Taxes

Taxes are what New Jersey is famous for now a days, but it hasn’t always been that way. Believe it or not before 1966 New Jersey had no sales tax, and didn’t implement an income tax until 1975. They were both said to be temporary to help lower at the time the 3rd highest per capita property taxes in the nation. Considering, New Jersey now garners the esteem honor of having the highest per capita property tax in the nation. These temporary taxes have obviously failed their original goal, and are not even preventing property taxes from rising locally or in comparison with the rest of the nation. So let’s look at this logically. We originally had a revenue problem, and created two temporary extra sources of revenue too catch up on the one, and failed miserably over the last forty years plus. This tells us that we had more then a revenue problem but more realistically a spending problem. Moral of the story is more taxes is not the answer to existing tax issues as you are effectively robbing Peter and Paul, and only the government and its employees get paid.

So what’s this amazingly elusive solution that our government is unable to manifest? As simple as it may be, sound fiscal responsibility is all that is needed. The only hard part to this solution is electing people with the courage, honesty, integrity to actually follow through, and take consistent actions towards balancing our budgets. Budgets of all sizes respond to all the same basic financial principles. You must prioritize, and restrict spending to stay well within your projected revenue stream. You must place a premium on saving in times of revenue abundance for those inevitable times of budget deficits.

Our current board of Freeholders spends as if the taxpayers are nothing, but a credit card with no limit for 30 years. These bonds are paid back with ridiculous amounts of interest. If we can not afford in the current years budgets how can we afford it in future annual budgets with hundreds of thousand dollars interest over the life of the bond? It's simple we can not afford it, and as collective whole voters must vote down the appropriations bonds that government is required to have voter approval. Voters just recently passed a 600,000,000 bond to complete not repair Camden County College. A noble cause no doubt, but is it needed in a time when our budget is severely under funded due to wasteful spending on wants, and not necessities. I want a Lamborghini, but I have to pay a mortgage and take care of my family so I don't buy one. We can not let government appeal to our want of providing more for our children when its really just lining their pockets with cash or some other favor down the road. Camden County College is already doing a wonderful job of educating our children. If that is not true or possible with out an additional 600 million dollars than students should withdraw from the college immediately, and ask for refunds for not receiving the education they are paying for.

Jammes Valencia is the type of candidate that will promote small government, reduced spending, cutting taxes, planning a solid budget by making the difficult decisions needed today right now.

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