Murray Sabrin's Blog

According to the latest SurveyUSA and Rutgers Eagleton polls, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett has the support of 19% and 20% of the electorate, respectively, while both Corzine and Christie are polling around 40% each.   

In short, Chris Daggett in striking distance of leapfrogging the two establishment candidates with his (flawed) plan to “take on the special interests in Trenton.”  Daggett’s plan to reduce property taxes by 25% is music to the ears of voters who are tired of paying higher taxes every year. 

At the first debate gubernatorial debate televised by NJN last Thursday none of the gubernatorial candidates proposed a credible plan to deal with the state's high tax burden, runaway spending and projected $8 billion budget deficit for fiscal 2011.

Yet all the media attention and buzz by the pundits after the debate has been focused on Chris Doggett's proposed $3.9 billion property tax cut that would be offset by extending the state's 7 percent sales tax.

President Obama has an ambitious agenda. He wants a “bipartisan health care reform package.” Translation: He wants Republicans to support his goal to increase the federal government’s role in health care now so the Democrats’ long-term goal of a single payer government insurance program will be a reality in a few years.

After the raucous town hall meetings members of Congress faced during their recent vacation, the Democrats realize that the country will not now embrace a single payer insurance system; therefore they will go for the incremental approach. A public option now and then later the big enchilada, universal health care.

On a hot, sunny Saturday 60 years ago we arrived in America.  My parents decided months earlier to come to the land of opportunity from war torn Europe to make a new life for themselves and their sons, my older brother, aged six, and me, aged two. 

My parents, who were the only ones in their respective families to survive the evils of National Socialism (Nazism), did not come to America expecting the government to pay-or help pay--for their needs.  Instead, they worked hard, paid their taxes and became citizens in 1954. 

Everyone from Governor Corzine to the state's legislative leaders to the editorial writers to the man on the street expressed disgust with the corruption charges levied last week against several elected officials and government employees. 

Advocates of so-called good government are incredulous that so many government officials have been taking bribes even after scores of elected officials have been jailed for various criminal activities during the past decade. 

One of the major collectivist goals of the Democrats is nearly complete.  With President Obama calling for a so-called public option in his health care reform package, the Democrats' goal of a single payer, universal health care system is on the horizon.

Although President Obama it is not advocating a government run, single-payer system at this time, the Democrats' long-term goal has always been to establish health care as a "right" with the federal government as the only insurer in the nation. Team Obama realizes it cannot achieve its universal healthcare goal in one fell swoop, that's why its strategy is to get to the "Promised Land" incrementally.

Last week the New Jersey State Legislature passed a $29 billion budget for fiscal 2010 which begins on July 1, 2009.  Governor Corzine's budget raises taxes on virtually all New Jerseyans during a period of rising unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies.  There is one word to describe this policy: dumb. 

Corzine is also continuing the practice of using one shot revenues to balance the books, a policy he has harshly-and rightly--condemned throughout his term. 

On June 25th 1959 at age 12½ I became a United States citizen.  It was a warm, sunny day in Manhattan when I raised my right hand in the federal courthouse and took the following oath:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."  (Emphasis added)

Congratulations to Chris Christie on easily winning the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Mike Doherty for his tenacious effort to win the Senate nomination in the 23rd District and to Mike Carroll who easily won renomination for his Assembly seat.

Steve Lonegan's flawed tax proposal cost him votes, and possibly the nomination.  If Steve did not have any tax hikes in his plan, he could have made a better case that both tax cuts and cutting state spending would revive New Jersey's economy. 

Steve Lonegan's tax plan is based on the following core idea: "My flat tax plan will start with a flat tax rate of 2.9% on every dollar earned. The rate will decrease to 2.5% the following year, and further to 2.1% in the third year.  (Emphasis added)

Thus, the Lonegan flat tax plan presumably eliminates all deductions, exemptions, and credits.  According to the latest available data from the Treasury, these exclusions from gross income total $26.8 billion.  Seniors would lose their $2.1 billion retirement income exclusion; all taxpayers would lose another $10.2 billion of exemption deductions; another $5.8 billion of deductions would be ended, virtually of all these deductions are for unreimbursed medical expenses; and taxpayers would no longer be able to deduct $8.7 billion of property taxes to offset their state income taxes. 

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