Pay attention to local, not presidential, candidates

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP The sun sets as sprinklers water a farm along Etra Road in Millstone. A ccording to Assemblyman Jay Weber, New Jersey residents worked 211 days to pay for state and local government taxes. The only state residents who worked longer are those who live in Connecticut.

New Jersey government is controlled by politicians who continue to raise taxes on everything from driver's license fees to hotel rooms. People are moving out of New Jersey to where the taxes are more affordable.

In light of the recent talk about affordable housing, some have argued that the younger generation can't afford to live in New Jersey. A financial report recently rated New Jersey one of the top five expensive places to live for senior citizens. I wonder what the average property tax payment per month is across New Jersey. Added to the cost of a monthly mortgage payment and that is the formula for the high cost of living. Your monthly property tax bill could be the equivalent of a mortgage payment. If property taxes weren't staggering, it would be more affordable for everyone to live here. The state government continues to spend with little accountability and more and more promises to lower property taxes.

Although we are all paying attention to the presidential candidates, perhaps we should pay more attention to the local ones. The smartest thing we can do is know our local candidates. After all, it is our money they will be spending.
Tricia Simon
Middletown