Irvington Voice Tax revolt movement or event

It's interesting to watch people that claim they are protesting something go about their business as if they have a mandate by the people. The "Irvington Voice" group is one such type of group since they have been protesting at Council meetings, Re-organization meetings and recently had a rally at a church.  Their code words to strike an emotional response is that folks living in Irvington are being over taxed for less services. However, they never expound on where the money should come from to run the townships administration nor what type of services there are less of.  They assume and consequently want you to assume that your taxes are only used for "services" which is certainly not true. The taxes of a own are used for many other things than services such salaries, insurance, supplies, heat, air conditioning, building maintenance, grounds maintenance, computer maintenance, etc. If the amount of taxes being collected are not enough to pay for all of this stuff plus services then someones going to have to pay.   This is so especially in a township where there are not many large businesses such as Wal Mart to offset our tax rate.

It is amazing that in this era of a crazed Republican Governor being elected and believing that he has a mandate to cut taxes that the focus would be on local government. No one in the "Irvington Voice" group is even acknowledging that Governor Christy has single handedly cut more funding and programs than any previous Governor in office.  And the fact that urban townships like Irvington rely on State funding just to survive.  Yet when the State funding is severely reduced, or eliminated altogether the only thing the "Voice" group can do is point the finger at the Mayor and Town Council. They don't even want to acknowledge that the Mayor has implemented cost cutting programs such as furloughs, reduction in force, and freezing of salaries.

As an employee in Jersey City, I've seen plenty of the same fiscal problems with the Mayor trying the same approach.  Yet I don't see anyone up in arms against him.  Newark is going through a tremendous downsizing as we speak, and West Orange and other suburbs are even experiencing dire fiscal times.  But, they all have one thing in common.  They are blaming Governor Christy or the Federal government not their local government administration. They have the common sense to know where the root core of the problem resides.  But since the Irvington Voice is made up of dis-gruntled former candidates that lost in the last election, they have a different agenda. If you can't beat them in a fair election, complain, and protest long and hard to change public opinion about them.  Well, I for one would like my taxes to go down as much as anyone, but I look forward to voting Christy out of office to help solve this problem.  I also look forward to Mayor Smith being successful in renovating the C-Town supermarket, and other properties that will help reduce the tax burden of the residents


Craig A. Garner - (973) 493-9578
147 Park Place
Irvington, NJ 07111.