Property Tax Reform
Assemblywoman McHose was chosen by Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroceto serve on the subcommittee on Public Employee Benefits Reform. The committee wasset up to provide recommendations on reforming the state government pension system.McHose worked with her colleagues on this very important issue.
"This is a serious problem we must address if we are going to be successful in controllingthe cost of government and lowering the tax burden," said McHose.
The Public Employees Benefit Reform Committee was one of four committees that was established by the Legislature to review and formulate proposals to address property tax reform. The others committees were:
Public School Funding Reform, Government Consolidation and Shared Services andConstitutional Reform and Citizens' Property Tax Constitutional Convention.
As a longtime advocate of a special session to address property taxes, AssemblywomanMcHose was pleased to see it finally instituted. "We're in a property tax crisis and the timeto act is now," said McHose. "People and businesses are leaving this state because it isgrowing, more and more, unaffordable. We need to develop a plan that provides a permanent,responsible solution to out-of-control property taxes."
McHose also stressed that it is important that the debate involving property tax reforminclude a discussion on the school funding issue. McHose said she was encouraged seeingthat even some top Democrats are calling for a revision to the school funding formulathat allocates a majority of education spending to the inner city, Abbott districts. Alisonis pushing her bill which would fund the urban school districts at the average statewideper pupil cost, saving the State over $1 billion.
"When the courts force the state to continue to expend greater monies on Abbott schooldistricts, the share of Abbot state funding in suburban and rural, middle-class communitiesgoes down resulting in ever-increasing property tax levels," said McHose. "Educationfunding must be made more fair and affordable because both the system and the State arebroke."
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State Budget
State residents are clamoring for tax relief," says AssemblywomanAlison McHose. "I was hopeful we could work together to decreasethe size of government and put more money back into the pocketsof hard-working taxpayers. Unfortunately, the Democrat-controlledLegislature and the Governor once again relied on anincrease in taxes to support their spending habits. This is why I could not vote for thisbudget."
As one of the Republican members of the Assembly Budget Committee, AssemblywomanMcHose is credited with helping end the budget stalemate that closed down state governmentfor several days. "The people deserved more from state government and its leaders,"said McHose. "The shutdown was an embarrassing moment in our state's history."
McHose noted that in her three years of working on the Budget Committee, taxes and spendingunder Democrat control have continued to rise, well out-pacing the cost of living. "Thiscurrent budget, as in recent years, only increases the burden on the taxpaying public by makingit more difficult to live, raise a family and do business," said Alison.
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Ethics Reform
Pointing to the government scandals that appear all too regularly in the news headlines,Assemblywoman McHose says ethics reform must be a priority. McHose has been playinga leading role in exposing ethics violations throughout state government. Alison took afellow legislator to task for taking a lavish trip at taxpayers expense. The legislator, whoalso doubles as a superintendent in a large New Jersey school district, took an all expensetaxpayer-paid trip to London which included a stay in luxury hotels, eating in exclusiverestaurants and riding in limousines. After being exposed, the legislator was forced toreinstate the state for his personal expenses.
Assemblywoman McHose also has been very vocal in criticizing the misappropriation offunds at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities as part of a clean energy program. Therecent state audit of the program was released only after strong pressure from legislators,including McHose. Among the problems revealed in the audit were fraudulent bankaccounting, contracts being awarded with no competitive bidding, and overpaid for theirwork. The United States Attorney's Office is also now involved in the case.Perhaps the most glaring example of unethical conduct was demonstrated by then-Attorney General Zulima as Farber who used her influence to free. her boyfriend from anyinfraction during a traffic stop.
Assemblywoman McHose was one of the first officials to call for the Attorney General's resignationsaying, "When the top law enforcement officer in the state abuses her authorityand disrespects the law, it's time to resign." Due to the mounting pressure, Farberresigned her position.
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Military Families
As the wife of an active armed service member, Assemblywoman McHose was outraged tolearn of protests at funerals of American soldiers. "These brave men and women gave theultimate sacrifice for their country," said Alison. "These protests are disreputable, not onlybecause we should be lauding the service of these fallen troops, buttheir families deserve to mourn in peace,"
Assemblywoman McHose's measure, which was signed into law by the Governor, makes protests within 500 feet of funerals a crime with jail time of up to six months and a $1,000 fine.
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Sportsmen
Assemblywoman McHose has reintroduced her proposal to make the State Fish and GameCouncil the sole arbiter on wildlife decisions in the state.
McHose said she feels strongly about this legislation because "we should leave the management of wildlife to the experts and use practices based on science, not politics."
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Mass Transportation
Arguing that area commuters deserve more public transportation opportunities,Assemblywoman McHose introduced legislation calling upon the Governor and the NJTransit Director to make completing the Lackawanna Cutoff rail passenger restorationproject a priority. The project will provide rail passenger service from Scranton,Pennsylvania through northern New Jersey and into New York City. "We need to move carsoff congested roads like Route 80," McHose said. Passenger rail line in our area will helprelieve traffic congestion and lessen commuter time with the added benefit of reducingair pollution."
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Eminent Domain
Joining a growing chorus of concerned legislators, Assemblywoman McHose has signedonto a bill which would limit the eminent domain power of state and local governmentto acquire properties. The legislation would prohibit a government entity's ability to condemnprivate residences for economic development purposes.
"The courts have tampered with the private property rights of individuals by expanding the government's power to use, and potentially abuse, eminent domain," said Assemblywoman McHose. "This legislationprotects state residents from the harmful effects of the court's decision."
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Drunk Driving Laws
In response to a local boy's death due to a drunk driver, Alison has introduced a bill totoughen penalties for drunk driving violations. Under current statute, the drunk driverserved only 30 days in jail, the maximum term of imprisonment for a first offense.
McHose's bill will raise the penalty for a vehicular homicide while driving intoxicated to acriminal act punishable by a prison term of 3-5 years plus a $15,000 fine.
"The emotional pain of losing a loved one is incredible enough, but for the victim'sparents to live with the fact that the loss of their son only resulted in a 30-day prison termfor the drunk driver only adds to the family's anguish," McHose said. "My bill puts someadded teeth into" the law and makes the penalty more commensurate with the crime."
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Sex Offenders
Citing a recent case in Newton where a convicted sex offender failed to appropriately registerhis whereabouts with local law enforcement, Assemblywoman McHose has proposedlegislation to make permanent a state pilot program to track repeat sex offenders by fittingthem with a global positioning system (GPS) bracelet. Thanks to the GPS tracking system,the sex offender in Newton was found and arrested by police.
Alison is also sponsor of a bill which prohibits sex offenders from residing in areas frequentedby children, such as schools, playgrounds and child care centers. The measurealso increases the penalties for committing sex crimes against children. "These efforts areintended to provide a greater level of comfort and security to the community at large,"said McHose. "Children are very vulnerable and parents should always feel that their childrenare as safe as possible.
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Volunteerism
In an effort to bolster volunteerism on fire and first aid squads, Assemblywoman McHoseis sponsoring a bill to authorize a property tax deduction for members of these squads."Emergency service volunteers are part of the lifeblood of a community," said McHose. "Weneed to do all we can to attract and retain these dedicated men and women."
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