Issues

Paid for by Andria Siciliano, Campaign Treasurer

Website by CSS

Taxes

The single unfair tax we pay is property tax; especially to those who can least afford it. New Jersey homeowners pay the highest taxes in the country. Over the past seven years taxes have risen 55%, with over 75% going towards education.

For the working families of New Jersey we need true property tax reform, we will work to put more money back into the pockets of New Jersey taxpayers. We will work to put more disposable income into the homes of those who make up the bulk of our tax base.

We need to place a moratorium on state spending.

It is time we stop raising taxes and start making cuts. We need to stop penalizing people for the mistakes of our legislature. State debt has increased over 170% over the last 7 years.

Taxpayers are paying approximately 48% more in property taxes than they did seven years ago. There have been seven straight years of dramatic property tax increases.

In 2007, 26 new taxes were introduced into the budget. The average property tax increase in the last 5 years.... 55 percent, up 20% since 2007. Since 2002, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has passed 101 tax increases, taking a cumulative $12 billion from taxpayer pockets.

In 2002 Democrat-controlled Legislature restructured the Corporation Business Tax by making fundamental changes in the way New Jersey taxes business. In addition to the increased corporation business tax liability imposed in 2002, a business also is required to pay a surcharge equal to 4% of the amount of the corporation’s tax liability.

Democrats talked about the affordability and accessibility of health insurance in New Jersey. They appropriated millions of additional dollars to provide health insurance to low and moderate income state residents through the Family Care program. At the same time they imposed new taxes on health insurance providers, the cost of which is being passed on to policyholders, making insurance even less affordable. As part of the FY 2006 budget, two tax changes were approved that will lead to higher premiums.

In addition, there have been four cigarette tax increases, four increases in realty transfer taxes, three health tax changes, and a new car rental tax with a subsequent increase.

By the end of 2008 196,000 families left New Jersey. Due to the increase in business tax 100,000 jobs were lost, bringing New Jersey unemployment well over 230,000. By the end of 2008, more than thirty-one corporationss moved to Pennsylvania taking 21,000 jobs with them, along with $13 billion in income and wealth.

The ten-year period between 1992 and 2002 a Republican-controlled Legislature reduced the tax burden of New Jersey residents no less than 62 times B including a 30% reduction in gross income tax rates and a rollback of the sales tax from seven to six percent.

Even though our legislators have voted to give you a tax deduction, the final package of the legislation will do little or nothing to reduce the rate of increase in property taxes, let alone lower actual tax payments. What we have is a tax shift, instead of a net tax cut.

School aid has been cut, promised property tax relief has been cut and many of our seniors are forced from their homes, and our state because they can no longer afford to live here.

New Jersey Government needs to cut spending and start trimming entitlements. New Jersey is in the worst shape it has ever been in since World War II. We can’t continue to raise taxes for the working class, at a rate faster than their ability to pay.

Education

Education is the key to our success as a nation, and the education of our children is a number one priority.

We will work towards legislation that would adopt and fully fund a responsible school funding formula and responsible property tax reform.

Since 2002 spending for the 31 Abbott districts has increased from $3.186 billion to $4.205 billion. At the same time, state aid for the remaining school districts increased by a total of $189.5 million. The percentage of state aid going to these 31 districts is 57% of the total, up from 52% in 2002. At the same time, enrollment in the Abbott districts has remained constant at 23%.

We’ll work hard to make sure that education dollars are spent on students – not on an education bureaucracy. We need to reward excellent teachers by paying them like the professionals they are – and hold underachieving teachers accountable. With that accountability we can attract and retain quality teachers. Reducing class sizes, providing the necessary programs so that our children will be prepared to compete in the job market, these are the goals that need to be addressed.

Our schools are over crowded and our students don’t always have the tools they need in the classroom to receive the best possible education. If elected, I’ll fight to make sure that students have the textbooks they need and that we have the resources to build enough schools to stop over-crowding.

Our tax dollars should be spent ensuring that New Jersey's students have the skills they need to succeed in life.

When new neighborhoods are built, we must ensure that schools are built in a timely manner to handle the influx of new students.

The era of unfunded mandates in public education needs to end now. If full funding is not provided, we must relax the penalties placed on our schools.. To keep our community property taxes down, funding must be provided so schools should not have to ask for increases to meet the unrealistic goals that are forced on them.

Higher education has been neglected. While state spending has increased by almost 37% between 2002 and 2007, the direct state appropriation for New Jersey’s institutions of education has increased by less than 2%. For 2007 New Jersey was one of only three states to cut the level of state support for higher education, while tuition has gone up 35% over the past five years.

