Taxpayers have power to alter state's course
At the recent NJ League of Municipalities conference, government-subsidized low-income housing was once again the main topic of discussion among many of the attendees.

As many of us are painfully aware, this has become a very difficult mandate for suburban towns to deal with. The cost to the taxpayers and the toll that it takes on the environment are burdens that are becoming increasingly unwieldy, particularly in light of our current economic situation. To make matters worse, it appears that those charged with formulating public policy are frighteningly unaware of the ramifications of this mandate.

A high-ranking assemblyman and chairman on housing stunned an audience by saying that he didn't realize Assembly Bill A500 had anything to do with affordable housing when he voted yes on it several months ago. This is akin to a Supreme Court justice saying they didn't know that Roe v. Wade had anything to do with abortion.

Frankly, this is an outrage. Bill A500 took away, among other things, the option for towns to rehabilitate

existing structures in surrounding communities instead of building new, high-density housing. For an elected official to admit not knowing the very basics of a bill that he was voting on, particularly when it has such a deleterious effect on our community, is disgraceful. Thus, it is easy to see why New Jersey as a whole ranks dead last in practically every category except taxes, where we have the unenviable distinction of having the highest property taxes and among the highest income, sales and corporate taxes in the nation.

We, as taxpayers, do have the power to alter the course we are on. Next November, voters will be able to choose a new governor and new legislators for New Jersey. I urge everyone to take the time to learn which candidates will support an end to taxpayer-funded, low-income housing and other costly mandates such as Abbott funding for schools so we can break the cycle of suffocating taxation for New Jersey once and for all.

Middletown Township Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger