Dear Editor:
Over two hundred New Jersey mayors have now publicly endorsed Governor Chris Christie’s proposal to place on the ballot this November a constitutional amendment to limit property tax increases to 2.5 percent a year. Governor Christie’s proposals go far beyond just limiting tax increases. His set of proposals would give municipalities the power to control spending by enacting reforms in the arbitration of union contracts, public employee pension benefits, and public employee/civil service reform. Recently, even Mayor Cory Booker of Newark has come out in favor of the Governor’s proposals. These mayors have come to the realization that the public is furious about continual tax increases and out of control spending, and how both are crushing private businesses, and confiscating private wealth.
It is not surprising that one mayor is noticeably absent from this growing list. And this of course would be Mayor Healy. We have seen the Healy administration’s appetite for tax increases and we have suffered tremendously. From Healy’s unwillingness to support the Governor’s proposals we can conclude two things. His appetite for tax increases has not been satisfied, and he is only really concerned with the welfare of the unions.
A group of citizens has begun the process to recall Mayor Healy. As this process moves forward in the coming months, everyone will have to undertake the very serious consideration of whether to sign the petition to recall Mayor Healy. Mayor Healy’s refusal to support the Governor’s reasonable proposals to limit tax increases and cut spending is another piece of information citizens should strongly consider in whether or not to sign the petition for his recall.
Thomas Swartz