Corzine: NJ Not Ovetaxed!

From Bob Ingle at the Courier-Post:

Gov. Jon Corzine's administration's reputation for being arrogant and out of touch with little regard for the middle class keeps getting reinforced by the governor and his treasurer, David "Let Them Drink Beer" Rousseau.

The French Revolution-inspired nickname comes from a press conference in which Rousseau was asked why Corzine wanted to increase wine and liquor taxes but not those on beer. The treasurer indicated they were tossing a bone to the little guy and the middle class. He was joking, I think, but his comments reinforced what many believe is Corzine's attitude.

It didn't stop there. Before a Senate committee, Rousseau testified Corzine had "finally brought property taxes under control," which came as a shock to most New Jerseyans. The next day, when asked before an Assembly committee whether he thought New Jerseyans paid too much in taxes, there was a way too long pause. Finally Rousseau said, "No."

Assemblyman Joe Cryan, D-Union, who also heads the state Democratic Party, tried to rescue Rousseau with a series of leading questions.

"You don't believe, for example that New Jerseyans are not overtaxed, all you tried to do today was put it in context of the national figures. Is that correct?"

Nice try, but it fell flat when considering the rest of Rousseau's answer about overtaxing. "The only way to cut taxes right now would be to cut services in this state either at the state level (or) the local level."

He wasn't talking about the national picture. He was repeating the bogus Corzine line that no more waste and perks (like state cars and hundreds of political patronage jobs) or Corzine's pet programs can be eliminated to save money.

Then, the next day, reporter Martin DiCaro of 101.5 FM caught up to Corzine and put the overtaxed question to him. The governor didn't have a "yes" or a "no" but, "People who ask that question need to ask it in conjunction with do they want their children educated? Do they want safety on public highways? Do they want the kind of highway that is safe?"

Ah, the dastardly taxpayers. But if he thinks it's their fault, Corzine should explain why New Jersey spends $2.2 million per mile to build and maintain roads when the national average is $128,538. Are taxpayers demanding that? Why does it cost more per pupil to educate kids here but they don't get more in education? Witness the high number of kids who get a diploma but can't pass the High School Proficiency Assessment. Is that taxpayers' fault too? Why does Corzine's cabinet continue to ride around in state cars with insurance and gas paid for by taxpayers?

In this awful economy, Corzine wants to spend $77 million to expand pre-kindergarten while cutting aid to higher education. Is that because parents are demanding it, or is that so he can deliver to the teachers' union, which stands to expand and collect more dues when pre-K grows?

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation ranked New Jersey first in total tax burden three years in a row. Corzine and Rousseau would have you believe that's taxpayers' fault too.