Monmouth County: Where tax money goes to die

Corruption is the single-worst problem that Monmouth County is facing today. "Corruption" often occurs with tax money, and I think taxes have hit a tipping point in the minds of most people in this county. As for me, I do not want to hear about one more penny of tax money moving upward. In fact, if a candidate on any level is not talking about real tax reductions for residents then they're not really saying much.

Taxes got too high. It went too far. It is just too much. In reality, while I might buy other property in New Jersey, I could not, with any sense of economy, buy another parcel in Monmouth County because there are just better bargains in this state where it involves tax rates. Of course, corruption in New Jersey has made taxation here a national joke. New York City may be expensive, but the tax rate is stable and the property has proven to not devalue with the ups and downs of the market. Upstate New York is a particularly good buy, in my opinion. New Jersey, for all of the great things about it, takes too big of a bite from the wallet where it involves taxation.

But, of New Jersey, Monmouth County and many of its municipalities are just off the hook with the tax rate. It's just not affordable for people who make a reasonable income. Forget 'gated communities,' Monmouth isn't that far from becoming a 'gated county.' Government doesn't have a blank check, and I really think it is time that politicians really get with that. It does not matter what realm of endeavor in government, or what compartment is discussed, there is just so much of the pie that should or can go toward taxation.

Where it involves corruption, there are too many relatives on the payroll, too many contributors to campaigns who are not the low bidders and are getting fat contracts, too many SUV fleet vehicles, too many made-up jobs for political hacks. It has just gone too far. Click on the headline and go to today's APP article about corruption. It's strong and it has meaning. Government here, in Monmouth, has to change. It has to get a lot less expensive, and the same goes for virtually every municipality in the county.

I suggest that some folks have had enough of the 'everything is great here and nothing needs to change.' This political party nonsense is, in my mind, about as played out as it can be; and now there has to be some talk about money and how government is going to spend less of it right here, right now.