Stealing cable from the poor

[chanel]

Five years ago, the state promised poor senior citizens and disabled people they could expect help paying their cable television bills under a tax imposed on the cable industry.

Since then, the state has collected a total of $9.2 million from the tax — but not a dime has gone to help low-income cable subscribers.

After Gov. Jon Corzine signed the law creating the fund in 2006, no one ever developed a plan to disburse the money. It sat untouched and accumulating until Gov. Chris Christie drained the fund to help plug a big state budget hole last year, state Treasury Department spokesman Andy Pratt confirmed.

Although the tax money was earmarked for the Cable Television Universal Access Fund, "the money is all gone now," Pratt said. "The money was never used for the intended purpose."

N.J. tax to help low-income people pay cable TV bills was instead used to plug budget hole | NJ.com

Personally, I don't think taxpayers should have to subsidize cable TV for anyone. But it's the law, and this kind of stuff boils my blood. This is why NJ is such a mess. Hundreds of taxes and fees going into politician's slush funds.

 

[Madeline]

Five years ago, the state promised poor senior citizens and disabled people they could expect help paying their cable television bills under a tax imposed on the cable industry.

Since then, the state has collected a total of $9.2 million from the tax — but not a dime has gone to help low-income cable subscribers.

After Gov. Jon Corzine signed the law creating the fund in 2006, no one ever developed a plan to disburse the money. It sat untouched and accumulating until Gov. Chris Christie drained the fund to help plug a big state budget hole last year, state Treasury Department spokesman Andy Pratt confirmed.

Although the tax money was earmarked for the Cable Television Universal Access Fund, "the money is all gone now," Pratt said. "The money was never used for the intended purpose."

N.J. tax to help low-income people pay cable TV bills was instead used to plug budget hole | NJ.com

Personally, I don't think taxpayers should have to subsidize cable TV for anyone. But it's the law, and this kind of stuff boils my blood. This is why NJ is such a mess. Hundreds of taxes and fees going into politician's slush funds.

I'm not a huge fan of these kinds of dedicated funds, chanel. Whatever revenue the state develops from its citizens (except mebbe lottery sales) should be poured into the General Fund, IMO. But that said, this kind of accounting shell game seems to me to be illegal.

It certainly would be if the doer was a municipality or school district.

Might prove interesting to see what happens next.

 

[chanel]

This is a perfect example of why our pension system is broke. It should be illegal to use dedicated funds for the "general fund" Christie should know better.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Id say it went for a better use, but I doubt that as well.
Collecting tax so people can watch TV?
I know it not where you are going but...
How about a tax so poor people can afford cigarettes?

I think this is what you get when you have full time law makers, they have to make laws and spend money.

 

[Madeline]

This is a perfect example of why our pension system is broke. It should be illegal to use dedicated funds for the "general fund" Christie should know better.

The pension is in a trust fund, chanel....that's a little different. I really doubt anyone has been embezzling it to raise general revenue funds. I could be wrong, but I suspect New Jersey is in the shits for the same reason as Illinois and Ohio and Indiana, etc. When it came time to make the annual contribution, the legislators winked and put in 50 cents on a dollar, or less. Then the stock market crashed. Then it came time for Boomers to retire.

The trifecta of public pension horror stories, in other words.

No, the tax to create a fund to subsidize a poor person's cable bill is a bit different -- was supposed to be money in, money out in a fairly short time. I happen to know of a modest tax on insurance companies -- just $1,000 per, annually -- that was later declared to be illegal. Funds on deposit when the decision came down exceeded over $100,000 and were not refunded back to the taxpayers, as they should have been.

That kind of shit can get someone sent to prison.

 

[bucs90]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

 

[Skull Pilot]

The fucking government shouldn't be paying cable bills for anyone.

 

[Claudette]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

You got that right.

The poor make out pretty well. What with our wealth being spread to take care of their responsibilities.

Why work?? You don't have to pay taxes. If you have kids you get thousands back, even though you pay nothing in.

Such a deal.

Mayby we should all go on Welfare??

Oh wait. That won't work. If we all sat on our asses at home where would they get the money to pay us to sit on our asses??

Never mind.

 

[bucs90]

Did you see now we are paying to give cell phones to poor people? It's because they need a cell phone to look for a job, and have a contact number. For one, I thought every time I drove through the ghetto I NEVER see those fine young men WITHOUT a cell phone. Thats one thing they got for sure. BUT, we're gonna be paying for their cell phones now. And then I thought, IF they had a JOB, they wouldn't need us to buy them a cell phone!!!

Which led to my obvious conclusive question.........."Which came first, the cell phone or the job?"

 

[Madeline]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

You got that right.

The poor make out pretty well. What with our wealth being spread to take care of their responsibilities.

Why work?? You don't have to pay taxes. If you have kids you get thousands back, even though you pay nothing in.

