Lou's Latest Op-Eds

Daily Record
By Louis D. Greenwald
Jul 27, 2010

The facts are simple.

Home sales in New Jersey fell 23 percent in May and 27 percent in June. Those numbers are even scarier considering those are typically busy times for the real estate market.

Home construction has plummeted.

Our unemployment rate stands at 9.6 percent.

As we saw painfully across our country, our economy relies heavily on the real estate industry. When it's strong, our economy is strong. When it's weak, our economy is weak. It's that simple. New Jersey's economy is no different.

That's why, as New Jersey struggles to emerge from the worst economy since the Great Depression, I introduced legislation to create a New Jersey Homebuyer Tax Credit program. It was a sensible way to revive our economy and put people back to work. It was widely praised and backed by both Democrats and Republicans. It passed the Senate 38-0 and the Assembly 67-8. Everyone agreed it was the shot in the arm New Jersey's economy needed.

Well, almost everyone.

Only one person failed to understand the value of this program, and unfortunately that person was Gov. Chris Christie, who vetoed the bill last week.

This veto showed an alarming lack of understanding of how the tax credit works, and I fear that lack of understanding will put New Jersey's struggling economy in a tailspin.

Consider:

Cure N.J.'s addiction to property taxes
By Star-Ledger Guest Columnist, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald
April 12, 2010

Much has changed since 1670.

We don’t rely on candlelight, write with quills or ride horses for primary transportation. And, thankfully, powdered wigs are out of style.

Yet our state has clung to one relic from the past — the property tax.

New Jersey imposed its first property tax in 1670, taxing one penny per acre to fund government. Now, New Jerseyans struggle under the nation’s highest property taxes: $7,281 per homeowner. Gov. Chris Christie’s budget proposal exacerbates that struggle by eliminating $2.8 billion in property tax relief, and his plan does nothing to cure New Jersey’s addiction to property taxes.

If we don’t cure this addiction, New Jersey will lose its middle class. But what if we could cut state taxes, slash property taxes while preserving valuable local services, educational programs and property values?

With more than half of the state budget dedicated toward property tax relief — in the form of school aid, municipal aid, homestead rebates, and the senior freeze program — we can’t solve our budget problems without real property tax reform.

It’s time to attack our property tax addiction, and I have a plan to do it.

First, we will cut sales and other state taxes to provide relief for residents. Second, we will allow municipalities to seek voter approval to implement local taxes that would reduce property taxes.

As you know, the global economic recession has had a serious impact on New Jersey . People are losing their jobs. Families are losing their homes. Everyone must do more with less.

And that's just what our state government must do as well. New Jerseyans are frustrated by wasteful spending in Trenton , which drives up taxes and diverts money from important programs that really need it.

Yesterday, the Governor proposed a series of cuts to this year's state budget, which faces a significant deficit because of declining revenue. As chairman of the Budget committee, I will ensure we will take testimony on the Governor's proposals. But whatever decisions we make about the state budget and spending cuts should not come before hearing from you, the taxpayers.

It was disappointing to see the governor unilaterally imposing these budget cuts without seeking input from the public. As your elected representative, I want to make sure your voices are heard in Trenton . If they were, the governor may not have proposed cutting nearly $500 million in state aid, which would deny money for classrooms in almost every school district in New Jersey and take property tax relief out of your pockets. We need to hear viable alternative solutions to balance our budget responsibly without burdening the hardworking taxpayers of New Jersey .

Gloucester County Times
September 27, 2009
By Louis D. Greenwald

New Jersey must do more to meet the demand for community alternatives for individuals with mental retardation, autism and other developmental disabilities.

Many families of the developmentally disabled must care for their loved ones at home with no support or have them institutionalized in one of the state’s seven developmental centers. With one in 94 children in New Jersey diagnosed with autism, this is an issue we cannot afford to ignore.

A recent audit of the Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities raised concerns that the needs of the developmentally disabled are not being met. Commonly known as DDD, the division has the unenviable job of caring for our most vulnerable residents. Like all of us facing hardships in this tough economic climate, DDD is having to do more with less — exacerbated by retirements, attrition, a hiring freeze and a lack of increased state funding.

For example, DDD case managers are overwhelmed with caseloads as high as 500 individuals, while other states average less than 50. With such an excessive workload, it is increasingly difficult to deliver the highest quality of service and oversight for each person.

Philadelphia Inquirer
March 22, 2009
By Lou Greenwald

Reggie Davis-Johnson is his own man. He has a job, lives with roommates, and spends time with friends. He goes to Wawa to get his favorite coffee whenever he likes. Most of all, he's happy.

It wasn't always this way. Born with mental disabilities, Reggie was institutionalized for 18 years. Though he received excellent medical care, he was unable to make many decisions for himself. Since moving to a shared-living home in Voorhees, Reggie has flourished. More independent, he can achieve his full potential as a member of the community.

Reggie's success story is heartwarming, but rare. Unfortunately, New Jersey hasn't been progressive in providing those most in need - those suffering from mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities - with the same opportunity.

Nationwide, 140 major institutions for the developmentally disabled have closed in the last 40 years; New Jersey has not closed one in 10 years. New Jersey has the third-highest rate of institutionalization, behind only Louisiana and Mississippi. And the state spends one-third of its developmental disability budget caring for only 8 percent of developmentally disabled New Jerseyans.