In his recent letter Dan Storey, candidate for Vernon mayor, apparently made it clear that he, and Vernon Mayor Shortway, are willing to destroy the retail businesses in other municipalities in an attempt to solve Vernon's and Mountain Creek's financial problems. The other municipalities did not cause Vernon's financial problems; Vernon got itself into this mess. Now Vernon needs to find a solution that doesn't destroy other municipalities.
Oroho, Space and Wirths were supposedly elected to represent all of the residents of the 24th District, not just Vernon Township and Mountain Creek. They have sponsored two bills (A5692 and S3941) proposing to provide a 50 percent reduction in the sales tax on retail sales made in a municipality that is wholly or partially located within the Highlands Region Preservation Area.
In just Sussex County these bills would apparently help the retail businesses in seven (7) municipalities (Byram, Green, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta and Vernon) while potentially destroying the retail businesses in seventeen (17) municipalities (Andover Borough, Andover Township, Branchville, Frankford, Franklin, Fredon, Hamburg, Hampton, Lafayette, Montague, Newton, Sandyston, Stanhope, Stillwater, Sussex Borough, Walpack and Wantage) .
What about the retail businesses in Franklin, Hamburg and Stanhope, which will basically be surrounded by municipalities that will only have to charge half of the sales tax?
These bills are even worse than Oroho's gas tax disaster.
It is my opinion that in the best interests of the 24th District, and the State of New Jersey, the 24th District must immediately retract, and burn, both A5692 and S3941.
If both of these Bills are not immediately retracted, I would hope that on 5 November the voters in the seventeen (17) municipalities that are knowingly and intentionally being screwed by the 24th District will join together to vote Space and Wirths out of office. Oroho is not up for reelection this year. At least the progressive Democrats are honest enough that they publicly state that they plan to totally destroy us, our Constitution and our country.
If Oroho, Space and Wirths really want to do something that would actually benefit their constituents, they could try acting like conservative Republicans by immediately sponsoring legislation to eliminate ALL of the existing Enterprise Zones. NO exceptions! This would eliminate many, many State regulations and also level the playing field so that everyone in the State would be paying the same sales tax rate. Then the millions of dollars in additional sales tax revenue collected by the State each year could hopefully be used to reduce the sales tax rate. Or even better, eliminate all of the giveaway programs in Trenton and thereby eliminate the need for the sales tax. But then, how could the politicians buy votes?
William H. Gettler
Wantage Township