Motorcade to Trenton would express frustration with property taxes

I would like to see our state Legislature provide an answer this year to the high property-tax situation.

From what I've been reading and hearing, the solutions won't be available for at least another two years. I, personally, am not in favor of a $4-million, paid by the taxpayers, constitutional convention to solve the problem. Instead of a convention attended by many uninformed individuals, I prefer to have our Assembly representatives, with all of the state services at their fingertips, meet in a session this July dedicated to solving the problem.

I sent a letter, dated Jan. 23, to all 80 Assembly representatives asking for their comments regarding a method of reducing property taxes by 60 percent and at the same time funding education by a "fair-tax" method that will benefit many and won't hurt anybody. This method would ask for a dedication of our property taxes to fund only municipal and county costs. This would eliminate funding education by property taxes. In most cases, this would mean that a property tax of $6,000 would be reduced to $2,400, a savings of $3,600. Education would be funded by a dedicated "fair tax," which is a flat 5-percent state income tax.

This follows the principle that taxes should be levied according to one's ability to pay. This money would be paid back to all school districts with no strings attached, according to a formula provided by the state Board of Education. The formula would exist for three years and be reviewed one year before the maturity date for revision, if necessary.

The present system of property taxes paying for education has many taxpayers at the lower-income level paying approximately 20 percent of their income toward education. At the same time, people at the higher-income level are only paying approximately 1 percent of their income toward education. This is obviously unfair and should be stopped and corrected.

To date, only six Assembly members, one senator and the governor have answered my letter. From their responses, I see no hope of action on their part to solve the problem within the next two years. Obviously, the other 74 Assembly members had no opinions.

The only way that I am aware of that would stir the legislators into action would be a large motorcade to the Statehouse in Trenton to show our frustration about the inactivity of that body over so many years to provide a solution to high property taxes, which has seriously hurt so many good citizens.

I am in the process of forming that motorcade. Anyone interested?

Frank J. Coury

East Brunswick