Steve Sweeney is still OK with raising your cost of living

That's right: Steve Sweeney, who for 10 minutes pretended to oppose new taxes, is at it again.

This time, he wants to raise costs for the airlines. The cost of your airline ticket departing New Jersey could be going up soon. Senate President Steve Sweeney, who famously cowered in the face of Phil Murphy's money during the Democratic primary for governor then pretended to be the champion of taxpayers by initially opposing the governor's agenda, has finally returned to his true colors as a champion of the elite.

His latest round of tax-raising proposals is targeted at the airline industry. You'll likely hear him say that the airlines can absorb the increase in cost and shouldn't pass it along to the consumers. However, we all know that the truth is and always will be that when government attacks private business with taxes, we all pay more.

The rich elites like Sweeney don't need to worry about a few extra dollars so he can travel. But ask the family getting by on $75,000 or even $100,000 how the rising cost of air travel may impact them. Going to see a sick relative? Sweeney thinks you should pay more. Trying to fly your daughter home for Thanksgiving? Sweeney thinks you should pay more.

The real tragedy here is that Sweeney pretends to be a working-class guy even though he's a highly paid union rep with a comfortable state Senate seat taking his annual earnings north of $300,000.

On Monday, I was joined by someone who understands working and middle class Americans and their battle to keep government from ever increasing our cost of living. His name is Sean Williams, and he's the vice president for state and local government affairs for Airlines for America. He explained in very plain terms (pun intended) that the NJ government is proposing to tax jet fuel when the flights fill up at local airports. Then they want to direct the money to an extension of the PATH trains. The use of jet fuel tax money, according to Williams, is clearly stipulated by federal regulation that it has to be spent on air travel infrastructure.

So two problems with Sweeney's latest tax proposal. First, the cost will be pushed to consumers and secondly, they won't be able to use the funds for what they claim is the reason for raising the tax in the first place.

How is it possible that the legislators and your governor are unable to manage a $35+ billion budget and be completely unable to deliver necessary services to taxpayers and commuters?

It's time for New Jersey to rethink it's financial priorities. Let's start by canceling the $1` billion subsidy to Rutgers. Then let's explore the benefit of selling assets. How many billions are tied up in real estate and hardware between the Trenton government and NJ Transit alone?

Since the government has the power to tax and seize your stuff if you don't pay, there's no logical financial reason for that same government to own anything. They're stuck in an antiquated model and the only thing they can think of is raising our taxes. It's lazy at best. It's outright stealing at worst.

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