Such a deal.

Mayby we should all go on Welfare??

Oh wait. That won't work. If we all sat on our asses at home where would they get the money to pay us to sit on our asses??

Never mind.

Lemme know just as soon as you'd like to reserve an apartment in one of Cleveland's housing projects and send your kids to a Cleveland public school.

That was an insensitive, stupid post, Claudette.

 

[California Girl]

This is a perfect example of why our pension system is broke. It should be illegal to use dedicated funds for the "general fund" Christie should know better.

Much as I dislike what Christie did, it is at least understandable. What is beyond comprehension is Corzine's stupid idea for subsidizing cable... and that he left the funds sitting there year after year while the state got further and further into debt.

 

[Rozman]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

Why even bother to look for work when you have the die hard bleeding heart liberal media calling you a scumbag if you want to find a way to pay for another extension for unemployment benefits.People who have already been covered for 99 weeks.When the Republicans opposed the extension until it was explained how it would be paid for the liberal controlled media was bashing the GOP.

Geez they had coverage for 99 weeks and the left was screaming for more.

 

[VaYank5150]

Five years ago, the state promised poor senior citizens and disabled people they could expect help paying their cable television bills under a tax imposed on the cable industry.

Since then, the state has collected a total of $9.2 million from the tax — but not a dime has gone to help low-income cable subscribers.

After Gov. Jon Corzine signed the law creating the fund in 2006, no one ever developed a plan to disburse the money. It sat untouched and accumulating until Gov. Chris Christie drained the fund to help plug a big state budget hole last year, state Treasury Department spokesman Andy Pratt confirmed.

Although the tax money was earmarked for the Cable Television Universal Access Fund, "the money is all gone now," Pratt said. "The money was never used for the intended purpose."

N.J. tax to help low-income people pay cable TV bills was instead used to plug budget hole | NJ.com

Personally, I don't think taxpayers should have to subsidize cable TV for anyone. But it's the law, and this kind of stuff boils my blood. This is why NJ is such a mess. Hundreds of taxes and fees going into politician's slush funds.

If this tax was levied on the cable companies and probably passed onto existing cable consumers, how was anything stolen from the poor who didn't have/couldn't afford cable in the first place?

 

[NYcarbineer]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

No one's forcing you to work.

 

[NYcarbineer]

We need a non-profit public option for cable/satellite tv. Seriously.

 

[VaYank5150]

We need a non-profit public option for cable/satellite tv. Seriously.

Ummmm....WHY?

 

[Claudette]

What all do the taxpayers provide for the poor...............

Housing, healthcare, welfare cash, education, transportation, cell phones, internet, food stamps......................I mean, WTF? Why work anymore?

You got that right.

The poor make out pretty well. What with our wealth being spread to take care of their responsibilities.

Why work?? You don't have to pay taxes. If you have kids you get thousands back, even though you pay nothing in.

Such a deal.

Mayby we should all go on Welfare??

Oh wait. That won't work. If we all sat on our asses at home where would they get the money to pay us to sit on our asses??

Never mind.

Lemme know just as soon as you'd like to reserve an apartment in one of Cleveland's housing projects and send your kids to a Cleveland public school.

That was an insensitive, stupid post, Claudette.

I'm sorry you find it so Mads.

I don't.

You call in insensitive and stupid?? I call in very true.

 

[NYcarbineer]

We need a non-profit public option for cable/satellite tv. Seriously.

Ummmm....WHY?

Because television is little more than a basic utility now. There's no need for a cable company to be making profits. I get great electric service from a non-profit co-op whose only mandate is to break even. When they have money left over they send it back to us. There's no reason cable/satellite tv couldn't be like that.

 

[VaYank5150]

We need a non-profit public option for cable/satellite tv. Seriously.

Ummmm....WHY?

Because television is little more than a basic utility now. There's no need for a cable company to be making profits. I get great electric service from a non-profit co-op whose only mandate is to break even. When they have money left over they send it back to us. There's no reason cable/satellite tv couldn't be like that.

Huh????? A basic utility? I see a basic utility as something you need, such as electricity, or gas for heating, or running water. These basic utilities allow people to stay ALIVE. How does cable TV even come close?

 

[Zoom-boing]

Did you see now we are paying to give cell phones to poor people? It's because they need a cell phone to look for a job, and have a contact number. For one, I thought every time I drove through the ghetto I NEVER see those fine young men WITHOUT a cell phone. Thats one thing they got for sure. BUT, we're gonna be paying for their cell phones now. And then I thought, IF they had a JOB, they wouldn't need us to buy them a cell phone!!!

Which led to my obvious conclusive question.........."Which came first, the cell phone or the job?"

Oh I call bullshit on that. They can have a landline with an answering machine . . . there's your contact number. Cell phones ARE NOT a necessity. It's shit that anything like this gets subsidized at all. Fucking government.