Let’s talk NJ. If we’re talking NJ, you know what we’re talking about: Taxes.
Taxes, taxes, taxes.
Late last night (or, more accurately, early this morning), the NJ State Assembly unsurprisingly passed quite possibly the harshest tax increase in recent memory: 23 cents a gallon to be phased in starting July 1st (Initially this was supposed to be a phase in; apparently the Assembly decided that instead of phasing it in over the next 3 or 4 years, it would be better to just fuck NJ-ians raw and in one big shot; this is a class NJ move). In exchange for this tax hike of outrageous proportions we are told that retirement incomes will be taxed less (like anyone in NJ can afford to retire now, let alone after the tax hike) and that in 18 months they will lower the Sales Tax from 7% to 6%.
I don’t even know where to begin with this, so I’ll just start with the pure numbers game.
The past 3 years I have averaged 19,500 miles per year.
My car averages 19.8 MpG.
That means I consume (on average) about 984 gallons of gasoline per year.
This 23 cent per gallon new rate is 19 cents per gallon higher than the old rate.
That means that the $39 I spend in taxes on gasoline every year will be jumping to $226. In just taxes. Let alone the cost of gasoline itself. That’s $187 more every year.
Since 2011 I have spent ~ $2880/year on gasoline (Thanks FuelLog for helping me keep track since 2011!).
Going forward, that number will be ~ $3067. That’s nearly a 7% increase in my overall fuel spending. Fuel spending is singularly my 2nd largest expense (next to rent). A pitiful 1% Sales Tax reduction doesn’t even come close to covering that increase in cost.
There’s really only one solution for me at this point: It’s time to get out of NJ.
This is the first year that my increased healthcare costs are expected to result in me bringing in less than the previous year. My rent has gone from $650/month to $850/month (since April). I was expecting to be able to take the $276/month in car payment and apply it towards savings and credit cards. That’s all but gone at this point. I’ll barely be breaking even after this fiasco.
As soon as I can find the information (because apparently the Assembly can stay until 1am to vote to screw NJ-ians but not to record and post who voted in what direction) I will post a complete list of people who did NOT vote NO on the Gas Tax.
Note: I took information from NJ 101.5 to find out which Democrats voted No (GOOD JOB) and which Republicans voted Yes (SHAME), and which people didn’t vote at all (ALSO SHAME). I then compared this to the list of assemblymen and assemblywomen. The votes were pretty strictly along party lines. So I found which were Democrats and which were Republicans, and now I have the complete list.
People Who Did Not Vote No (Including Non-Votes):
- Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr.
- Assemblyman Declan J. O’Scanlon, Jr. (Non-Voter)
- Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf (Non-Voter)
- Assemblyman Adam J. Taliaferro (Non-Voter)
- Assemblywoman Cleopatra G. Tucker (Non-Voter)
- Assemblyman Arthur Barclay
- Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson
- Assemblyman Jon M. Bramnick
- Assemblyman Chris A. Brown
- Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli
- Assemblyman Ralph R. Caputo
- Assemblywoman Marlene Caride
- Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro
- Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti
- Assemblyman Robert D. Clifton
- Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Jr.
- Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin
- Assemblyman Joe Danielsen
- Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo
- Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce
- Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan
- Assemblyman Tim Eustace
- Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin
- Assemblyman Jerry Green
- Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald
- Assemblyman Reed Gusciora
- Assemblyman Jamel C. Holley
- Assemblyman Joe Howarth
- Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey
- Assemblywoman Angelica M. Jimenez
- Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson
- Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones
- Assemblyman Robert J. Karabinchak
- Assemblyman Sean T. Kean
- Assemblyman James J. Kennedy
- Assemblyman Joseph A. Lagana
- Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt
- Assemblyman John F. McKeon
- Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight
- Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty
- Assemblywoman Gabriela M. Mosquera
- Assemblyman Raj Mukherji
- Assemblywoman Nancy F. Munoz
- Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio
- Assemblywoman Sheila Y. Oliver
- Assemblywoman Nancy J. Pinkin
- Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin
- Assemblyman Vincent Prieto
- Assemblywoman Annette Quijano
- Assemblyman David P. Rible
- Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg
- Assemblyman Scott T. Rumana
- Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer
- Assemblyman Troy Singleton
- Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer
- Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter
- Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle
- Assemblyman Benjie E. Wimberly
Find your Aseemblyperson here and be sure to let them know how you will NOT be voting for THEM next election cycle.
Mr. Gusciora and Ms. Maher Muoio: Expect to hear from me soon. You’re exactly what’s wrong with NJ right now.
And we don’t need you anymore.
