State needs to fix the way it raises money
Why, in this the 21st century, do New Jerseyans agonize year after year over school and municipal budgets tied to an antiquated tax, based on the assessed value of one’s house?
Property taxes made sense when real property — farms, small businesses and the like — were the major source of wealth and income in this country. But a house?
The typical house doesn’t generate income, it generates bills for maintenance, repair, insurance, utilities and property taxes.
Good government fiscal management is based fundamentally on generating sufficient revenue to cover the spending deemed prudent and appropriate for the common good of the community — whether at the local, state or federal level.
The primary focus in New Jersey today is cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending, and that is well and good and long overdue. But we also need to take a totally new look at revenue generation. What is a more equitable basis on which to assess taxes than on one’s ability to pay them?
New Jersey already has a progressive income tax based largely on gross income that is not complicated or biased by a myriad of deductions and credits, and therefore is more auditable and fair.
Do we dare think about eliminating the property tax — and maybe the sales tax as well — and basing needed revenue generation on the progressive and fair gross income tax? I think it is at least worthy of debate — if the current generation of politicians at any level or of either party is capable of thinking beyond the status quo.
Donald L. Clement Jr.
Borough’s response was ‘by the book’
The vandalism of the Bud Eastwick memorial bench, as noted by Bud’s loyal family in their recent letter to The Sun, reflects very negatively on our borough and some residents or visitors.
The family’s expression of concern is manifestly appropriate and timely, and I sympathize. Perhaps the perpetrators can sometime be identified and rehabilitated, and repetitions prevented.
Still, it is only fair to raise a voice in behalf of our capable Borough Administrator, Sharon McCullough, who reportedly failed to respond to the Eastwicks’ communications.
Section 4(b)(2) of the borough administration manual states, in pertinent part, that “residents’ requests and/or complaints need not be addressed nor replied to until at least four (4) personal visits to borough hall, seven (7) telephone calls, and/or six (6) letters on the specific topic have been logged in or duly noted. Two (2) letters received from a resident’s legal counsel may warrant response if the basic communications are found lacking.” A footnote to 4(b)(2) warns borough administrators that “overly prompt responses may lead residents to expect more promptness in the future, and thus create inconvenience.”
It appears that Ms. McCullough’s inaction, properly viewed, was “by the book,” and thus warranted. The cited manual provisions antedate her incumbency in office.
I acknowledge with thanks the able assistance of Dean Jonathan Swift in the context of this local matter.
David B. Coggins
To schools: We aren’t a ‘bottomless ATM’
In response to the letter to the editor of Mr. Glenn R. George (Is it worth sacrificing quality of our schools? March 10–16), re: increasing elementary class size: Cry me a river!
The theory that small class size equals better students is a myth perpetrated by the education establishment — teaching schools, the NEA and other pseudo educators.
What is a prudent size? It’s anyone’s guess. I attended parochial school in North Philadelphia, basically a low middle-income neighborhood, during the late ’40s, early ’50s.
One nun taught a class of 50 to 60 students — and she did it effectively and without a “teacher’s aide.” In my particular class, three went on to be physicians — one a cardiac surgeon — several (too many in my estimation) went on to be attorneys and several eventually started their own business.
The one who became a cardiologist became the chief medical director of one of the city’s hospitals.
While a student, this individual stuttered.
The so-called “mean, sadistic” (as so many so-called Catholics love to disparage those unheralded self-sacrificing, well rounded educators) helped this individual overcome this disability (can we still use that word?) without the benefit of a speech therapist.
In fact, our school was a feeder for two parochial high schools in Center City (not elite prep schools) and we went on to college favoring our local institutions of higher learning.
The state has to live within its means. It can’t spend money it doesn’t have, and the public isn’t its bottomless ATM.
If the current New Jersey budget cuts proposed by Gov. Christie mean less money for our schools, then they, too, have to make hard decisions and adjust to the reality of the current economic state of the state.
Those who depend on fickle government largess without planning for the eventuality that it could end, don’t deserve our sympathy. Our precious little ones won’t be scarred for the rest of their lives if they are one in a class of 30 to 35 others. If the teacher is an effective teacher, all will learn. Those who fail to learn will fail regardless of class size.
There is a limit to how much more of a tax burden citizens have to be subjected to providing “gold-plated” schools.
Joe Tozzi
A question for the Haddonfield BOE
Has the Haddonfield BOE announced it will provide Board candidates with current school year rosters of all schools, administration and custodians reflecting name, position and gross contract for 2009–10, and four prior years to assist the candidates in learning about the job?
And a synopsis of all fringe benefits, perks, etc. for all employees.
Joe Greene
