Writer offers four-point plan for N.J. property tax relief

To the citizens, to the Legislature and to the Gov. of New Jersey, I submit for consideration the following four-point plan for property tax relief:

• A freeze on any increase in taxation (property, income and sales); a freeze on any increase in fees; and a freeze on any increase in borrowing. The burden of government extortion must shift from the increase button to the decrease button. If those in government refuse to decrease the burden, then the people must demand the burden be decreased.

• The manner of decrease is to come about by replacing money with service. When a government position funded by property taxation becomes vacant due to retirement, leaving for another job, etc., the position will be filled by a property taxpayer who will work the position until his or her property tax burden is complete for the tax year. This also ensures that no one will ever be subject to losing house and property due to an inability to pay tax dollars.

• Replacing money with service means the position filled will always be at starting salary and the elimination of all benefits (health insurance, pension, paid holidays, etc.). As service replaces money, the tax burden each year will decrease accordingly. First the property tax will go, followed by the income tax, and finally the sales tax.

• With service replacing money, municipalities and counties will increase in number, while the populations of municipalities and counties will decrease in number. The state will only have the responsibility of governing that which cannot be handled by the county, and the county will only handle that which cannot be handled by the municipality. The larger the boundary lines of government in terms of population, the less control for the individual citizen and the more control for those in government. For this reason, municipalities and counties must not go beyond a certain population. Failure to do this leads to lack of control by citizens and corruption on the part of those in government.

Ray Kalainikas

Manalapan