Political Propaganda at Taxpayer Expense

This week’s mail brought with it a communication from the State of New Jersey. Prominently displayed on the outside of the form, in bold letters, with all the subtlety of a Publishers Clearing House contest announcement, blared the words: "Property Tax Relief Inside".

Inside, I found a check in the princely sum of $200, or about 2.5% of my property tax bill. This, of course, is down dramatically from the rebates sent out under the last Republican Administration, and even lower than those provided under that noted tax cutter, Jim McGreevey. But beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose; better $200 in my hands than in the hands of the avaricious spendocrats in Trenton.

Which brings us to the content sent along with the check. Same reads:

"New Jersey’s honest and fiscally responsible State budget reflects my commitment to preserve programs of critical importance to our citizens", /s/ Jon S. Corzine.

A political commercial!

Official correspondence from the State ought not contain gratuitous political commentary from Hizonor.

In truth, the budget was neither honest nor fiscally responsible. Contrariwise, it represented yet another indefensible Democratic porkfest, with hundreds of millions – which could have gone to property tax relief for hard pressed suburbanites – inexcusably diverted for goodies to favored Democratic constituencies, like Newark and Camden. Camden, so responsible that it has a state appointed financial monitor, who makes more than the Governor and lives in Delaware. Newark, the Mayor of which took $48000 worth of foreign travel and billed it to the State’s taxpayers. These are the folks this "honest and fiscally responsible budget" subsidized, while increasing taxes by about $1.5 billion and increasing spending by 12%.

If the Governor wishes to engage in political propaganda, he owns a huge personal fortune, and the Dems are masters at raising money from people who wax fat at public expense. It’s simply unconscionable that they employ official communications for crass – and dishonest – political purposes.