard.
While the gay marriage issue is not going away, so long as Chris Christie is governor it is not a practical political issue for a legislative race. While Democrats are expected to continue their hold on the legislature, there in not enough support from their side of the isle to override a veto. Garden State Equality blew their chance to get a gay marriage law passed when they agreed to Governor Corzine’s request that they not push the issue until after his re-election race.
The importance of gay marriage to voters in the 11th district depends on who you believe. Beck told MMM that Garden State Equality told her that there are 10,000 same sex couples in the 11th district. I would would want to see a list and match it up to the voter registration records before I bought that claim. There is no historical evidence of such a voting block.
Until I see such a list, I won’t be convinced the issue is as critical to 11th district voters as 6 of the 7 candidates running seem to think it is. Its the economy and those who are trying to make the campaign about something other than the economy think the voters of the 11th district are stupid.
While all this chatter is fun, it won’t have much of an impact on election day. Despite a 10,000 voter registration edge for the Democrats, Jacobson and the Democrats expect the Republicans to win a low turnout election by a wide margin.
Coming soon, What if we held an election and nobody cared? Part 2, 13th district.
Posted: September 25th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Legislature, Monmouth County, NJ State Legislature | Tags: 11th Legislative District, Caroline Casagrande, Dan Jacobson, Jennifer Beck, Mary Pat Angelini, Olivia Nuzzi, What if we held an election and nobody cared? | 8 Comments »
By Marianne Longobardi, Candidate For Marlboro Council
There have many people asking me why I decided to run for town council? I’ve been a nurse for almost 30 years, raised four children with my husband, and a grandmother of 11 grandchildren, many whom attend Marlboro public schools- so why would I decide to run now? Well, the question really should be is why shouldn’t I run? After a rewarding career as a registered nurse, I felt it was time to give back to my community and continue my dedication of service to others.
So, when I hear and read statements and allegations that are applied to me, or my running mates that are factually incorrect, I have no choice but to make the record clear.
First and foremost, I and my running mates believe that raising taxes continually over the past 4 years while raiding the town’s surplus and encumbering our children with the responsibility for paying back all the debt that we have amassed is wrong. Additionally we believe that we must strengthen our efforts to preserve open space, this goes a long way towards making Marlboro a well desired community to live in. Any program that unnecessarily takes over open space or allows a builder to be awarded a deal that does not require them to pay property taxes for 35 years is outrageous and something we will fight against.
We have an administration that has allowed tens of thousands of dollars in engineering fees although we have an “in-house” engineer, hundreds of thousands of dollars for lawyers- yet the majority of the COAH lawsuits against the township are still active- and has awarded thousands of dollars in no-bid contracts for a sitting council member’s husband.
That is why I am running; to correct what is wrong with our local government and current administration. I expect my opposition to spin their record to make them look good, but what I don’t appreciate is my (our) platform being misrepresented or fabricated by sitting elected officials who have nothing but themselves and higher office aspirations in mind.
Posted: September 25th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Marlboro | Tags: Marianne Longobardi, Marlboro | 8 Comments »
As an Independent Candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder this November, I hope to bring a sense of urgency to the position and take immediate action to help our fellow residents during these difficult economic times. Monmouth County Government has become too expensive.
My platform:
15 objectives for Monmouth County Freeholders in 2012 and beyond
Lower county taxes for Monmouth County residents. Tax increases are unacceptable. Our government has become unaffordable. Sounds obvious, but we need to commit to this objective.
Stop using Monmouth County reserves to balance the budget. Using $43 million of our surplus to balance the 2011 budget was an action of fiscal irresponsibility. We cannot continue to simply hope the economy will turn around. Using our reserves leaves us in a “weakened” position and shows residents that our government is overspending.
Stop hiring people who are already “retired” and receiving government pensions in excess of 60K annually. Many of our residents are are struggling and are looking for work. Monmouth County is experiencing a 9% unemployment rate. Hire our residents who do not have the benefit of a large government pension.
Move to a Higher Moral Ground. Stop nepotism/favoritism in Monmouth County government hiring. Demand accountability at Brookdale and at all our county departments. Change the culture in Monmouth County government to become more responsive to its citizens.
Apologize to the students of Brookdale College for the “planned 2011 tuition” increase, and the unethical practices of its leadership. Continue to examine all areas of spending at the school and hold the Brookdale Board of Trustees accountable. How can we consider raising tuition, when the Brookdale president was given a large salary, SUV, money to send his kids to private college, and a credit card for entertaining? Where was the oversight?
