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Legislature bats .000 on reforms
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/17/06
Back in the summer, the two most powerful men in the Legislature, Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr., pledged to enact "significant" property tax reforms by Jan. 1. Gov. Corzine pledged to call a citizens' convention if action wasn't taken by year's end.
Well, the Legislature held its last voting session of the year Thursday, and nothing of any substance took place — again. No pension or health benefit reforms for public employees. No revised school funding formula. No action on even voluntary school or municipal consolidation. No concrete plan for tax relief. No property tax cap.
"The people have gotten coal in their Christmas stockings," Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon, aptly observed.
The four special legislative committees formed to study property tax reform came up with 98 recommendations. The year will end with none of them having been implemented. Five key reforms first posted Monday went nowhere in the Senate. Three of the proposals advanced in the Assembly. But there was no further action in either house Thursday. Among the casualties: a bill that would have forced politicians convicted of corruption to give up their public pensions.
"It's clear today the majority doesn't want to produce reform," said Sen. Joseph Kyrillos Jr., R-Monmouth.
Corzine, who last week put the kibosh on any attempts by the Legislature to enact significant pension and benefit reforms, has now reneged on his promise to hold lawmakers to his year-end deadline to get something major done.
Corzine said Thursday that the Legislature had made a "good-faith effort" on reform and warned against judging the reform process until it is complete. "People are calling the horse race when they have rounded the first bend, as far as I can see," Corzine said.
Corzine needs to get his vision checked. And when it comes to horse races, don't put your money on the Legislature or Corzine to cross the finish line. Odds are, you'll lose it.
Lawmakers finish wide of the mark Star Ledger
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Despite the pratfalls they took last summer in trying to adopt a budget -- state government was shut down for a week -- lawmakers confidently set a new goal for themselves for the fall term: comprehensive property tax reform. Somehow they came out of that bitter budget dispute with the bold expecta tion that they'd be able resolve in quick order an issue that has haunted lawmakers and governors for decades.
Restructuring property taxes wasn't the only issue they vowed to resolve by Dec. 31. Same-sex marriages, needle ex changes, stem-cell research money and divorce laws were all on an aggressive agenda. More than a few New Jerseyans were skeptical, but legislative leaders were confident.
Of course, the state's well- being wasn't the only reason for the demanding legislative schedule. Getting tax issues worked out by the end of the year had political implications. If the August and November property tax bills -- those that come out before the elections -- were to reflect the 20 percent reduction, the changes would have to be made early in the new year.
The last legislative session of the year was Thursday, so it's time to review what was done and issue final grades. The bottom line: This is a report card that ought to be hidden from the grown-ups.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT CARD:
School funding: There's been a lot of talk but not much else on this one. Promises of more aid -- up to $800 million -- and new programs -- all-day kindergarten -- have been bandied about, but no new formula or revenue source has been put forth. Lawmakers now have given themselves until the end of January or sometime in February. There's no reason to think the added time will make a difference. Give them a solid F on this one.
Property tax cuts: They've settled on a figure -- a 20 percent reduction for most homeowners. They decided that early on and repeated it often. But ask them how to pay for it, not just next year but in subsequent ones, and suddenly they're silent. Without a stable, recurring revenue source, this promise will never be anything more than that. This one too has been pushed back a month or two. Give them another solid F.
Spending caps: Like the tax cuts, there's been much unfocused talk but little concrete discussion. They can't even agree on whether the caps should be placed on revenue or spending. Previous budget caps came with a slew of exceptions that made them meaningless. So far there's been nothing to suggest that won't happen again. Neither unions nor municipal leaders like this idea. Is there a grade lower than F?
Public employee perks: During committee hearings on future spending, everyone wanted a get-tough approach, demanding that workers contribute more to health care and that pension benefits reflect the real world. A retirement age of 62 was pushed. Reining in generous benefits seemed to be a sure thing until Gov. Jon Corzine short- circuited the whole effort. He wants to deal with those is sues in contract negotiations. Trust him, he says. Now noth ing is sure. No grade above F for anyone involved.
Super superintendents: Efforts to give county education superintendents enhanced power to control spending by local districts and coordinate services earned Assembly passage. But then the education lobby cranked up its machine and the Senate backed off. This one, too, is slated for January consideration, giving opponents more time to redouble their efforts. Give lawmakers a D on this one.
Sharing services: The idea of saving money by requiring neighboring municipalities to share services makes so much sense that legislators haven't been able to agree on how it should work. Typical. This one was put on hold. Can there be any question this de serves an F?
Mergers: Creating a commission to recommend which towns or school districts should merge is a logical way to attack high property taxes. In a state with 566 municipalities and 610 school districts, the overlap of services contributes significantly to government costs. So far this one has more appeal in theory than in practical application. It hasn't gotten serious consideration. Can this grade be anything but an F?
Civil unions: Directed by the state Supreme Court to guarantee same-sex couples and traditional couples identi cal rights, lawmakers came up with legislation and passed it within 50 days of the court decision. But they couldn't bring themselves to call it marriage. Summoning up that courage may take them a few more years. For now, this will have to do. They could easily have gotten an A, but give them a C.
Needle exchange: After years of frustration, backers convinced
Divorce: Rather than make couples go through rancorous divorces, the new law recognizes there are times when things just don't work out. It's all due to irreconcilable differences -- a new grounds for di vorce. Give them an A.
Stem cells: The $270 million for research centers is impressive, but dividing it among three institutions dilutes the impact. Still, this was a rare accomplishment of the fall term. Give them an A- minus.
