(Alexandria, VA) -- Move over, John, Paul, George, and Ringo -- a different kind of "Tax Man," New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, has hit the fiscal scene through a new video parody available online at www.stopthetaxman.org. The non-partisan National Taxpayers Union (NTU), which has 14,000 members in New Jersey and 350,000 members nationwide, designed the new website to help New Jerseyans understand and speak out against the Governor's $1.5 billion tax plan.
The "star attraction" on the website is a 70-second video featuring an animated version of Corzine who -- replete with "bling" and cool shades -- warns his virtual audience, "Let me tell you how it's gonna be/One for you and ? 1.5 billion for me." He then launches into a rap on his new-found role as New Jersey's "Tax Man":
If you feel ill, I'll tax your hospital bill
Even if you're broke, I'm gonna tax your smokes,
And if you plan to drink, I'll tax the kitchen sink!
Besides the downloadable video, www.stopthetaxman.org includes breaking news on the Governor's budget, an online petition, and an "action center" to contact elected officials. The site also links to a new study by NTU's research arm on the consequences of the tax-and-spend policies of Corzine and his predecessors in both parties. The analysis determined that if New Jersey government spending had been held to population growth plus inflation over the last ten years, the state's budget would be approximately $42 billion, or about $8 billion less than the one Corzine submitted.
After pledging to provide relief from soaring property taxes, and stating he was not considering major revenue boosts to balance the state's deeply-troubled budget, Jon Corzine proposed one of the largest tax increases in the state's history, along with a 9.2 percent jump in expenditures. For these reasons, and its strong Garden State membership, NTU launched the "Stop the Tax Man" campaign this week. The effort is also intended to serve as a warning to other tax-hiking Governors.
"Our website isn't just designed for laughs," concluded NTU President John Berthoud. "New Jerseyans are tired of tax burdens that break their backs as well as politicians who break their word, and our members want to give a fresh voice to this very serious concern."
NTU is a non-profit organization that works for lower taxes and smaller government at all levels. Note: For further information on NTU's work in New Jersey, visit www.stopthetaxman.org. For details on other NTU initiatives, visit www.ntu.org.
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