To the editor
Are reasonable, rationally calculated, affordable property taxes, public determination, and political fortitude mutually exclusive? Maybe the answer depends on how angry we, the taxpayer get, and whether we choose to manage our government and political leaders, or let them patronize and control us.
At least 700 of us attended the Township Committee meeting on July 8, at 7:30 p.m., no wait, make that 8 p.m.
Faux pas number one was that the public meeting was publicly advertised to begin at 7:30 p.m., but "politically," officially advertised for 8 p.m.
The Township Committee, following Robert’s Rules and Sunshine Laws made us wait from 7 until 8 p.m.
Sure, the restoration of Van Derveer House is important, but why did we, the citizens, the "owners" of our government not make our Township Committee discuss what we wanted to discuss, when we want information from our public servants?
Are we too polite or afraid to confront them, just because we have put them on a dais? Maybe we should punish such impudence?
The last time the Township Committee met to evaluate a school budget that we voted to reject, I stood before the Township Committee and asked the same questions as those that we asked last night. Surprise, the answers haven’t changed.
For whatever it is worth, the Township Committee has proposed an investigation into the possibility of appointing our school board members. However,
1) Since our Township Committee wouldn’t or couldn’t affect the proposed budget this year or last, how would the proposed structure change the status quo?
2) The committee explained that had they reduced the proposed budget to a level more in line with our vote, (e.g., by 50 percent), the school board would have appealed to the State Board of Education and most likely, received its full requested allocation.
In other words, 1) our Township Committee is impotent as an effective advocate for us, 2) the fox is guarding the hen house, 3) we were wasting our time last night, and 4) probably the biggest problem is that our Township Committee only makes token statements to acknowledge that governmental spending is out of control.
One sign of this problem is that the politico’s say, "the value of your home increased." My responses are, "The value has not increased until we sell our home," and "So what! The theoretical future resale ‘value’ of our home has nothing, whatsoever, to do with the cost of municipal government or education."
For those who remember the Laffer curve from Economics 101, you recall that at some level of taxation, revenues decline. What could reduce municipal and state revenues? How about us moving from Hillsborough to places with sane tax rates?
Unless government gets a handle on spending, this creates a vicious cycle of levying more and more taxes on those who remain, making the community progressively less livable.
Let’s try the following steps to solve this problem:
1) Call State Sen. Walter Kavanaugh (526-4222), and assemblymen Christopher Batemen (526-3600) and Peter Biondi (252-0800) and tell them that we hereby direct them to provide economical, efficient, ethical government where the public is not raped.
We cannot continue paying such taxes at such an increasing rate. The consequence of ignoring us is that we will kick them from office. I do not know whether we can trust them, but these three gentlemen make the laws and allocate the money. Do we have the guts and determination to do this?
2) Call the State Department of Education and voice your demands. They are bureaucrats, and the fox guarding the chicken house, but will have to act if we apply enough heat.
3) Tell our friends, neighbors, and merchants that they have to either help or continue paying insane amounts of taxes. How long can any of us afford such taxes and tax increases?
4) Remember that this action requires determination and persistence! Our complacence is our government’s best friend.
5) This idea will take time, but start digging around and asking questions at the county and state levels about processes, waste, graft, and inefficiency. Things work so much more "nicely" and "easily" when the public does not ask to many questions about our governmental spending, right?
6) Tape the estimated tax bill that you just received to your refrigerator.
7) Don’t back off.
On behalf of a fairly lean municipal government, and as a member of the Township’s Capital Planning Committee, I can honestly state that our capital spending recommendations to the Township Committee were very carefully considered and by no means, frivolous.
The biggest problems are in the school system and the state. We can either act now decisively, today, or sit back and enjoy some of the country’s highest taxes and worst government.
Meadowbrook Drive