THIS is how NJ can finally lower property taxes

I know exactly what it will take and so do the politicians in Trenton but few, if any have the balls to say it, let alone take it on. We need to remove education funding from property taxes.

Other states have done it and it's the only thing that will work. Period. But of course the legislature and most governors are deathly afraid of the NJEA and won't even bring it up.  Chubby (Gov. Chris Christie) tried to push back on them and they vilified him every chance they got. I just looked into buying an inexpensive property in one of our cities and just about every property I looked at the property tax was larger that the principle and interest in a perspective mortgage loan. That prices many of our young people right out of the market and then right out of the state. It's gotten WAY out of hand and to crisis proportions.

Last month we did the story of an elderly woman who lost her home in Lawrenceville — a house that her deceased husband built in 1953 — because she couldn't afford to pay the taxes to stay in her own home. This happens with regularity here and almost never in other states. A new report shows that New Jersey again, has the highest property tax in the nation for the umpteenth year in a row.

Enough is enough! It's time for another tax revolt in this state, but I guess most of the people smart enough to realize have either moved out or are part of the gravy train that's benefiting from it. Then when they retire they won't dare stay in New Jersey and take their steady pension check and generous benefits and move out of state.

Here are just a couple of ideas: Seriously reduce the size of education through consolidation and modernization. We still use a 19th Century model for education.  Really?! Yes! Downsize the entire system and fund it through a consumption tax on children's items. You have eight kids, you're paying more through taxes to feed and/or raise them. Other sources such as lotteries or similar consumption taxes should be enough with modern technology to make it work.

The system is antiquated, bloated, and stifled by bureaucracy, politicization and unionization. It's broken and we're going broke trying to keep it going. Enough!

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