Click here: Americans for Prosperity - New Jersey :: Home
http://americansforprosperity.org/index.php?state=nj

PLEASE DON'T BE DECEIVED BY THE PROPERTY TAX REFORM.....

Defeat the three November ballot Questions!
Three strikes and you're out. Governor Corzine is pitching some mean fastballs and off-speed stuff. He needs all three strikes (all the ballot questions passed) to strike-out the taxpayers of New Jersey. Every one of the three Questions you will see on the November ballot will mean more debt and more taxes for New Jerseyans, and the continued deterioration of New Jersey's economy. While citizens are paying attention to the four legislative committees that are pretending to be working on property tax relief, Governor Corzine and his big government allies are trying to slip these ballot initiatives in under taxpayers' radar.

Defeat the three November ballot Questions!>>PLEASE READ WHY...

Despite what the politicians are telling you, every one of the three Questions you will see on the November ballot will mean more debt and more taxes for New Jerseyans, and the continued deterioration of New Jersey's economy. While citizens are paying attention to the four legislative committees that are pretending to be working on property tax relief, Governor Corzine and his big-government allies are trying to slip these ballot initiatives in under taxpayers' radar.
It is a three ring circus, and the property tax relief committees are just the side show -- taxpayers shouldn't miss out on the real act.The passage of these ballot Questions is essential for big taxing and spending advocates to make government even bigger. Plus, Governor Corzine undoubtedly hopes to use these ballot Questions to fulfill his promises to his constituents: big labor, radical environmentalists, and union labor contractors.
Defeat the three November ballot Questions!
Despite what the politicians are telling you, every one of the three Questions you will see on the November ballot will mean more debt and more taxes for New Jerseyans, and the continued deterioration of New Jersey's economy. While citizens are paying attention to the four legislative committees that are pretending to be working on property tax relief, Governor Corzine and his big-government allies are trying to slip these ballot initiatives in under taxpayers' radar. It is a three ring circus, and the property tax relief committees are just the side show -- taxpayers shouldn't miss out on the real act.The passage of these ballot Questions is essential for big taxing and spending advocates to make government even bigger. Plus, Governor Corzine undoubtedly hopes to use these ballot Questions to fulfill his promises to his constituents: big labor, radical environmentalists, and union labor contractors.Americans for Prosperity-New Jersey recommends a "No" vote on all three Public Questions.
"Public Question 1"
DEDICATES ANNUAL REVENUE OF AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO A TAX RATE
OF 0.5% UNDER THE STATE SALES TAX FOR PROPERTY TAX REFORMDo you approve the amendment of Article VIII, Section I of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, to provide for the annual dedication and annual appropriation of an amount equal to the annual revenue derived from a tax rate of 0.5% imposed under the New Jersey Sales and Use Tax, exclusively for the purpose of property tax reform, through a special Property Tax Reform Account established in the constitutionally dedicated Property Tax Relief Fund?
What does "Public Question 1" mean for taxpayers?
Like the 1976 income tax, this Amendment does not guarantee WHOSE property taxes are being "reduced" or how. Without specific guidelines for property tax relief, for all taxpayers know every dime of the 0.5% may go to the Abbott districts. In fact, this ballot Question doesn't even specify this money will be used for property tax "relief." Rather, the money will be used for politicians' definition of property tax "reform." That may very well mean a pot of money for lawmakers to spread around to their friends and supporters.
A " Yes" vote on this question will lock in the sales tax hike for ten years, with no guarantee you will see a penny in property tax relief
.A "No" vote will allow taxpayers to throw out the current crop of legislators next year and vote in new members to the New Jersey Assembly who will repeal the sales tax hike and actually cut spending in Trenton.
Note: Furthermore, it is an odd coincidence that the amount of money being dedicated for property tax reform is the same amount needed to keep the state's failing pension system afloat.
Official Interpretation found on the ballot:
INTERPRETIVE STATEMENTThis constitutional amendment provides that an amount equal to the annual revenue derived from a tax rate of 0.5% imposed under the New Jersey Sales and Use Tax Act shall be annually dedicated in a special account in the Property Tax Relief Fund and annually appropriated for property tax reform.
"Public Question 2"
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO EXPAND USES OF DEDICATED TAX REVENUES TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS AND FACILITIES ON PRESERVED OPEN SPACE LANDSShall the amendment to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, expanding the authorized uses of the constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax Revenue, to allow the use of 15% of the dedicated funds to fund the development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and beginning on January 1, 2016, allow the use of an additional 17% of the dedicated funds to fund the development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, be approved?
