Real help may be on the way

There may be an extra $287 million in the state coffers this year. It's not clear that there WILL be, but there may be. Here's the story.

State Senator Bryant (D-Lawnside) states that we maybe could give back the property tax rebates that Acting Gov Codey proposed cutting to balence the budget. Or, maybe we could just increase aid to schools and municipalities and hospitals.

We should let the state keep the money and use it to offset our whopping $4 billion budget gap. This is an election year though, fans and friends, so that ain't gonna happen. "Lower Property Taxes" is the key phrase in NJ this year. So, here are two options, which makes more sense? Give the money directly to the towns and school districts that are most of our local costs, thereby reducing the need to raise property taxes. Or, we could go with a gimmicky program that costs money to run, but legislators get to send a crisp new check to each homeowner in NJ in an election year. Hmm....

Keep your fingers crossed. Better yet, use them to write your legislator and tell him/her what to do with our money.