Issue Position: Hospital Tax Bill

Issue Position

This week the Democratic controlled State Legislature plans to vote on a new--they call it a "fee" or "an assessment"--five year hospital tax in certain areas of the state. This, they say, is to obtain taxpayer dollars from Washington to help local hospitals care for low income patients (refer to my June 19, 2013, commentary and todays' Sunday Star Ledger)

Whoa--there is a fly in the ointment! Up to 20% of this "fee or assessment" can go into the general revenues of the local communities to spend as they choose. People who have the misfortune to require hospital services in these areas will pay more just to balance local budgets and move political agendas. As usual, it is the old "follow the dollars" game when the Democratic Legislature decides to look forward to "help you". We need to change the present "Jon Corzine tax and spend Legislature" to a "spend what you have"--Legislature, otherwise these so called assessments and fees (taxes under a different name) will keep on coming.

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