We have been critical of the budget cuts inflicted on our state colleges and universities. Ensuring that primary and secondary education are well funded will make sure we guarantee a cost-effective, quality education for New Jersey's students from kindergarten to their college graduation. We will work hard to bring federal dollars back to New Jersey to aid our state colleges and universities that have been neglected in this state over the last five years.

We need to apply Homeland Security funding to our schools.

Is it that our school and elected officials are afraid to talk about it as it may generate more fear in our communities?

By not addressing, the real threat of terrorism in our schools it creates more fear amongst parents and school officials due to lack of information,. Education, communication and preparation are the best way to manage fear.

We need to create a comprehensive safe school plan at the district level. Have a school security staff, conduct periodic drills, coordinate emergency management plans, screen vendors who provide services to schools enact and implement safety and crises preparedness policies.

Our teachers are the first responders in any school emergency and need to be trained and prepared on how to handle a crisis situation.

This would not be voluntary it must be mandated.

Although a terrorist attack upon schools in the United States or our community may be an improbability, the first step toward preparedness is admitting that it is at least possible that terrorists could strike a school or schools.

How much of an improbability is it? Stockton California(1989), Frontier Jr. High Washington (1996), Pearl High School Mississippi (1997), Littleton Colorado (4/20/99), Taber , Alberta Canada (5/28/99), Conyers Georgia (5/20/99), Deming New Mexico (11/19/99), Fort Gibson Oklahoma (12/6/99), Santee California (3/ 5/01), El Cajon California (3/22/01), Red Lake High School, Minnesota (2005), Amish School Pennsylvania (2006), Blacksburg Virginia (4/16/07)

The trend in recent years to cut school safety budgets is disturbing. Our leaders have pushed to increase funding to protect our airlines, bridges, monuments, and hallways of Capitol Hill It makes no sense to cut funding to protect the children and teachers in the "soft target" hallways of America 's schools.

Funding for school security and emergency planning should not only be spared from cuts, but should also be incrementally increased as we continue to increase our national defense and anti-terrorism preparedness in other public sectors.

This is where accountability comes in for Homeland Security Funds. Where has the money been spent?

Our leaders must acknowledge that it is a possibility that some form of terrorism can occur in our schools and we must have plans to prevent and prepare for such an incident.

The public must be informed as to what our local schools, officials and teachers will do in safeguarding our children in the event of terroristic threats.

Ethics

New Jersey needs an open and accessible government.

It is time for elected officials to restore confidence in the political system. It is time to put the interests of the public over special interests.

We need to reform government and clean up the business as usual in politics. Officials should be held accountable to the citizens who placed us in office, to restore and maintain the trust of the public.

When elected officials are allowed to push an agenda for private gain over the wishes of the public good, when corruption and pay-to-play are ignored, government has failed the voters.

When cynicism is prevalent among the voting public, good candidates lose, and the citizens lose good candidates.

We have questioned the integrity of ethics pay-to-play policies on the county level and will continue to do so when elected to the NJ Assembly.

Economy

The quickest way to stifle an economy is to take more money out of the pockets of those who work to support economic growth.

A weak economy will lead to increased unemployment. Declines in the labor force, higher taxes, higher costs of oil, rising medical costs, all have an adverse effect on economic growth, and lead to a larger deficit.

Investors will invest less, those who save will save less. By cutting wasteful spending, lowering taxes, providing incentives for small business to expand, are all factors that would contribute to stimulating growth.

Taking money out of the pockets of the working class will lower their standard of living and will lead to an increase of dependence on government programs for many.

By controlling spending so it does not grow faster than the rate of inflation, we would ensure that the government lives within its means and provides the basic services that our citizens require.

Eminent Domain

Our trust is placed in the officials elected to represent us and protect our rights.

The original intent of eminent domain has been altered. It is up to the officials of our communities, who were elected to enforce the codes of our communities to avert blighted conditions. Eminent domain was to empower government to take property for the public good when all other options were exhausted.

Eminent Domain abuse must be stopped.

No individual property should be taken against the will of a property owner in good standing, by force or threat of eminent domain for the purpose of private redevelopment.

Government needs to provide fair value to any homeowner whose property is taken for the public good.

We need to place a moratorium on private development until we have standards put in place to determine what is a blighted area, and strict criteria as to what determines the enforcement of eminent domain.

