Wednesday, February 11, 2015

End NJ Sick Leave Payouts, Avoid Gas Tax Hike

Americans for Prosperity, New Jersey's leading grassroots advocate for taxpayers, is calling on Trenton lawmakers to pass legislation to end sick leave payouts and use the billions of dollars it would free up to avoid a Florio-style tax increase.

“The other day Tom Bracken asked the New Jersey Legislature to not be the Seattle Seahawks and throw an interception right as they try to tax New Jersey families. What Tom and others forget is there are still a group of patriots standing on the goal line called Americans for Prosperity,” said AFP state director Daryn Iwicki.

“This gas tax proposal of raising $2 billion on the backs of hard-working families is as bad as what Governor Florio did to New Jersey families in 1990. In each case, the tax hikes lay the burden on the middle class and it could not be any more anti-family in the eyes of Americans for Prosperity.”

“AFP has said we can find the revenues we need in the budget. In fact Sen. Sweeney and Speaker Prieto could act right now to stop a massive gas tax increase by taking up one simple proposal: Assemblywoman Donna Simon’s legislation, Bill A158, now with 20 Republican sponsors, which would end the payouts of unused sick time by government employees. This sickening practice has the taxpayers on the hook for nearly $1 billion a year. As the Assemblywoman points out, it would save taxpayers $136 billion over the next 30 years,” explained Iwicki.

“AFP calls on both Republicans and Democrats to avoid a Florio-style, anti-family gas tax and pass A158 and then use the billions of dollars that will be freed up not only now, but in the coming years, for our broken transportation fund.”

“If Trenton politicians are serious about fixing our state and our roads and bridges are in as bad a shape as they say, there’s no excuse whatsoever for not moving this legislation unless you care about protecting entrenched interests more than the welfare of New Jersey taxpayers.”

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