It's Over

The long New Jersey state nightmare is over. Trenton adopted the state budget, and taxpayers will begin to feel screwed within days as a myriad of taxes are raised to cover increased state spending and mythical property tax relief will remain just that - mythical.

In fact, the homestead property tax rebate program was cut.

One large cut was in the popular Homestead Rebate property tax program, with a $164 million drop. For Corzine, final approval will mean reversal on a campaign pledge to increase rebates.

Seniors -- who had been told to expect 10 percent increases -- will see no change in their checks. Residents earning more than $70,000 will have theirs cut by $100.

Homeowners who had seen an average check of $350 will now get only $250. Those who earn more than $125,000 but under $200,000, the cutoff for the rebates, will see their checks drop to an average of $200.

So, not only are your taxes increasing, but you're not getting property tax relief.

What a bargain.

Other taxes that got raised include the cigarette and tobacco products taxes and the tax on rental cars.

It took the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee about half an hour to clear out more than $1.5 billion in new taxes with little debate.

"They've been fully vetted," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, said of the tax increases and the lack of public scrutiny. The phrase "vetted" echoed a line that Corzine used last week, when he rejected similar tax hikes offered by Assembly Democrat because he felt they were "untested" and "unvetted" – meaning that they had not been given a thorough scrutiny.

So, the Legislature picked up a trick from Albany - namely voting on measures that no one had seen before in the dead of night. That's how Albany usually passes its budgets, and it now seems that Trenton is determined to do business the same way.

At least the casinos reopened.

UPDATE:
Enlighten NJ does the heavy lifting of breaking down the votes on specific tax increases so I don't have to. Roberto notes that the sales tax hike passed by a single vote, and among those Democrats who voted against the hike was Linda Stender, who's angling for bigger fish to fry - running for the House. Voting for a massive tax hike would put a crimp in those efforts.

Others noting the end of the shutdown, the political fallout, and the increased tax burden on New Jersey residents: Wasted News, Oops, Sorry, My Bad!, Gambling Blog, and Coercion.