Garden State Patriot

Better start stocking up on Coke and Pepsi because apparently Governor Corzine is getting ready to follow in the footsteps of New York’s Governor Paterson. According to a story in the Bergen Record regarding New Jersey’s expected $5 Billion budget shortfall the Governor…

…would not rule out tax increases in the vein of those proposed in New York State last week on about 140 goods and services, including music and video downloads, and soft drinks.

Paterson’s budget is an utter disgrace for the people of New York. In fact, here are some other details from Paterson’s mind-boggling proposals:

• Eliminate the sales tax exemption for clothing and footwear priced under $110 and replaces it with two, one-week exemption periods for clothing and footwear priced under $500. Localities will have an option to join the state in offering this exemption.
• Impose a sales tax on entertainment-related consumer spending, including but not limited to, movie theaters and sporting events.
• Impose a sales tax on transportation-related consumer spending, including but not limited to, taxis, limousines and buses.
• Repeal the current state sales tax cap of eight cents per gallon on motor fuel and diesel motor fuel.
• Impose sales tax on television and radio services provided by cable, satellite or other similar means.
  Increase the tax on wine from 18.9 cents per gallon to 51 cents per gallon, and the beer tax from 11 cents per gallon to 24 cents per gallon.
• Impose an additional 18 percent rate of sales and compensating use taxes on fruit drinks that contain less than 70 percent of natural fruit juice and non-dietetic soft drinks, sodas and beverages.

Of course, the Gov continues to toss out the ‘everything’s on the table’ line, but I think we all can see where this is headed. New Jerseyans, who already taxed to their limit, are just going to be asked to pony up more. Let’s just hope if this happens, New Jersey voters will tack it on to their already long list of grievances against this failed Governor come next November.