By: centraljersey.com
Our holiday fundraising season officially ended on Jan. 31. Though we didn’t quite reach our goal, I’m happy to report that about 73,000 individuals were blessed with help by The Salvation Army in New Jersey last Christmas.
And how were we able to nearly fill our kettles and help so many people? New Jersey donors were generous even as the economy continued its struggle. And we are so grateful. Time and again, friends throughout New Jersey have listened and found resources to help The Salvation Army help those in need. Please remember that our kettle donations aren’t just used at Christmas – they fuel our programs and services throughout the year.
As well, I send my heartfelt thanks to our Partners in Service. Year after year, they allow us to stand kettles, participate in our holiday toy and gift programs, sponsor Internet giving opportunities and so much more. Where would we be without their help? More, how could we continue to serve the needy without their continued support and philanthropic loyalty?
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of our corporate partners who helped to fill our kettles or stock our holiday toy and gift programs. They include Wal-Mart; the A&P Family of Stores; JC Penney; HMS Host, which allows kettles at Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike rest stops; Kings; Macy’s; K-Mart; ShopRite; Stop and Shop; and BJ’s Warehouse.
We are thankful for everyone’s donation, great or small. We are thankful for our Partners in Service. And we are thankful for all God’s blessings allowing us to help those less fortunate.
Maj. Donald E. Berry NJ State Commander The Salvation Army
Decreased income should mean decreased spending
To the editor:
The mayor of East Windsor in one week dropped the proposed tax increase from 2.49 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 1.49 cents, a drop of 1 cent, or (new minus old over old) of 1 cent divided by 1.49 cents, equaling a 40 percent decrease, or "the proposed tax rate increase was nearly halved." This still ignores that 1.49 cents divided by 38.3 cents per $100 of assessed property value is still above a 2 percent increase in the local municipal tax, and is about a 4 percent increase in the local municipal tax.
So much for the mayor’s credibility. How can anyone really believe or trust what the mayor says from week to week, much less from year to year? Was the mayor dishonest last week and is being honest this week, or was the mayor dishonest last week and is again being dishonest this week?
In clutching for lame excuses and intentionally trying to confuse the taxpayers and take attention away from her own incompetence, the mayor has stated that the township’s tax base itself, which shrunk by $14 million due to market conditions and tax appeals, and that the township’s ratable base declined by $14 million in value was really to blame. The intimation was that the planned 6.5 percent, now 4 percent, tax rate hike is not the mayor’s fault; then again, perhaps a $14 million decline in value is a reason that the budget itself should decrease corresponding to the decreased amount of resulting taxes, and not doing that is the mayor’s fault. If there is less revenue, that does not automatically mean that the tax rate has to increase to make up the lost revenue, but means there should rather be a corresponding decrease in taxes.
$14 million times the 38.3 cents per $100 of assessed property value is a loss of about $500,000 in revenue, out of a budget of about $20.2 million. What I learned in getting my M.B.A actually happens in the real world when revenue decreases by $500,000 is that expenses correspondingly should decrease by $500,000; decreased income should result in decreased spending. What happens in this unreal world of politics and public service employee unions is that when revenue decreases by $500,000, taxes are raised by $500,000, so that the same number of public service employee union members retain the same wages, benefits, pensions and health insurance, and vote for the mayor.
Frank Paul Lukacs East Windsor

