According to a Star Ledger cover story from Sunday, November 18, 2007, property taxes in New Jersey rose an average of 5.5% this year. But here in Democrat-controlled Middlesex County, the average increase this year was 7% - roughly twice the rate of inflation. Worse yet, your property tax increase here in Piscataway this year was 10.6%, the third highest increase in Middlesex County. That's roughly three times the rate of inflation and nearly double the rate of increase in the rest of the state. Keep that in mind as Mayor Wahler prepares to run for re-election in 2008.

- Joe Schilp, PRO Vice Chairman

Every two years, when the Democrats fight to hold onto their seats in Piscataway’s Municipal Government, our mayor and council members count on fuzzy math to trick people into believing that they pay less for government services than our surrounding towns. The fact is that municipal taxes in Piscataway are slightly lower than those in towns like Middlesex because those towns do not force their citizens to pay a separate sewer bill and to pay for their own garbage collection.

Here in Piscataway, homeowners pay a $190 annual sewer fee and approximately $210 to the private trash collection firm of their choosing. That’s $400 worth of service that we pay for in addition to our property tax. Middlesex Township includes those fees in their property taxes, which would make their taxes seem higher when, in fact, we are paying just as much, if not more, but paying it separately.

What’s more, by forcing homeowners to pay for sewer service and trash collection outside of our property taxes, Mayor Wahler is literally taking money out of your wallet. Last year, state homeowner rebates were issued based on total property tax levied. If Wahler had included your sewer service and trash collection as part of your property tax, homeowners making less than $100,000 a year would have received an additional $80 in their state rebates last year, homeowners making $100,000 to $150,000 would have received an additional $60 in their rebates and those making $150,000 to $200,000 would have received and additional $40. That’s money that Brain Wahler is costing you just so he can falsely claim that it costs less to live in Piscataway than in Middlesex.

- Joe Schilp, PRO Vice Chairman

WASHINGTON (AP) - NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season.

NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group's Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad's message.

"Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should be thankful for their service," Freedom's Watch president Brad Blakeman said.

The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that includes newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are to run on CNN and Fox News Channel and are running in various newspapers. The New York Times ran a full-page Freedom's Watch ad Friday that said "Thank You!" and depicted a soldier reading a letter. The newspaper ad also contained the Web site address.

[full story]

"We have lost faith in government, not in just one party, not in just one house, but in government. It is time for innovation and transformation in Washington. It is what our country needs. It is what our people deserve...I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician. There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements -- and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading." - Mitt Romney