DEMOCRATS ON PROPERTY TAX CREDITS:
'YOU WANT TRUTH? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!'
Can Taxpayers Trust Anything They Say About Taxes Anymore?

Assembly and Senate Democrats now say the best way to lower property taxes is to eliminate rebates and actually reduce the size of property tax bills received by homeowners. That was the gist of the 30 percent property tax reduction plan offered by Assembly Republicans and Doug Forrester, who was Jon Corzine's opponent in last year's gubernatorial contest, in 2005. Interestingly, this is what many of those same Democrats and the current governor had to say about this particular approach to property tax relief at that time:

"The Democratic chairman of the Assembly Budget committee, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), derided the GOP plan as 'a political mirage without real money' that is 'short on specifics.'"
- The Star-Ledger, April 15, 2005

"It's dishonest and irresponsible..."
- State Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, The Press of Atlantic City, July 6, 2005

"The numbers don't add up..."
- Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, Burlington County Times, October 13, 2005

"Garbage in, garbage out..."
- Jon Corzine on cost estimates for the 30-in-3 plan, Asbury Park Press, October 16, 2005

"In at least three different ads, Corzine has aired variations on a charge that Forrester's plan 'eliminates rebates for seniors and the middle class.' It's true the Forrester plan would eliminate the rebate check, but homeowners would still get the money. It's just that the money would be applied to their property tax bill instead of coming as a separate check. If it's evil for Forrester to do that, as Corzine's ads clearly imply, then why does Corzine want to do the same thing? Conversely, if it's a smart thing for Corzine to do - he says it would save $15 million in check processing costs in Trenton - why attack Forrester for it? Corzine gave a confusing response when asked about this at a meeting of The Record's editorial board last week. 'I want to get the technology to have the rebate,' Corzine said. 'I don't know whether you call it a credit or a rebate when it's just a one-time deduction from the quarterly bill. That's different than what I think he is trying to propose. First of all, it's hard to figure out what he's trying to propose because he's changed the overall structure several times, as you well know. I don't actually know how that stuff works, it's not clear, and the Assembly bill, which you can look at, is not precise on a lot of these things.' This apparent confusion did not stop Corzine from running the ads, though. It sure looks as though he's simply trying to scare people about Forrester's plan..."
- Herb Jackson, Capital Games, The Record of Hackensack, October 17, 2005

"Long on political rhetoric, but it has a short shelf life designed only for the campaign. He obviously hoped to gain political ground, but all he did was add to the Republican credibility gap."
- Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman,
chairwoman of the Democratic State Committee,
Trenton Times, April 19, 2005

"The amount of property tax relief proposed by Mr. Corzine is far more modest than the plans laid out by Mr. Forrester, who has promised to slash homeowners' property tax bills by 30 percent over three years, or Mr. Schundler, who is calling for constitutionally mandated spending cuts that he asserts would lead to sustained reductions. Mr. Corzine said both promises were unrealistically generous and were unlikely to be adopted because they called for constitutional amendments that would face a slim chance of being enacted. 'What I'm going to do is what's responsible,' he said."
- The New York Times, May 28, 2005

"Rebates work if you make a strong commitment to them."
- Jon Corzine, Asbury Park Press, June 2, 2005

"The property tax rebates are not a political convenience. They are not a gimmick. They are not a gift. They are a fiscal necessity and, frankly, a lifeline for so many senior citizens, so many first-time home buyers who are trying to afford their homes and pay the taxes, and so many struggling middle-class New Jerseyans."
- Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, The Press of Atlantic City, June 10, 2005

"How can you say to New Jerseyans that with property taxes going up as quickly as they are, we're willing to give you less property tax relief than we did last year?"
- Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, The Star-Ledger, June 26, 2005

"The Assembly Democrats, the Assembly majority, recognizes these property tax rebates are a lifeline for them."
- Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts, The Trenton Times, July 4, 2005

# # # # #