Move to outsourcing services where appropriate. Monmouth County government has become too expensive. Let our private sector handle more government functions. County government should provide essential services directly. Golf courses, nursing homes, marinas, etc. are just some of the areas we need to let our private sector handle.
Cut spending. Cut spending. Cut spending. Do not assume the NJ economy will get better. Because if you are wrong, you will leave Monmouth County with another large budget deficit. Many of our residents are cutting their spending due to economic conditions. Follow their lead. Do not hope for the best, then hit residents with another tax hike. S&P has just placed Monmouth County on credit watch; so the stakes are high.
Bring QUALITY jobs to Monmouth County. Committees, job fairs and “toolkits” are nice ideas, but we need much more that. I am committed to creating jobs and by reaching out to Fortune 1000 firms. Monmouth County is a great place to do business. AT&T, Lucent, BRAC are all gone. Monmouth County has now become our second largest employer. This is a recipe for disaster. Our young people will continue to move out of the county, due to lack of viable career opportunities available.
Make sure the county government does the basic things well and does not make excuses. Plow county roads in a timely manner. Ensure that utilities can provide our residents with reliable electricity. Make county government offices more responsive to its residents. Providing essential services is what residents are paying taxes for.
Make Monmouth County government relevant and more appreciated by its residents. Provide services that benefit most Monmouth County residents, and reduce those, that benefit few. Many of our residents, do not have a clue what their county government does for them. That is not a good sign, given we are spending $500 million annually. We need to take step back and engage with our towns to see how they want their county taxes spent. County government needs to serve its residents in a manner they desire, and not be beholden to special interests.
Reduce government borrowing. The $43 million in surplus the Freeholders used to balance the budget , would have been better spent paying down Monmouth County’s $500 million in debt. Our debt service expense has become a major drag on the budget. Monmouth County’s large debt, combined with struggling state and federal budgets, is a recipe for financial disaster. Our borrowing costs will continue to increase, as S&P has already put us on credit watch. Brookdale University is also on credit watch.
Demand shared sacrifice. We cannot ask taxpayers to continue to bear the brunt of our fiscal shortfall, without asking our employees and service providers to make sacrifices also. We are all in this together, and “all” does not mean just property owners. Rising property taxes are driving both commercial and residential real estate prices lower. We also need to continue to raise revenues from alternative sources, other than property taxes.
Encourage Monmouth towns to embrace shared services; for the benefit of their financial future. We can make a difference for our towns, without threatening their independence. This cannot be a hobby for Freeholders, but a mission. Local expenses continue to rise and with over 50 municipalities in the county, we need to become for efficient.
Set priorities when it comes to spending. Monmouth county’s budget is approximately a half a billion dollars. We need to prioritize each line item in the budget. Areas such has helping disabled children and adults, would be a high priority expense that should be protected. Spending on fringe benefits, like the ones given to Brookdale’s president would be low priority item. It is safe to say there are many areas that will be low on our list, and will be targeted for removal. It’s not the Freeholder’s money. It’s OUR money.
Establish a sense of Urgency, and stop wasting time making public appearances. We need to get to work for the taxpayer. Every day we are not addressing our budget deficit, is moving us closer to financial disaster. Make Monmouth County lead the state in fiscal responsibility and job growth.
In the end, I am sure that many of the candidates support some parts of this platform. The more relevant question is can they execute? Do they have the urgency, the desire and the ability to get the job done. Or are they simply going to hope the economy recovers, and then tell us they need to raise taxes?
This is a detailed platform, that I am putting in writing, so residents understand my objectives. The major parties have endorsed their candidates, and are asking you to trust their choice and wisdom. Much like the Obama administration, there is no plan. With a half a billion dollar budget, Monmouth County residents deserve more than public appearances and Facebook postings. Todays’ hard times, demand action, courage and urgency, not old-time politics.
Regards,
Tom Markowski
Posted: September 25th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Monmouth County Freeholders, Tom Markowski | 14 Comments »
My friend Murray Sabrin is trying to give Joey Novick some competition in his role as comedian/blogger.
If you’re not familiar with Novick, he’s a liberal Democratic lawyer and stand up comedian that makes up stuff about Republicans in his column at Politickernj. Sometimes Joey makes up stuff about Democrats too. He wrote that Carl Lewis was going to appeal to Judge Judy to get back on the LD 8 ballot as a Senate candidate. Joey thinks he’s funny.
