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My question is...................... Why do the people of New Jersey NEVER, EVER discuss the fact that we pay the most in FEDERAL tax dollars & get the least back?
On top of our own problems; we are subsidizing the "welfare states" who have the nerve to generally dislike us for who we are.
i've brought this up before...all to deafening silence.
hmmm nc is a bigger state but their budget is in better control than ours yet I don't see anarchy on the streets in nc either... what gives?
The below people all went through the NC school system and are successful ... what gives?
I think all the welfare recipients are trying to shout down the middle class so they can continue on the gravy train
Writers
Maya Angelou — award-winning novelist and poet who teaches at Wake Forest University
Jerry Bledsoe — journalist from Asheboro who has written several bestselling "true crime" books (including "Blood Games").
Orson Scott Card — novelist who lives in the Greensboro area, author of the "Ender's Game" series and other bestselling science fiction novels. He teaches writing workshops through Appalachian State University.
Sarah Dessen — novelist writer of young-adult novels, from Chapel Hill. Two of her novels formed the basis for the movie How to Deal starring Mandy Moore.
Clyde Edgerton — novelist
Kaye Gibbons — novelist who wrote "Ellen Foster" and "A Cure for Dreams."
Allan Gurganus — author ("Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All")
William Sydney Porter — famed short story writer is better known by his pen name, O. Henry
Tom Robbins — a modern, best-selling novelist and journalist.
Lee Smith — author ("Family Linen," "Fair and Tender Ladies")
Thomas Wolfe — Born in Asheville, Wolfe was a noted novelist and author of books such as "Look Homeward, Angel" and "You Can't Go Home Again."
Journalists
David Brinkley — tv news reporter
Howard Cosell — Sports Commentator and original host of Monday Night Football
Josephus Daniels; founder, publisher, and editor of the Raleigh News and Observer daily newspaper; served as Secretary of the Navy from 1913-1921 under President Woodrow Wilson; gave Franklin D. Roosevelt his first job with the federal government by appointing him Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
Charles Kuralt — Emmy winning CBS news anchor
Edward R. Murrow — A five-time Emmy winning journalist and member of the Television Hall of Fame
Sam Ragan — Former editor of The Pilot; He was honored as North Carolina's Poet Laureate in 1982
Gene Roberts — Former editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer
Charlie Rose — An Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist and interviewer
Vermont Royster; editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1957 to 1970; earned two pulitzer prizes during his career.
To fix NJ we have to do more at the county levels... if you put all public services at the county level rather than the municipality level costs would come way down.
We do have way too many cops. Too many small cities, too many cops. It's that simple. Consolidating the police forces would save money on salaries (especially at the high end, administrative/leadership positions) and on overhead (less stations, cars, etc).
Same can be said for fire stations and firemen.
Schools are a bit harder as there's generally a target student to teach ratio but you could likely close some schools. You could definitely reduce the administrative overhead of all the school districts and boards. You could definitely save a ton by consolidating bussing.
Then you have just Government. How many boards and other positions each city has could be eliminated? What about things like snow removal, garbage disposal? Granted, I'd love to see a lot of those things move to the private sector, but hell, if the Government is going to try they should at least push for some efficiency of scale.
Frankly, fixing a lot of NJ problems is easy. The issue is it would cost jobs, high paying jobs, high paying union jobs, the sort of high paying union jobs a politician can't talk about cutting and still get elected in this state.
My question is...................... Why do the people of New Jersey NEVER, EVER discuss the fact that we pay the most in FEDERAL tax dollars & get the least back?
On top of our own problems; we are subsidizing the "welfare states" who have the nerve to generally dislike us for who we are.
NJ is the wealthiest state in the country, why is this a surprise? The Federal tax system isn't flat. Those who can afford to pay more do. Cry all you want, but it's far better to live some place where you can afford to pay a bit more in taxes than someplace else where you have to receive someone elses.
1. (this one really bugs me) Eliminate the municipal attorneys from the pension system. They are what they are, self employed business men/women or contracted help often with their own "firm". The tax payers do not owe them a a pension.
2. Increase the retirement age of police to 60. Why in the world do we allow a 42 year old to collect a PENSION which is for retirement
3. Standardized schools. Why not have a standard design of schools......... We all know that 8 Billion went down the rat hole with no accountability during the last big School Construction fiasco. Why does Roberto Clemente School need marble entries?
4. Re-evaluate the eduction we provide to Special Ed kids. The kids deserve and education, lets make sure it is of use..............ie trained for an AVAILABLE job.
NJ is the wealthiest state in the country, why is this a surprise? The Federal tax system isn't flat. Those who can afford to pay more do. Cry all you want, but it's far better to live some place where you can afford to pay a bit more in taxes than someplace else where you have to receive someone elses.
it's not a surprise, and I agree with your last sentence, it's just the hypocrisy of the whole thing. the "cheaper, nirvana" states are being supported by the hated yankees.
No but how does their economy work (on a state level) and ours doesn't. I could pick TX if you would like but NC seems to be the place everyone is going to
No but how does their economy work (on a state level) and ours doesn't. I could pick TX if you would like but NC seems to be the place everyone is going to
close to 12% unemployment "works"?
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