Saturday, May 10th, 2008
It really seems that New Jersey lawmakers go out of their way to show disdain for the taxpayers of this state. How else can one reconcile the latest scheme brewing in the state Assembly?
On Monday, the Assembly Environment Committee is scheduled to discuss a 10-cent deposit for bottles and cans less than 24 ounces and 20 cents for larger ones up to 3 liters. The bill would apply to juice, sport drinks, water, soda, wine and beer containers.
Is this what taxpayers in New Jersey need right now? Despite us not being in a recession as some Garden State lawmakers have asserted, the economy is not going well. A $.10 deposit per bottle/can adds to the cash leaving citizens’ pockets. Sure, they can get the money back by burning fuel and having soda residue drip all over their trunks, but why make us go through that dance?
It’s not about the environment either.
Nope, this adds money to the state coffers that can then be raided like every other fund of cash is. Remember the huge tobacco settlements? Yeah, you don’t hear about that anymore, do you? That is because it is now a liability for New Jersey. Instead of having money coming in from the lawsuits, we are paying interest on the money that was leveraged off the sale of the settlement. And that is exactly what will happen to the tin can money this silly legislation will produce.
New Jersey will be no greener, but we will be poorer and jumping through the hoops to get our cash back.
Right now I have no need to rinse an empty bottle of soda. When it is done, I toss it into the recycling can. On Friday, I carry the can to the curb. The recyclers come by empty the can and I start all over.
Under this legislation I will pay a tax fee for the bottle. I consume it and then have to wash it out. Why? Because if I don’t, the last drop or two will end up emptying into my trunk (or all over me when I transport it). The empty bottle will then be placed in a plastic bag. To hell with using the recycling can. It is too big to lug around to wherever I am going to redeem the bottle. Furthermore, it has drainage holes at the bottom. That will allow all the excess to spill in my car. The plastic bag will be discarded as it will be too sticky to reuse. The recycling can will be discarded as it now has no use.
How is this saving the environment?
This is another slush fund your elected officials are proposing.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, July 18th, 2006
Chalk up The Garden State Preservation Trust as another state agency that is going broke.
This agency is that layer of state government that was formed to manage the $100 million of taxpayer money to protect teh state’s open spaces. The way the Whitman administration advertised this program had voters overwhelmingly support the legislation.
But like most government-run programs, The Garden State Preservation Trust is quickly running out of money. It states that it escalated purchases recently as land has become more difficult to purchase and prices have skyrocketed.
Even when this legislation was passed seven years ago, land was scarce and expensive. I am not certain that is a legitimate excuse for overspending.
But even more egregious is that the agency has not scrutinized purchases to my liking. As I highlighted in May, taxpayer dollars were used by the Trust to purchase a golf course and the state will continue to run this as a golf course. That is not protecting open spaces.
Governor Corzine is trying to help out. He wrote a welcoming message to the group that assembled to begin the re-authorization of the program.
“All 21 counties and 217 municipalities have passed their own open space laws,” the governor wrote, “which clearly demonstrates the commitment of our citizens to protecting the high quality of life in the Garden State.”
Recall that those open space laws keep my toddler from feeding the ducks at a local pond/park. I dare say that the open space legislation has not worked out quite the way we were told it would.
Remember this, dear reader, when you answer the ballot question in 2007 to fund the Trust with more of your money.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
Sunday, October 24th, 2004
The Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter and I are usually on opposite sides of issues. It’s not that I am anti-environment, far from it, actually. It just seems that I am in favor of environmental interests when they are interested in political, or vice versa.
But it is with great enthusiasm that I join the NJ Sierra Club in denouncing New Jersey’s outgoing governor, James McGreevey, for annointing three existing parks to the state park register.
The New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club faulted the additions, saying the state should invest in its existing park system.
“We will not have enough money to fund improvements to our parks, and we will not have enough funds to hire an adequate number of lifeguards, rangers and park police,” the organization said in a statement.
This feel-good measure is solely done to complete a campaign promise before the governor resigns next month. There is no need to promote these parks amid severe budget issues which continue to plague the Garden State.
This is nothing more than legacy-building on the backs of the taxpayers which will be burdened with bankrolling these parks (”national competition will be held for designs for the sites in Paterson and Trenton”) for years to come.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
