News Tribune Co.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?

After seven months, countless weeks of testimony and endless promises, the state Legislature has approved a bill that would give homeowners what they had four years ago: a not insignificant sum of money that feels less like tax reform than bribery... New Jersey actually went backward. Besides failing to reform the manner in which schools are funded, it actually failed even to reform the funding formula to provide greater help and more equity... It is an intolerable situation. The governor once promised if the Legislature was unable to achieve reform he would call for a constitutional convention. Legislators have failed. Corzine ought to call them on their charade and demand the convention. We, and our children, deserve that much.
- A tax-reform charade, Editorial
Home News Tribune, February 12, 2007

The Legislature's six-month attempt to approve real, substantive, lasting tax reform remains, in the end, a disappointment. There's no guarantee that the 20 percent tax credit will last more than one year. There's been no major pension reform. And perhaps most disappointing of all: There will be no serious pressure on towns and schools to merge or share services - even though virtually all experts agree that there can be no real tax reform without the consolidation of New Jersey's more than 600 school districts and 500 municipalities.
- Disappointing property-tax 'reform': the blame is shared, Editorial
The Press of Atlantic City, February 11, 2007

Largely lost amid the smoke - and mirrors - of the property tax relief fiasco in Trenton was the decision this week to put off revising the school funding formula. It isn't easy keeping up with the myriad ways Gov. Corzine and state lawmakers have managed to gut property tax reforms. One of their worst failures, however, was deferring action on the gross spending inequities in New Jersey's public schools... I''s disgraceful how few of the property tax reforms recommended by four legislative committees last fall have been enacted. There is no greater disgrace than the failure of Corzine and the Legislature to rectify the unfair manner in which state aid is funded and dispensed.
- School aid fix deferred again, Editorial
Asbury Park Press, February 10, 2007

JEER: To the state Legislature, for its colossal failure on reforming property taxes.
- Cheers & jeers, Editorial
The Daily Record of Morris County, February 10, 2007

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For more information, contact:
Assembly Republican Press Office / 609-292-5339

FERGUSON ISSUING LETTERS ASKING
FOR ANTI-CHOICE SUPPORT

Scotch Plains, NJ -- Rep. Mike Ferguson is distributing a campaign letter seeking support for his anti-choice views.

"Mike Ferguson does not trust women to make decisions about their health and is pandering to those with extremist views to help overturn Roe. v. Wade," said Linda Stender for Congress campaign manager Ed Oatman. "Linda Stender trusts women to decide what is best for their health. This letter shows that Mike Ferguson is far too extreme on the issue of choice for voters in the 7th district."

FERGUSON SNUBS 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Ferguson Refused To Discuss Stem Cell Research
With Teen Who Has Juvenile Diabetes

Scotch Plains, NJ -- Rep. Mike Ferguson refused to discuss stem cell research with a 14-year-old girl with juvenile diabetes because he is "pro-life," according to a letter written by the local teen.

The following letter was written by Lindsey Rosenthal of Belle Mead and appeared in the Home News Tribune:

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...
- GOOD JOB DEMOCRATS! -

Taxing times for New Jersey
Editorial, Home News Tribune 09/30/06

Planning to take a Sunday drive tomorrow, perhaps to spend a little of the family's hard-earned cash? If so, it may cost a bit more if a limousine is involved, or a tanning salon is on the agenda, if it's time to get the nails done, or that health-club membership needs to be renewed. Yup. All of these and other myriad services become subject tomorrow to New Jersey's new 7 percent sales tax. Welcome to the Garden State, where no service is too small or obscure to escape the grubby hands of state lawmakers.

BUONO READY FOR STAGE PERFORMANCE FRIDAY

NEW BRUNSWICK --- It's been a while since she last officially "acted" in a grade school production, but State Senator Barbara Buono said she is ready for her opening night, guest appearance Friday at the George Street Playhouse comedy production of "Inspecting Carol."

Home News Tribune Endorses Forrester

Papers Across New Jersey Praise Forrester as Voters Best Choice

The Home News Tribune endorsed Doug Forrester for Governor today, calling Forrester "the voters' best choice - and best hope - for a cleaner, more efficient state government."

In his 2000 campaign for U.S. Senate, Jon Corzine received six daily newspaper endorsements --The Star-Ledger, the Trenton Times, the Jersey Journal, the Herald News, the Home News Tribune and the New York Daily News -- while seventeen newspapers supported Republican Bob Franks. As a candidate for Governor, so far, Corzine has picked up five endorsements from newspapers that backed Franks -- The Press of Atlantic City, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times, the Gloucester County Times and the Express-Times. He also lost one endorsement he had five years ago: The Star-Ledger endorsed Doug Forrester.