The Politician’s Con Game

Over the years New Jersey politicians have raised any number of taxes with the same promise – accept new or higher state taxes and property taxes will be reduced.

Beginning with the enactment of a sales tax in 1966 to help fund public schools, to the introduction of a state income tax in 1976 that was to be used solely for property tax reduction - New Jersey’s property taxes have continued to climb.

The streak did not end with Jim Florio’s infamous $2.8 billion income tax increase in the early nineties or with McGreevey's $3.7 billion tax increases during his abbreviated term as Governor. Higher state taxes have led to more government spending and the highest property taxes in the nation. More government spending always leads to more taxes. Hope and good intentions can not change this immutable economic law.

Now the Democrats have a new “property tax reduction plan” or as their proposal might better be described – a $3.7 billion income tax increase. How many times will people fall for property tax reduction through state tax increases? The only way to reduce taxes is to reduce spending. Why is this concept so difficult to understand? Less government spending = lower taxes. More government spending = higher taxes.

It doesn’t matter to us how the government takes our money – sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes or any other combination of fees and taxes. It’s the total amount of tax we object to, not the name of the tax at the top of the bill. Eliminate property taxes completely and then turn around and increase other taxes by the same amount and nothing has changed. We would still be paying too much in taxes.

As we’ve pointed out before, politicians have conned taxpayers into believing if they just pay a bit more in taxes, somehow they’ll get the other guy to pay even more. We’ll tax the other guy, we’ll tax the rich. The tax con is no different than any other confidence scheme – the con always wins when the gullible fall for the something for nothing siren song.

New Jersey taxpayers have forty years of history with the state tax con. We've never enjoyed playing the game and the outcome is always the same – tax receivers win, the taxpayers lose. How about we all just stop playing?