Dem. hypocrite criticizes Space & Wirths for opposing Gov. Murphy’s RAIN TAX.

If you don’t think you pay enough in property taxes already – and if you really believe you need to pay more – then do we have the candidates for you…

Democrats Deana Lykins and Dan Smith.

These two Democrats are running for Assembly against Republicans Parker Space and Hal Wirths.  On July 5th, Democrat Lykins posted a video on YouTube in which she criticized Parker Space and Hal Wirths for voting against Democrat Governor Phil Murphy’s controversial RAIN TAX.

Governor Murphy’s RAIN TAX scheme allows government to establish new local bureaucracies with taxing power.  Once established, these “stormwater utilities” would impose a new property tax on local taxpayers based on an estimate of the water run-off coming from their “impermeable surfaces” such as roofs and driveways.  Do you feel the need to pay an extra $100 or so each year in property taxes?  Does that sound good to you?  Because it does to Deana Lykins.

Deana Lykins claims that we need to pay more in property taxes.  Lykins says we need Murphy’s RAIN TAX now to prevent things like the recent algae bloom that closed down Lake Hopatcong to swimmers.  Actually, 15 years ago the Democrats told us the Highlands Act was going to solve the problem and make sure that things like the algae bloom weren’t going to happen.

The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act was signed into law by Democrat Governor Jim McGreevey on August 10, 2004 – just days before he held a press conference to announce his resignation.  Of that press conference, many people still only remember how McGreevey successfully diverted attention from his legal issues, by raising his sexual “identity”.  Many forget that among the host of corruption investigations into McGreevey at the time was one related to land use.  Wikipedia explains… 

David D'Amiano, a key McGreevey fund-raiser, was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison for extorting $40,000 from a farmer, Mark Halper, a Middlesex County landowner cooperating with investigators. In the 47-page indictment, there are repeated references to the involvement of "State Official 1," later revealed to be McGreevey. In a conversation with Halper, McGreevey used the word "Machiavelli," the code arranged by D'Amiano intended to assure the farmer that his $40,000 campaign contribution would get him preferential treatment in a dispute over his land.

The Highlands Act put 859,000 acres – one ninth of the entire state – under the supervision of the state Department of Environmental Protection.  The Act specifically dealt with the issue of stormwater run-off.  In return for 880,000 residents in Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, and Hunterdon counties surrendering their property rights and losing the use and value of their property, issues like algae bloom on Lake Hopatcong were supposed to be resolved.  But the Democrats LIED… as they always do.

Now it is 15 years later and Democrats like Phil Murphy and Deana Lykins claim they need a new PROPERTY TAX (the RAIN TAX) to solve the problem we paid for (in the loss of property use and value) a decade and a half ago!    

Even more disturbing are the lies Deana Lykins tells in her video.  She talks about going to “the lake” as a child… but leaves out that she isn’t from Sussex County and that “the lake” wasn’t Lake Hopatcong.  Deana Lykins is from Kentucky. 

Lykins got a degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky in 1993.  Then she went to work for the New York City Housing Authority – that state’s local version of COAH.  Lykins worked for the Senate Democrats in New Jersey when they rammed through the Highlands Act and sent it to Governor McGreevey for his signature.  Lykins was a legislative staffer in Trenton who assisted in locking up our property use and killing our property values… and for what?  Now she’s back 15 years later to tell us we need to pay more in property taxes to fix what her bosses promised they would fix with the Highlands Act!   

Once she got enough experience from government she joined that never-ending “revolving door” between government and special interests.  Deana Lykins cashed-in and became a lobbyist, first for the pharmaceutical industry and then for the insurance industry.   Lykins was National Policy Manager for Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals at a time when the drugs giant was being accused by regulators (and the New York Times) of making “payoffs to doctors for prescribing the company’s pharmaceutical products.”  She is associated with some of the insurance industry’s worst practices (but that is for another day).

The hypocrisy of this politician is incredible.  Deana Lykins’ embrace of Governor Murphy’s RAIN TAX is yet another reminder of the Democrats’ contempt for, and their malevolence towards, taxpayers.

Beck & Doherty join left wingers to oppose tax cut for retirees

At yesterday's back to back press conferences at the State House in Trenton, GOP Senators Jennifer Beck and Mike Doherty joined with Democrat Senator Ray "Lord of Ass" Lesniak and Democrat Assemblyman John Wisniewski in opposing a plan that would give retirees an average $1,200 tax cut and phase out that destroyer of small businesses and family farms, the estate tax, while preventing an increase in property taxes to pay for local road and bridge repairs and maintenance. 

Beck and Doherty have their own plan, also supported by GOP Senator Gerald Cardinale, that freezes property tax relief to local governments for seven years and borrows heavily to run the state deeper into debt.  The Beck plan makes no tax cuts -- something the state teachers' union agrees with -- and leaves New Jersey's tax structure the worst in the region for retirees and the worst in the nation to grow a business and create jobs.

By refusing to fund roads and bridges through a petroleum-based user tax, the Beck plan gives out-of-state drivers a free ride while pushing the costs of maintenance and repair onto property taxpayers and future generations.  Groups  like AFP, which is funded by the petroleum industry, support Beck and Doherty, as do liberal organizations like the New Jersey Education Association and the Sierra Club.

When it comes to opposing the phase out of the Estate Tax, Liberal Assemblyman Wisniewski and talk show host Bill Spadea are both adamantly opposed.  They part company on a user tax on gasoline, with Wisniewski in support of an increase in the current tax, whereas Spadea would rather see no tax on gasoline at all and instead a substantial property tax increase to pay for roads and bridges.