Affordable Housing

We have been advocates of affordable housing for our seniors and young families to buy and/or stay in their homes. Instead of helping families stay together and live in the neighborhoods they grew up in, New Jersey government has not only made it harder to purchase affordable housing due to the high cost of property taxes, but almost impossible for those on a fixed income to stay in their homes.

Retirees’ on fixed incomes cannot keep up with the property taxes, forcing our seniors out of their homes. Property taxes are taking a large chunk out of retirement savings. Low-wage workers and families living on disability or social security have to pay a higher percentage of their income, as landlords increase their rent.

First time homebuyers are hurt as property tax increases push home ownership further away.

State Officials need to look for ways to expand investment in housing development, and strengthen programs to help New Jersey afford housing, and create policies encouraging affordable housing development.

As the cost of housing continues to climb, our leaders must look into every possibility and be open to new ideas to lower the cost of housing.

With a 20 to 40% decrease in property market values, the current real estate mortgage crisis, a 7-month backlog in real estate inventory, and foreclosures going through the roof, residential property taxes should be going down.

Approximately a $1500 dollar property tax reduction would give $20,000 more in home purchase value.

Rising housing costs together with continued modest wage gains present an economic and social challenge.

According to Freddie Mac Housing and Mortgage Statistics, New Jersey families are the third wealthiest in the country. In the past five years, the average house price in New Jersey appreciated over 80 percent, benefiting 67.3 percent of households. However, high home prices are taking a toll on housing affordability.

Many families aren’t earning enough to stay ahead of inflation. They are working more, but still are not able to afford or keep their housing. In going door-to-door, we have met many upper income families who are saying they may have to sell their homes.

Veterans

Our disabled veterans with less than 20 years of service cannot collect both their full military retirement pay and their VA disability compensation.

Veterans pay into Medicare for most of their lives, yet the law prohibits them from using Medicare benefits at a VA hospital.

Veterans should be eligible for Medicare at a VA hospital, the same as they would at any other hospital. Congress must adopt Medicare reimbursement as payment for VA medical care. Our veterans have paid Medicare premiums and are entitled to receive those benefits. I will support Mandatory Funding or Advance Funding for our veterans, funding provided at the beginning of the fiscal year. We must keep the promises that were made to our military men and women for the sacrifices they made, when called upon to serve.

Maintenance of the Walter Reed Hospital is run and done by civilians. First priority should be given to our veterans in the upkeep of this facility.

It is a crime that Illegal aliens receive a free education, free housing, free medical, and are entitled to social security. Aliens that walk on our soil who never lifted a finger to protect this country or fight for American rights or freedoms. Aliens who feel they are entitled to receive what was earned from those who gave their lives in the name of America. Soil that through decades our military men and women fought to defend, so that we as Americans are able to enjoy our freedoms and benefits.

The shame of it all is that every veteran that ever fought for our freedom has to come home and still fight for their benefits, they or their families receive nothing for free.

If we are to give away anything it should be to those who served in combat to protect our heritage, traditions and values, not to those who think they deserve it just because they are here.

Any veteran who serves away from home during war should have their taxes tabled to lessen the hardship on their families.

Small Business

Small business owners are the backbone of our nation.

In 2002 Democrat-controlled Legislature restructured the Corporation Business Tax by making fundamental changes in the way New Jersey taxes business. In addition to the increased corporation business tax liability imposed in 2002, a business also is required to pay a surcharge equal to 4% of the amount of the corporation’s tax liability. Due to expire this year, Corzine’s budget extended this egregious tax.

Due to the increase in business tax 100,000 jobs were lost. By the end of 2008, more than thirty-one corporations moved to Pennsylvania taking 21,000 jobs with them, along with $13 billion in income and wealth.

The job of New Jersey government is to help business grow and provide employment to the people that live in their communities. To often the paperwork and government intervention makes it difficult. We need to make

it easier for small business owners to run a business, not spending their time filling out government forms and reports.

As a prior business owner, I know what it takes to run a business, the long hours needed, the weekends spent away from your family, the cost of health insurance, the red tape involved in running a business.

Raising taxes to pay for runaway government spending does not open the door for small business. Instead it forces business owners to move or close up shop and forces them to lay off employees.

In 2007 I received the endorsement of Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) because of my pro stance on small business.

They stated “Joe Sinagra represents the principles of free enterprise, limited government, and job expansion through economic development.”

“This candidate is committed to creating jobs, reducing New Jersey’s regulatory burden, and improving the overall economic climate of our state. With an anticipated deficit in next year’s budget, projected to be more than $2.2 billion, it is critical that this candidate, who believes in smaller government, is elected to the New Jersey legislature."