Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats John F. McKeon, Celeste Riley, L. Grace Spencer, Albert Coutinho and Lou Greenwald to ensure shared sacrifice by New Jersey’s wealthiest residents, expand a tax break for senior citizens and boost funding for suburban schools shorted by the governor was approved today by the Assembly.
One bill (A-4202) would increase the income tax rate on millionaires and expand the income tax exclusion for pensions, annuities and other retirement income. It’s sponsored by McKeon, Riley, Spencer and Coutinho and was approved 46-32.
The other bill (A-4203) would provide school aid to about 365 districts consistent with the state’s school funding formula, which Gov. Chris Christie failed to follow in last year’s state budget, especially hurting rural and suburban school districts and their property taxpayers. It was approved 46-31.
“In these difficult times, we’ve seen working class and senior and disabled citizens bearing the heaviest burden, but a call for shared sacrifice should include all residents of New Jersey including the most affluent,” said McKeon (D-Essex).”The millionaire’s tax is a fair component to shared sacrifice.”
“The recession has decimated many people’s 401k’s and other investments,” said Riley (D-Salem/Cumberland/Gloucester). “This measure would help provide a little more peace of mind for those in retirement who are worried about being able to get by. Protecting senior citizens needs to a constant goal.”
“This governor and Republicans have continuously sided with millionaires over working class taxpayers,” said Spencer (D-Essex). “This is another chance for them to do the right thing and help support quality education and property tax relief. Democrats remain committed to quality education and property tax relief and we will keep fighting for it.”
“The governor and Republicans may prefer tax cuts for the rich, but Democrats prefer property tax relief for working class residents and a quality education for our children,” said Coutinho (D-Essex). “The governor’s policies have led to painful property tax increases and school cuts in our suburban and rural areas. It’s time to right that wrong.”
According to the Office of Legislative Services, more than 70 percent of the funding cut by the governor should have gone to rural and suburban school districts. The cut contributed to education cuts, layoffs and last year’s 4.1 percent property tax increase, the highest taxpayers have seen since 2007.
“The governor’s decision to ignore the school funding formula and threaten quality education for at-risk children has already been rebuked by the courts, and now we’re fixing the rest of his mistake,” said Greenwald (D-Camden). “Property taxpayers throughout our state are paying the price for the governor’s misguided policies, but taxpayers and schools in our rural and suburban communities are especially suffering under this governor. This bill begins to repair the damage wrought by the governor.”
The first bill would provide a two-year adjustment to the income tax rate for taxpayers with taxable incomes exceeding $1 million in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011. The bill would increase the rate from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent.
It’s estimated that 16,000 of New Jersey’s 8.7 million residents earn more than $1 million in taxable income. A family of four in New Jersey earning $1.2 million would pay an additional $11,598 as a result of the increased tax rate in this legislation.
The Office of Legislative Services estimates that the tax change for millionaires would generate about $676 million in year one.
It would also permanently expand the exclusion under the gross income tax for pensions, annuities and certain other retirement income for qualified taxpayers. At present, qualified taxpayers who are at least 62 years of age or disabled and who are eligible to receive Social Security payments and make $100,000 or less in annual gross income may exclude $20,000, $15,000 or $10,000 of various pension, annuity and retirement benefit income, depending on their tax filing status.
This bill would expand the exclusion by removing the $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 exclusion caps, and providing full exclusions for qualified taxpayers with gross income less than $100,000. The bill also would provide new limited exclusions for qualified taxpayers with incomes between $100,000 and $110,000. With this new exclusion, the excluded amount would reduce in proportion to the amount of the taxpayer’s gross income that is above $100,000. TLS.
My boss is a “millionaire”. If this tax goes into effect, he will simply cut down on expenses, and he will fire some workers to save money.
So I guess we will go on unemployment, food stamps, medicaid, and WIC and have the state give us the money instead.
I’m just trying to figure out: If the state taxes my boss, let’s say, another $10,000 a year. And then he fires me, and I get $20,000 from the government in benefits. Is it worth it?????
I think Christie may actually have a point in not raising taxes on people who work for a living.
Even the socialist Bloomberg said a few wekks ago that millionaires are leaving NY State because of the high taxes. The more the millionaires leave, the less the State will be able to tax. The net result is a loss for the state in tax revenue.
It’s simple economics.
We all know that stores are constantly trying to raise prices, so that they get more money from their customers. But if they raise too much…… everyone stops buying, and they’re left with NOTHING!!!!!
Thank you Christie for standing up to the Democrats.
Yid says:
you ar 100% correct, it is aproven fact raising taxes is counter productive it does not bring in more money , lowering taxes and reducing the jobless numbers is what works , our politicians just don’t get it . they need some education in finances
If you keep taxing the rich they will move out of this state and go somewhere else, where they can keep their money and if they go guess what, they probably take the business that made them so much money…. more jobs lost more unemployment but that’s OK we can always tax the rich that are foolish enough to stay in the state. STOP with the taxes, STOP I need a job! STOP chasing jobs out of the state!
Stop buying into the republican lie. Those who can afford more should be asked to contribute more.
You’re right, our politicians don’t get it. Christie doesn’t get it either. Actually, he does get it and he’s sticking it to us!
This TLS article is very biased. If you would like to write commentary please label it as such.
Thank you.
To Ms. Kane: Exactly, you can “ask” them to give more. Kind of like charity. When you “take” more that is a bit different.
just look at the dire situation this country is in right now, we have a president who has no leadership skills and the results of his misconstrued ideas that you can spend your way out of debt has put this country on the road to financial disaster. just stop and think for a minute if we (families) used the same thought process to run our family finances the same way , can you spell Bankruptcy !! well thats were the USA is headed until we have some leaders with guts to STOP spending on programs which we cannot afford ! All the Do gooders that want to keep pouring money into things we cannot afford have their heads burried in the sand when it come to the reallity that it is going to destroy this country .
USA is free from bias. so why be biased against someone who earns more than you?
next question-
the rich guy is not rich because we gave him money. he has no reason to be “makir tov” ( appreciative) to the guy at the corner whom he has never met.
in fact if i gave you 30k would you magically know what to do to create wealth and become rich.(hire someone, etc.)
probably not.
don’t fall into the trap of jealousy. it leads to socialism/communism, and nothing good come from those ideals.
live and let live, not live and mooch off others ( its a reaction of many,because politicians keep spending money we don’t have.)
be stronger than that.
.Much as I don’t believe in raising taxes and do believe in cutting programs.I don’t believe people get fired when taxes go up. If your boss thought it was so easy to fire you he would do it without a raise in taxes.On the other hand I do believe that many people don’t work and contribute to society because of programs.(People have told me so point blank)