Sabrin writes funny stuff too. Only Murray doesn’t think he’s being funny. Murray wrote that The Fix Is In. The Koch brothers have arranged for Chris Christie to be elected president in 2012 and that Steve Lonegan will be elected governor of New Jersey in 2013.
That is funnier than anything that Novick has ever written.
Joey and Murray should create a joint act, The Liberal and the Libertarian.
Posted: September 24th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: NJ Media | Tags: Chris Christie, Joey Novick, Judge Judy, Murray Sabrin, Steve Lonegan | 5 Comments »
Obama responds by outlawing asthma inhalers
Newsmax is reporting that Governor Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision not to be a presidential candidate in 2012 and will make his new decision within days.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision not to enter the 2012 presidential race — and he says he will let top Republican donors know within days about his plans, Newsmax has learned.
During the past few weeks, several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular Republican governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary.
These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including frontrunners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Newsmax has learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a hush-hush powwow held in the past week with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.
A source familiar with the meeting suggested that Christie seemed inclined to enter the race but said he needed more time.
Christie promised to make a final decision “within two weeks,” the source said.
Another source involved in GOP fundraising tells Newsmax that that uncommitted fundraisers and donors have been receiving phone calls from top political aides to Christie, seeking their feedback about his possible entry into the race.
President Obama must have gotten word of Christie’s secret meetings with billionaire Republicans. The Obama Administration’s EPA is set to ban over-the-counter asthma inhalers.
Christie suffers from asthma and uses an inhaler.
Mike DuHaime, Christie’s chief political strategist, has not responded to MMM’s inquiry as to the accuracy of the Newsmax story.
UPDATE
Christie confidant and advisor Bill Palatucci says, “Newsmax is wrong,” according to the Star Ledger’s Mexican reporter Ginger Gibson via twitter.
Posted: September 23rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie | Tags: 2012 Presidential Politics, Barack Obama, Chris Christie | 15 Comments »
By Carolee Adams, President, Eagle Forum of New Jersey
Governor Rick Perry is not this Jersey Girl’s candidate – and the primary reason concerns his softness about illegal immigration.
We need thousands of boots on the ground – and – a wall with electronic surveillance at our borders. Governor Perry supports only the former and, to what degree, I have not heard.
We cannot encourage more illegal immigration by granting tuition breaks to those who are not citizens as Governor Perry has done in Texas.
On my radar screen this morning came a report about Governor Perry’s attempted hush hush visit to the Inwood section of Washington Heights in New York. That’s part of Rudy Giuliani’s sanctuary city, by the way. Perry met with Latino leaders – in particular, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers. Politically, it’s not problematic to reach out to the Latino community and those who are discouraged by the Obama administration that attacks their livelihood. However, traditionally, that community represents a large Democratic voting block. They might be helpful to a nominee in the General Election, but not in the GOP Primary that Perry must win first. His visit is curious.
Rick Perry’s candidacy dies with his stubborn stance on illegal immigration that he strongly defended in the debate last night. Even the Northeast is withering on the vine because of illegal immigration. Reports indicate a minimum cost of over $3 Billion to New Jersey taxpayers alone to subsidize illegal alien activity in hospitals, schools, jails, and more. Illegal immigration cannot – must not – be tolerated or encouraged – particularly by any candidate hoping to win the GOP nomination for President of the United States of America.
Posted: September 23rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: Carolee Adams, Eagle Forum, Rick Perry | 10 Comments »
In last year’s municipal election in Neptune Township, Republican candidate for township committee Warren Lapp did not have a running mate. He publicly encouraged voters to cast a “bullet vote” just for him, even though there were two committee seats open with candidates on the ballot.
The Neptune Democrats responded by calling Lapp un-American for suggesting such a thing.
Now Neptune Matters, the Republican leaning blog from the township is calling on Neptune Democrats Randy Bishop and Eric Houghteling to denounce Dan Jacobson, the 11th district Independent candidate for Assembly for asking voters to bullet vote for him. Neptune Matters says that Bishop and Houghteling should call Jacobson un-American, but that they won’t because a bullet vote for Jacobson helps the Democratic candidates in the 11th.
Posted: September 23rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 11th Legislative District, Dan Jacobson, Erich Houghteling, Neptune Matters, Randy Bishop | 18 Comments »
