e-News 4/8/16

• Tax Freedom Day
• The Army is Losing its Edge
• Listening Tour Continues
• Salute: West Orange’s Boy Scout Troop 2
• Salute: Lakeland Regional High School

Tax Freedom Day

Today, many of New Jersey’s embattled taxpayers are hard at work finalizing their tax returns.  This year the deadline falls on April 18, postponed three days because of a little-known holiday in Washington, D.C. – Emancipation Day!  All the same, that date serves as an annual reminder of our obligations to fund the operations and programs of our federal, state and municipal governments.  

In this context, there is another symbolically important date: “Tax Freedom Day.”  The Tax Foundation calculated that the date that taxpayers nationally can finally stop working to satisfy their government obligations is April 24th, or 114 days into the year (excluding Leap Day).

Not surprising to anyone who has ever paid taxes in our state, New Jersey’s “Tax Freedom Day” will not arrive until May 13, later than every other state in the nation with the exception of Connecticut!

Tax Freedom Day is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year.  In 2016, Americans will pay $3.34 trillion in federal taxes and $1.64 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total tax bill of $4.99 trillion, or 31 percent of national income.

Stated differently, these numbers mean that, collectively, America will spend more on taxes than it will on food, clothing, and housing combined. 

Read the entire report here.

As the annual budget process continues, the Appropriations Committee has undertaken a line-by-line examination of the President’s budget to root out waste and duplicative programs to make sure every dollar counts! 

But we must understand that America cannot have both unlimited government and unlimited opportunity for its families and its businesses.  Without decisive action, “Tax Freedom Day” will continue to move earlier and earlier on the calendar and our children and grandchildren will know who’s to blame.

The Army is Losing its Edge

The future of the U.S. Army is among the many challenges my Defense Appropriations Subcommittee has in piecing together an effective military and intelligence funding bill from the budget the President sent us.  By many accounts, the Army’s size and capabilities do not match the growing threats arrayed against the United States.  Stories in theArmy Times and the Breaking Defense blog tell the larger story.  From the Army Times:

“The Army is being forced to sacrifice modernization in favor of readiness even as America’s enemies become increasingly capable, senior leaders testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

“Our competitive advantage we’ve continually banked on is decreasing, [and] the Army risks losing its qualitative overmatch in future conflicts,” said Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center.

“With the 74 percent decrease in Army modernization total obligation authority since 2008, the risk to mission and soldiers is increasing. This risk is compounded by the growing demand for land forces around the world…”

Read the entire story in the Army Times here.

From Breaking Defense: “Army May Be Outnumbered AND Outgunned In Next War.”

Listening Tour Continues

Among my other meetings and conferences, this week, I visited small businesses in Florham Park, Whippany, Morristown and Montville and met with students at Bloomfield Middle School, Chatham High School, Hilltop Country Day School in Sparta and Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque.

Salute: Congratulations to Boy Scout Troop 2 as it marks its 100^thanniversary in West Orange!  Thank you for your valuable service to the youth of Essex County since 1916!

Salute: Congratulations to a team from Lakeland High School in Wanaque for their strong showing (with “alliance” partners South Plainfield High School and Pascack Valley High School) in last weekend’s 38 team robotics game, “FIRST Stronghold.” FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.  The Lakeland Regional High team excelled by using their engineering and math skills, teamwork, community service and leadership.