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Guest Column
Joe Sinagra Sr.
Time to keep tax-reform promises
Equal tax distribution may have worked 40 to 50 years ago
when most average homes were of equal value. Today there is a
very diversified value on properties.
If a home assessed at $50,000 is raised to $100,000, and a
home assessed at $150,000 is raised to $200,000, what was just
accomplished? How is the tax burden equally shared? All that
was accomplished just brought in more revenue but did nothing
to help the taxpayer. All you did was raise the value of the
homes, thereby raising the tax base.
Why, as taxes constantly go up, does a house never
depreciate? In 80 years, that house should be worth a few
million? Why is it you work 40 to 50 years to build your home,
and then it comes to the point that you are taxed out of
it?
All improvements are taxed, hardwood floors, ceiling fans,
decks. Why? You work two, sometimes three jobs to improve your
lifestyle, make a nice home for yourself. You already paid
sales tax on the products for the improvements; now the town
gets a cut.
You have to pay for permits, so the town has a record of
your improvements. Now you are reassessed on all your hard
work. Now, to add insult to injury, your school taxes are
based on the value of your home. It seems to me the town,
county and the state all get a cut and benefit from the work
you put into your home.
Homes and taxes are skyrocketing in New Jersey — where does
it stop? You buy a home, work two jobs to pay your mortgage
trying to stay afloat. Now you get hit with a 30 percent and
higher tax increase in one shot. Where does the average person
go to get the extra money?
States and counties have no problem increasing the average
homeowner’s taxes for extra revenue. Where does the average
homeowner go to keep up with the increases? It seems they can
spend money like there is no tomorrow, and when it gets tough,
they put it all back on the taxpayer. We didn’t spend the
money that wasn’t there, but we now have to make up for
it.
When residents vote down a school tax, they are overridden,
and it goes through anyway. Politicians have made legal
extortion a high-paying business. Utility rates, insurance
rates, school taxes, property taxes, tax increases — residents
are getting tired of being taxed to death to keep their head
above water.
Look at the rate the cost of living has increased in New
Jersey, and the average pay increase most people get.
Unemployment is up, foreclosures are up. You read articles
that the unemployment is going down. I believe it’s just that
the unemployment ran out and you’re not part of the statistics
anymore. Those who do get new jobs are working at a lower
salary or working two jobs to keep ahead.
Our elected officials should have seen this coming, not
wait until it gets to the point where residents have to cram
town halls to complain. It is time our local, state, and
federal elected officials start looking at new and innovative
ways to save or cut back on spending, new ways to distribute
taxes, and to make it affordable for all to buy a home and
keep it in New Jersey — not just follow the crowd and go with
the same old standards.
If not, then get out of office and let the ones who have to
live with the problems try their hand at it. They can’t do any
worse than the officials who have sat in that seat, making
promise after promise until they get their pensions. If the
officials elected haven’t done anything by now, vote them out
of office before they have time to collect. Like the taxpayers
in Franklin, more and more residents will be packing their
town halls.
"Taxation without representation" seems to be the new
slogan by many residents. I do think I have heard that slogan
somewhere though. Anyone care for some tea?
Joe Sinagra Sr. is a resident of Helmetta
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