How much are New Jersey veterans and senior citizens worth? | Asszony – My Central Jersey

Suppose one of the esteemed lawmakers from Trenton told you they would spend $4 million of the taxpayers money to teach young people the value of golf. A joke, right? Well, it is not a joke.

The First Tee of Essex County, a youth program that teaches children ages 7-17 the positive values through the game of golf, will receive $4 million allocated in New Jersey’s $32.7 billion 2021 state budget. Gov Phil Murphy signed that budget into law earlier this week. 

Other projects costing New Jersey taxpayers additional millions of dollars include: 

• Shade tree management in Metuchen 
• Municipal facility renovation in East Brunswick
• Reservoir dredging in Clark 
• Improvement at Thomas Edison Memorial Tower in Edison
• $15 million for demolition in Camden

At a time when the state is in a financial crisis, shouldn’t these projects be postponed in favor of really helping our citizens?

Trenton:Murphy signs $32.7B New Jersey budget filled with taxes, borrowing and cuts

Charles Stile:Phil Murphy goes from progressive to Trenton deal-maker. Just look at his budget

New Jersey is in dire financial straits. The state’s bonded and unbonded debt is more than $200 billion and growing. Yet, Murphy and those who control the other branches of state government will allow borrowing of $4.5 billion to help balance the state budget, of which $2.5 billion will be set aside as ‘surplus’. How can this be surplus? State Sen. Declan J. O’Scanlon, a Republican and a member of the state Budget and Appropriations Committee, made an interesting analogy. If you borrow from one bank then put part of the money in another bank, that’s not a surplus. That’s still a debt that will require tens of millions of dollars in interest payments, O’Scanlon contends.

On this year’s ballot is the question of a Constitutional amendment whether or not all veterans should be given the $250 property tax reduction. Of course the answer should be yes. But, the real question should have been about veterans getting an increase of property tax reduction to $1,000 as outlined in N.J. Bill ACR163, “ This resolution proposes a Constitutional amendment to increase the annual veterans’ property tax reduction, from $250 to $1,000.” This ACR has been pending since 2016 and nothing has been done. The $250 veteran’s property tax reduction began more than 60 years ago.

In addition, the Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebates programs have been suspended to save the state money. It hurt those in financial need. These programs will be restored in the next budget. But, the archaic method of determining who will get how much will still be short changing senior citizens on property tax reductions. There is no mention in the new budget concerning N.J. Bill A464, which would “reduce the school property tax burden on senior residents of the state who are 65 years or older by 50%. The bill provides a reimbursement for property taxes to eligible claimant from the Casino Revenue Fund.” This bill was first introduced 2002. For 18 years this bill has sat idle, yet our honorable lawmakers would spend tens of millions of dollars on pork projects rather than help our seniors.

While millions of dollars are spent on a few elite youngsters to learn the value of golf, there are senior citizens struggling to make ends meet, and veterans who are not getting all they deserve. The politics of New Jersey need to change. Those in power need to look for practical solutions to resolve the financial disaster in New Jersey as the state keeps slipping into the sinkhole of debt. Borrow, tax and spend cannot continue being the mantra that echoes through the halls of our Legislature.

Carl J. Asszony can be reached at njveteran30@gmail.com.