Gov. Chris Christie’s proposal to cut income taxes by 10 percent would provide only modest financial relief to middle-class families who are struggling more under the weight of their property taxes, according to analysis by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services.

The governor’s plan would largely benefit the state’s wealthier residents, who pay a significantly higher rate under the state’s current progressive tax system, and so they would see greater savings, the analysis shows.

Senate Democrats said the analysis provided evidence that Christie’s proposed tax cuts across the board would favor the rich and shortchange the middle class, and they indicated they had a counterproposal that would offer relief from income and property taxes.

“We all want to cut taxes, but we want to cut the right taxes in ways that help those most in need and that provides the most benefit to the economy,” said Senator Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, which conducted the first of many expected hearings Monday on the tax cut proposal.

Excerpt.  Original Published: Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 8:15 AM   www.NJ.com

Ocean County Chairman Wyatt Earp welcomed  enthusiastic  Ocean and Monmouth Democrats ti  the  Ocean/Monmouth AFL/CIO Central Labor Council sponsored training session is at IBEW Local 400, 3301 Highway 138 East, Wall Township. 

The NJDSC and the Ocean County Democrats free training explained  the Democratic National Convention delegate selection process

For more information about the National Convention, or to volunteer for Obama, contact Ocean County Democrats at info@oceancountydems.org

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 by John Reitmeyer, State House Bureau, The Record

New Jersey taxpayers will still fund public pensions for a group of private employees and lobbyists because of another disagreement between Democratic lawmakers and Governor Christie.

The governor used a pocket veto this week to kill legislation that would have ended taxpayer-funded benefits for new employees at three advocacy organizations that were granted the perks in a long-overlooked law dating back to the 1950s. The legislation had cleared both houses of the Legislature unanimously.

A series of articles in The Record beginning in late 2009 revealed that 63 retirees from three organizations — the New Jersey League of Municipalities, New Jersey School Boards Association and New Jersey Association of Counties — were receiving a combined $1.3 million in public retirement benefits annually.

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester, sponsored legislation in 2009 in response to The Record’s reporting that would have prevented employees at the three advocacy organizations from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits.

After long negotiations with the Senate and Republicans, the Assembly passed a version of the legislation during the final moments of the last legislative session on Jan. 9. The bill addressed the cost of those benefits by eliminating them for new hires at the three organizations; it had won the support of the League of Municipalities and had previously cleared the Senate.

BRICK — A proposed ordinance limiting the mayor’s salary should the mayor have a second job outside the township was passed unanimously Tuesday night on its first reading by the seven-member Township Council.

According to the ordinance, which comes up for adoption in two weeks, the “Township Council desires to provide a salary reduction for the position of mayor when the mayor only works part-time as mayor as a result of other employment in a full-time job elsewhere, so that a mayor does not receive full-time pay for part-time work.”

The ordinance, if passed, would reduce the mayor’s salary to $15,000, if the mayor holds a full-time job — defined as employment for at least 35 hours per week — in addition to leading the township.

“The figure of $15,000 seems like a fair number for a part-time salary. Council members make $8,000 as their part-time salary, and the mayor has more responsibilities,” said John Ducey, the council president.

The mayor received $15,000 years ago when it was a part-time position, Ducey said. The current salary for the township mayor is $52,000 per year, though Acropolis has pledged he would take only $1 as salary for this year.

In addition to Acropolis being Brick’s mayor, he also has been executive director of the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority since July 2010. In that position, Acropolis receives $93,000 in salary.

Acropolis’ earning two salaries from two public service jobs has been an issue of contention with residents and rankled Ducey and his running mates in the November election. A Dec. 6 proposal to reduce the mayor’s salary failed by a 4-3 vote, made prior to four Democrats, including Ducey, assuming the majority of seats on what had been an all-GOP council. The group pledged to confront the issue once they were on the council.

“It’s not about a particular mayor but about the position. If you’re taking a full-time salary, you should be working full time,” Ducey said.

Excerpted from Jan 11, 2011 Asbury Park Press