Why won't officials do the right thing about property taxes?

Hogwash. That's all I can say for the comments made by Gov. Jon Corzine and elected state officials pertaining to their efforts to correct the high property-tax situation. We all agree that property taxes are negatively affecting many New Jersey residents to the extent that many are finding it necessary to leave the state. What a shame.

While attempting to provide property-tax reform, I would like the governor and elected officials to pay specific attention to what Franklin Delano Roosevelt said on Oct. 21, 1936, "Here is my principle: Taxes should be levied according to one's ability to pay. That is the only American principle."

Property taxes are made up of county taxes, municipal taxes and educational taxes. Education taxes are anywhere from 55 to 80 percent of the total property tax. To provide real reform, we should adopt a fair-tax program that would remove education taxes from the property tax. Education should be supported by a 5 percent dedicated state income tax.

The total income for all residents in New Jersey at midpoint 2006, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, was $405.5 billion. The total cost for primary and secondary education is approximately $18 billion, which means that a 5 percent state tax would be more than enough to pay for education with no burden on anyone. It would be collected by the state and passed back to all school boards, with no strings attached. The money returned to the schools would be based upon a formula developed by the State Board of Education. The formula would exist for three years and be reviewed at the end of that time for modification, if necessary.

The fair-tax program, if adopted, would mean that government and school operations would continue without change. After the fair-tax program is in effect, efforts should then be made to institute cost-cutting measures in government programs and school operations, as being recommended by Gov. Corzine and elected officials, in order to eliminate wasteful spending.

At the present time, there are many people on the lower end of the income scale paying as much as 20 percent of their income to fund education, while at the same time many at the higher income level are paying 2 percent of their income toward funding education. That is outrageous, unfair and should be stopped now.

Our elected representatives are intelligent individuals who know what should be done, but it appears that they are shy of biting the bullet to do the right thing. Why?

Frank J. Coury

East Brunswick