Protecting One of the 12th District's Most Important Industries
If you've been reading the news, or if you've tried to get your driver's license renewed this week, or if you had planned a trip to Atlantic City, you know by now that our state government has been shut down as a result of the fact that Governor Corzine and both houses of the Legislature are still hammering out a budget upon which all parties can agree.
My staff and I have spent many hours in Trenton this week, and in fact at this moment I am in a caucus meeting, so I am not personally posting this message. New Jersey residents are understandably angry about the situation in which we find ourselves, but let me assure all of you that everyone involved in this process is working extremely hard to get it resolved.
In light of the shut-down, Senator Karcher and I have become very concerned about the welfare of Monmouth Park and Freehold Raceway, both of which are currently closed because state employees must be on hand to monitor operations in order for racing to continue. Under current law, those employees are not designated as "essential."
Yesterday, the Senator and I introduced legislation that would change that.
For anyone who is not a fan of racing or in some way involved in the industry, you might be unaware of just how significant it is to New Jersey in general, and the 12th District particularly. Horse racing is in the top 30 businesses in the state. About 30,000 people's livelihoods depend on its survival. In the state, there are 81,000 acres of open space currently utilized in some way that is connected to horse racing. If the industry were to fail, many of those acres would likely fall to development.
It's unacceptable that this business should grind to a halt because of the budget situation in Trenton. We must ensure that this does not happen again. I know this is particularly important to constituents living in Millstone, Colts Neck, and Oceanport, so I will do my best to make sure this legislation makes its way through the legislative process quickly.
posted by Mike Panter at 7/06/2006 10:45:00 AM
6 Comments:
Mr. Panter,
What's worse is that yet again you and your fellow legislatures cannot competently do the simple things you've been elected to accomplish. This despite NJ being one of a handful of state legislatures that stay in session for the entire year.
And now we’re being TOLD, once again, to pay the price for a corrupt state government and useless self defeating programs (read “court mandated” urban inner city school funding increases) because you no talent clowns can’t find the guts to CUT something or take on the “Supreme” Court. What’s Einstein’s definition of insanity? “Doing the same thing over again but expecting different results”.
I’m not holding my breathe for that constitutional amendment by the way. Some of us aren’t that stupid. The only way we can get property tax relief is to leave New Jersey, which I’ll probably be doing as my job at Ft. Monmouth evaporates (because our liberal federal reps including Corzine, Menendez and Holt kept/keep voting against all the programs that were actually run here).
9:00 AM
Cut and paste from the Tax Foundation. Apologies for my rant this morning....I'm really upset about this budget. This budget will do nothing but drive business and taxpaying residents OUT.
"in a surprising twist of bipartisan teamwork, Rhode Island Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri and the predominately Democrat R.I. state legislature successfully passed a sweeping tax reform last week that exhibits a refreshingly commonsense approach to tax matters. The approved reform notably includes an alternative flat tax that will lower the state’s income tax from 9.9 to 5.5 percent for high income earners, a cheaper (and less regulated approach) to health insurance for small businesses, cuts in property taxes and tax credits for businesses choosing to fund private education.
“Business leaders with incomes of more than $250,000 look at Massachusetts and see a 5.3 percent income tax, Connecticut with a 5 percent tax, and Rhode Island with a 9.9 percent tax. They make a choice on where to move and create jobs, and that difference in tax rates is a big factor in where they go,” said William Murphy, Rhode Island’s Democrat House speaker.
According to the Tax Foundation, prior to the recent tax reforms, the state’s residents “pay an average local and state tax burden of 11.4 percent. This equates to the 4th highest tax burden in the United States.” (New Jersey is #3 by the way).
New Jersey ranks 49th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales and gross receipts taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on wealth, including residential and commercial property. Neighboring states ranked as follows: New York (50th), Pennsylvania (16th) Maryland (22), and Delaware (8th).
We're also dead last in +/- federal money sent/received....another credit to our wonderful Senators and Congressmen.
2:27 PM
Assembyman Panter,
I am dismayed (though not surprised) to see that you have omitted Freehold from your list of municipalities in the 12th having constituencies for whom the racing industry is "important". It is true that no one in Freehold Borough is raising or breeding stock. However, as a very small town, overburdened both by the presence of county government offices and our unwanted role as the "bedroom community" for the greater part of western Monmouth County's illegal immigrant population, I can assure both you and Senator Karcher that the stability and viability of one our town's few ratables is of tremendous importance to your forgotten constituents living here in Freehold Borough.
5:42 PM
I apologize for my oversight in not mentioning Freehold in the list of towns deeply touched by this issue. Of course Freehold is a major stakeholder in all issues having to do with racing. There's no good excuse for the oversight, but I can tell you that we had a very long week leading up to that budget vote.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Mike
2:57 PM
Funny you should mention driver's license renewal which, even when all State operations are up and running, is a very difficult process at best.
Post 9/11, you are required to bring in the six points of ID proof, and your processing fee, which must be paid by check or cash -- the MVC website expressly states that you cannot pay by credit card. And you absolutely must make the payment before the restoration, or renewal.
I'm not complaining -- we want no more 9/11 circumstances.
But, apparently if you are the boyfriend of the Attorney General, Zulima Farber, a quick call to the MVC will suffice to get your suspended license restored, no personal appearance necessary, as it is for everyone else.
And, you get to read the smart-aleck comment by the spokesperson for MVC, one Sandy Grossman, who had the nerve to suggest that this "quick fix" for Hamlet E. Goore represented an effort by MVC to improve customer service.
What is your position on the Attorney General scandal? I don't ever remember a criminal and ethics investigation of a sitting AG. It is only seven months into the Administration!
Should the Governor ask her to resign?
6:19 PM
Funny you should mention driver's license renewal which, even when all State operations are up and running, is a very difficult process at best.
Post 9/11, you are required to bring in the six points of ID proof, and your processing fee, which must be paid by check or cash -- the MVC website expressly states that you cannot pay by credit card. And you absolutely must make the payment before the restoration, or renewal.
I’m not complaining, however. We don’t want any more 9/11 circumstances.
But, apparently if you are the boyfriend of the Attorney General, Zulima Farber, a quick call to the MVC will suffice to get your suspended license restored, no personal appearance necessary, as it is for everyone else.
And, you get to read the smart-aleck comment by the spokesperson for MVC who had the nerve to suggest that this "quick fix" for Goore represented an effort by MVC to improve customer service.
What is your position on the Attorney General scandal? I don’t ever remember a criminal and ethics investigation of a sitting AG. We are only seven months into this Administration.
Should the Governor ask her to resign?
5:43 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home