All this is bound to have ramifications for the 2017 elections -- with the primaries now less than a year away.   How would retired voters behave if individual legislators voted against their $1,200 tax cut?  What would the effect be if it failed to become law and the state's retirees saw their $1,200 tax cut taken away?

In Jennifer Beck's District 11, 48 percent of all registered Republicans are aged 60 or over.  Just 20 percent are under age 45.  66 percent of Republican super voters (3 of 4 or above) are aged 60 or over.

42 percent of all registered Republicans in Mike Doherty's District 23 are aged 60 or over.  Just 21 percent are under age 45.  58 percent of Republican super voters (3 of 4 or above) are aged 60 or over.

In Senator Cardinale's District 39, 47 percent of all registered Republicans are aged 60 or over.  Just 18 percent are under age 45.  64 percent of Republican super voters (3 of 4 or above) are aged 60 or over.

Can these legislators afford to vote against a tax cut for retirees?

Poll: Sen. Beck is "out-of-touch"

Yesterday evening, on the grassy verge of some sad-assed gas station in Freehold, Senator Jennifer Beck rallied the remnants of the Monmouth County Tea Party movement to wave signs (paid for courtesy of the petroleum industry) and cheer on this lobbyist turned politician.  Dozens of tea partiers attended, but hundreds more were missing.   Why? Because they've moved -- just like conservative Senator Steve Oroho warned they would, unless something was done to keep them in New Jersey.

Senator Oroho's plan:  An average $1,200 tax cut for every retiree in New Jersey.

Senator Beck's plan:  Screw those retirees and let's keep paying for out-of-state drivers to have a free ride.

So that accounts for the smaller-than-in-the-past numbers at Beck's rally last night.  Many of the tea partiers who would have been there simply don't live here anymore. They've moved to states like Florida, North Carolina, and Delaware -- just like Senator Oroho warned they would.

Of course, the cause and the people are only a convenient backdrop for the kick-off of Senator Beck's 2017 re-election campaign.  After losing both her running mates to the Democrats last year, Beck is running scared.  She thinks the "anti-gas tax" slogan is a winner -- and that's partly the fault of the leader of her caucus, Senator Tom Kean Jr. 

It was Kean who fed his caucus polling numbers that bear no resemblance to the context in which these issues will be presented in an actual election -- by people with many times the resources Senator Kean and the NJGOP will be able to muster.  In short, the Gag will be upon them and then it will be too late.

But Beck really believes it.  She's bought into the idea that the Democrats (or her primary opponent) will frame the issue as it was framed to her.  Here's what she told NJTV reporter David Cruz at last night's "rally" in Freehold:

"This rally is about making it clear that the people of the state of New Jersey are opposed to a billion dollar, 23-cent gas tax increase. In case anyone wasn’t sure, you should know today that they are absolutely opposed and that you’re really out of touch if you think people are OK with that."

So this is the Gag...

Earlier this month, a poll was conducted in Monmouth County by a well-known, nationally-recognized survey research firm.  Now Monmouth County is far more Republican than is Legislative District 11 -- Senator Beck's district.  So one would think that the county as a whole would be more anti-gas tax than her Democrat-leaning district.  And that turned out to be true, because the pollster broke the county data down by legislative district.

We're releasing some of the county data but not the district data.  That's because we would like to be instructive but not prejudicial.  So here's how the data looks, when you place it in a campaign context:

T10. Thinking now about New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund, and different proposals to fund the maintenance and repair of roads and bridges. One proposal would borrow 4.4 billion dollars and freeze education funding for seven years, and would avoid having to raise the state gas tax. Knowing this information, do you support or oppose this proposal?

Total Support .......................................................... 41%

Total Oppose .......................................................... 47%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 19%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 22%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 35%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................. 12%

Unsure, No Opinion ............................................... 12%

T11. The Transportation Trust Fund is funded by the state gas tax, and is nearly out of money. When it runs out of money, county and local governments will have to raise property taxes to pay for road and bridge maintenance repairs. Knowing this information, which of the following do you think is the best option to pay for repairs to roads and bridges?  An increase in the state gas tax or an increase in property taxes?

Gas tax .................................................................... 73%

Property tax ............................................................... 6%

Unsure or No Opinion ............................................ 21%

T12. Approximately one third of gas tax revenues in New Jersey is paid by out-of-state travelers, while 100% of property taxes are paid by New Jersey residents. Knowing this information, which of the following do you think is the best option to pay for improvements to roads and bridges, and increase in the state gas tax or an increase in property taxes?

Gas tax .................................................................... 81%

Property tax ............................................................... 3%

Unsure or No Opinion ............................................ 16%

T13. As you may know, New Jersey is at risk of losing 1.6 billion dollars in federal funds for road repairs and maintenance, which would lead to an increase in property taxes. Knowing this, would you support or oppose a proposal to increase the state gas tax to minimize the increase in property taxes? 

Total Support .......................................................... 77%

Total Oppose .......................................................... 16%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 58%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 19%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 13%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 3%

Unsure, No Opinion ................................................. 7%

T14. Would you support or oppose a proposal that would increase the state gas tax and eliminate other taxes, like the state tax on retirement income? 

Total Support .......................................................... 69%

Total Oppose .......................................................... 18%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 48%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 21%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 13%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 5%

Unsure, No Opinion ............................................... 13%

T15. A proposed increase in the state gas tax would cost the average driver an extra 200 dollars each year. Eliminating the state tax on retirement income would save the average retiree more than twelve hundred dollars each year. Knowing this information, would you support or oppose a proposal that would increase the state gas tax and eliminate the state tax on retirement income at the same time?

Total Support .......................................................... 74%

Total Oppose .......................................................... 14%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 58%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 16%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 12%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 2%

Unsure, No Opinion ............................................... 12%

Does the Gagging ever end?  No, it never ends.  It just goes on and on...