Pennacchio to Zimmer: “Reimburse the taxpayers.”

Farmer FrontFlorham Park, NJ (May 28, 2008) – New Jersey State Senator and US Senate candidate “Jersey Joe” Pennacchio called on Washington lobbyist Dick Zimmer to reimburse his local community for property taxes he failed to pay on 23 acres of his estate by abusing the State’s Farmland Assessment Program.

The program was designed to help New Jersey farmers by reducing their property taxes so they could farm and not have to sell their land because of escalating property taxes was taken advantage of by Zimmer.

“Dick Zimmer is as much of a farmer as I am an astronaut,” said Pennacchio. “It’s incredibly unfair for a Lobbyist who owns a 25 acre estate to pay $12 an acre in property taxes while every one else pays thousands.”

The State Senator criticized Zimmer for taking advantage of the program while both living and working in Washington, DC as a Lobbyist. The Sierra Club called it a “tax dodge,” said Pennacchio. “It certainly was an abuse of the law’s intent.”

Records show that while living and working in Washington Zimmer earned $383,000. Mr. Zimmer’s campaign has said that he sold $1,000 worth of hay while lobbying in Washington. “99% of Zimmer’s income came from lobbying, not farming,” said Pennacchio. “Let his lobbying firm give him a tax break on his estate taxes not the local property tax payers. It’s just not fair.”

Former State Senator Ellen Karcher was soundly defeated last year when a similar “tax dodge” was exposed. Pennacchio’s campaign is calling on Zimmer to release details of his “farming” including receipts.

Hopefully, locating the Lobbyist’s “farm” records will not be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Joe Pennacchio is a New Jersey State Senator representing the 26th Legislative District.

Visit www.jerseyjoe08.com for more information on Joe Pennacchio's candidacy for the United States Senate.

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Paid for by Joe Pennacchio for US Senate, Inc., PO Box 12, Florham Park, NJ 07932