What does "Public Question 2" mean for taxpayers?
This Public Question is a vague and unnecessary appropriation of tax dollars that will help the politicians in Trenton create a constituency for revenue from the Corporate Business Tax. If this spending directive is allowed to pass, environmentalists will see to it that the Corporate Business Tax is never lowered, which will only continue to harm New Jersey's economy.In addition to this concern, taxpayers should wonder precisely what type of development does the term "development of lands for recreation" encompass? This is undoubtedly an attempt to expand the size and scope of the Department of Environmental Protection and give lawmakers another pot-of-gold from which to hand-out jobs and reward special interests. Before voting on this Question taxpayers should ask whether a taxpayer-funded water park in Morris County constitutes developing lands for "recreation."Second, according to "New Jersey Future" (an environmental research and policy group), New Jersey ranks as a national leader in land conservation -- first in percentage of farmland base preserved and fourth in absolute number of acres among urban states. Asking taxpayers to vote in 2006 to spend money in 2016 is simply not necessary nor is it a Constitutionally sound idea, especially when New Jersey can't get spending under control in the here and now.It is interesting that states like Nevada (see below) have no corporate or personal income tax, yet New Jersey politicians are only concerned with how to increase and spend tax dollars. How about a ballot question to eliminate corporate and personal taxes? That is a Public Question Americans for Prosperity would like to see on the November ballot. Official Interpretation found on the ballot:INTERPRETIVE STATEMENTSince 1996, 4% of the annual revenue from the Corporation Business Tax has been constitutionally dedicated to fund environmental programs. Approval of this constitutional amendment would (1) expand the authorized uses of those revenues to fund improvements and facilities for recreation and conservation purposes on preserved open space lands, and to pay debt that may be incurred from the issuance of bonds for those purposes, and (2) change the allocation of funds for the existing authorized uses. The Constitution currently allocates 33% for hazardous discharge cleanup performed by the State, 17% for grants for air pollution control programs until 2016, a minimum of one-sixth (or 16.66%) or a minimum of $5 million for water quality projects, and a minimum of one-third for funding loans or grants for underground storage tank programs and loans or grants for hazardous discharge remediation programs, and for an underground storage tank inspection program. This constitutional amendment would authorize 15% of the dedicated funds to be used to finance improvements and facilities for recreation and conservation purposes on preserved open space lands and an additional 17% for that purpose in 2016 by reducing the allocation of monies for water quality programs, State funded hazardous discharge cleanup, and the underground storage tank program, but would require an appropriation to the underground storage tank program if less than $20 million is available in any year for that program.
"Public Question 3"CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CHANGES THE DEDICATION OF MOTOR FUELS TAX TO STATE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMDo you approve the proposed amendment to the State Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, which changes the current $0.09 per gallon dedication of the motor fuels tax to $0.105 per gallon to be used only for the funding of the State transportation system, subject to previously enacted laws dedicating any of these revenues for debt service on bonds of the State or for any other uses of these revenues?
What does "Public Question 3" mean for taxpayers?This Amendment would dedicate the remaining 1.5 cents of the gas tax to the state transportation trust fund. On the part of the state this sounds like a fiscally-responsible move, but taxpayers shouldn't be fooled. It appears the state hopes to use the new dedicated funding source (along with money garnered by lengthening the life of DOT's current $7.4 billion in red ink) to float $8 billion worth of contract bonds that taxpayers won't even have the opportunity to vote for or against.The New Jersey Constitution requires that taxpayers vote on new bond debt, but an unfortunate New Jersey Supreme Court decision ruled that "contract bonds" are exempt from that Constitutional requirement.Taxpayers shouldn't provide the means necessary for politicians to ring up yet another $8 billion in debt, without citizen approval, that will serve the interests of big labor and road contractors.
Official Interpretation found on the ballot:INTERPRETIVE STATEMENTThis amendment to the State Constitution dedicates 10.5 cents per gallon of the existing motor fuels tax for the cost of funding the State transportation system. The current constitutional dedication is 9 cents per gallon of the motor fuels tax. The existing motor fuels tax is 10.5 cents per gallon for gasoline and 13.5 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. This amendment does not change the motor fuels tax rates.

VOTE NO on the ballot questions!