To the editor:
It is no secret that New Jersey is one of the highest taxed states in the nation. In fact, New Jersey boasts the highest property tax rate, the third highest income tax rate, and the fourth highest business tax rate in the entire country.
To make matters worse, the state has a $150 billion unfunded pension and post-employment benefit liability. To put it simply, New Jersey is in a massive fiscal crisis.
Gov. Murphy has only made it worse—increasing the budget about $3 billion (almost 10%) in just over two years! He signed a massive tax increase on New Jersey businesses, a tax increase on shore rentals, and a tax on ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. He has pushed for increases in the state income tax and the state sales tax.
Now Murphy’s allies—John Birkner and Gerald Falotico—are running for the State Assembly, and they’re marching in lockstep with the governor’s agenda because, just like him, their fiscal records are really bad.
As a councilman in Emerson, Falotico voted to raise property taxes nearly every year he has served; in all, he raised taxes nearly half a million dollars. And John Birkner? During his tenure as mayor, property taxes rose 20% in his town.
It’s clear that we need to keep Assembly members Holly Schepisi and Bob Auth. They have been a strong and consistent voice for fiscal discipline and protecting taxpayers. From helping stop tax increases that unfairly target Bergen and Passaic Counties, to opposing massive over-spending, to fighting for an education funding formula that treats our schools more fairly, Holly and Bob never stop working for us.
This November the choice is clear: We can have the governor’s allies who will help take us down the path to financial ruin, or we can stick with strong, independent, and fiscally responsible legislators like Holly Schepisi and Bob Auth. I choose the latter.