From the issue of Feb. 1, 2007.
Don’t expect Trenton to give tax relief
To the editor:
It looks like we will not be receiving relief anytime soon from our ever increasing property tax bills as noted on Sunday’s headlines of the Star Ledger.
It seems our elected officials, especially our new governor, can’t seem to make the necessary reforms or cuts in state pensions and benefits to curtail a debt liability hurting every homeowner.
Our recent jump in property taxes was directly related to paying for someone else’s pension check and "free" health care when the vast majority of us don’t have a pension check or free health care in our futures.
I guess that is why our state added over 50,000 additional employees since the year 2000 as private sector hiring remained flat as New Jersey corporations look for cheap labor overseas putting New Jersey residents on the unemployment line or onto the state’s payroll.
I have some simple suggestions for our state to implement.
Effective retroactively, all employees on the state’s payroll of 4 years or less get converted into a 401(k) cash balance plan and any new employees of our state do not receive pension rights.
In corporate America, pensions are a thing of the past and 401(k) cash balance plans are a lot less costly to the bottom line of a corporation and to us as homeowners.
And there are no "free" life time health care benefits, either. Everyone must pay a portion of the ever-increasing yearly insurance premiums.
Did we forget there is a health care crisis in this country?
What’s free to some is costing us property tax payers dearly especially our senior citizens who are on fixed incomes.
As for Mr. Otrimski’s recent rant and name calling, you would think you would know better as an elected official and ex-cop. I am entitled to my opinion on how every tax dollar you collect is spent whether you like it or not.
Don’t forget you work for me even though I would never vote for you. I agree that residents should move their cars for proper plowing of all roads in town when possible but after plowing they should be allowed to park on their road even if it is still "snow covered" like in bad winters of the past.
But that is not what the signs allow for.
Here’s some good free advice for you Mr. Otrimski, stop worrying about where we park our cars as in your recent driveway ordinance and snow policy and start worrying about our future property tax bills.
I know this will be difficult for you as a New Jersey Democrat who probably likes higher taxes. And in your spare time take a walk down Dominic Street in Weston and poll some of the residents who are concerned over your new signs and where they are going to park if and when it snows again. You’ll see for yourself not every resident likes your signs.
Most were unaware they lived on a "snow emergency route." The signs are an eye sore in such a beautiful neighborhood.
And maybe you can also work on your communication skills by improving the town’s Web site so residents can understand and respond to your ordinances electronically without have to personally attend a council meeting.
Now get to work and stabilize my future property tax bills.
Richard M. Onderko
Manville

