The Week Just Passed: Our Tax Freedom Day Finally Arrives!

President Obama’s Tax Hikes Cuts Would Cost 800,000 Jobs

Winners All: Congressional Arts Competition

Academy Night: Military Academies in High Demand

Visit Washington: Hear the President’s Own Marine Band!

 

The Week Just Passed: Our Tax Freedom Day Finally Arrives!

“It took us five months to get here, but New Jersey’s ‘Tax Freedom Day’ – the day New Jersey residents worked long enough to pay all of their federal, state and local tax bills - finally arrived this week.

“As I reported to you last month, the national ‘Tax Freedom Day’ arrived four days later than last year. Americans worked 107 days into 2012 to earn enough money to pay this year’s combined 29.2% tax bill.

“This week, I continued my ‘listening tour’ of the communities in northern New Jersey, speaking with service clubs and businesses large and small.  Of course, people are very concerned about high fuel prices. But just about everywhere I go, our heavy tax burden is a topic of discussion. Individuals and small business men and women alike are stressed and strained by ever-higher taxes. And of course, the revenue raised inevitably fuels even more wasteful spending.

“So it is clear that unless and until our government stops spending money we do not have, ‘Tax Freedom Day’ will be much later in 2013!

“We don’t know the exact date, but we do know for sure that higher taxes and more federal spending will kill jobs and economic growth!”

Rodney Frelinghuysen

President Obama’s Tax Hikes Cuts Would Cost 800,000 Jobs

In his 2013 budget, President Obama proposes $103 billion in 2013 tax increases, including $83 billion of higher income taxes on those who make more than $250,000 a year, or about 0.65% of Gross Domestic Product.

Using the formula developed by the President’s former chief economist, Christine Romer, the budget would reduce real GDP by 2 percentage points over the next 10 quarters.  Based on the general relationship between economic growth and unemployment, such a fall in output implies a loss of more than 800,000 jobs. 

Read the article in Forbes here.

Recommended Reading: Wednesday editorial in the Washington Post: “A better Case for the Keystone XL” pipeline.

Winners All: Congressional Arts Competition

This week Rodney announced that a student from Mt. Olive earned top honors at the 30th Annual Congressional Arts Competition in New Jersey’s 11^th Congressional District. 

First place was awarded to Jessica Menchon for her oil painting, “History of Waterloo Village.” Ms. Menchon attends Mt. Olive High School.

“The annual Congressional Art Competition is an excellent opportunity to recognize the rich talents of our young people,” Rodney said. “I commend our local high schools for encouraging their students to showcase their artistic skills in this year’s competition.”

A student from Ridge High School, Vicki Liu, was awarded second place for her work entitled, “Shameless.” Rachel Elias, of Montville High School, was awarded third place for her work, “Looking Up.”

Honorable Mention awards were given to Nicholas McMillen of the Parsippany Christian School for his photograph entitled, “Brotherly Tree” and Marlaina Lutz of Roxbury High School for her photograph entitled “Swallow and Hummingbird.”

Ms. Menchon’s winning entry will be hung in the U.S. Capitol.

Sixty students from 18 area high school participated in this year’s competition.

Over 150 people attended the Congressional Art competition reception at the Morris Museum.

The annual Congressional Art Competition has been promoting America’s young artists for 30 years. 

Recommended Reading: Monday’s editorial in the Washington Post, “What College Students Need Most” is a “Must Read.”

Academy Night: Military Academies in High Demand

Well over sixty young people attended the 12^th annual Academy Night where representatives of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy spoke with potential academy enrollees and their families.

For further information on the requirements and the process for consideration to attend one of the academies, contact Rodney’s Morristown office at 973-984-0711.  

Visit Washington: Hear the President’s Own Marine Band!

The President’s own United States Marine Band conducts the Evening Parades on Fridays from May 4 through August 31 at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. The concert runs from 8:45 PM to 10:00 PM.

Reservations for the Evening Parade are made online using the Marine Barracks Website.

Guests with reservations are admitted at 7:00 PM and should arrive no later than 7:45 PM. At 8:00 PM, guests without reservations who are waiting in the general admission line outside the Main Gate of the Barracks are offered unclaimed seats.