Seniors invited to free boat ride July 18
Mayor Richard Turner and the Township Council, along with the Hudson County Office on Aging, invite Weehawken seniors for the Hudson County Boat Ride and lunch aboard the Spirit of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 18. For further information or to sign up please call the Senior Center at (201) 319-6060.
Menendez rips into IRS ‘attack on New Jersey taxpayers’
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez reacted to Wednesday’s announcement by the Internal Revenue Service that it intends to issue new rules about property taxes. Menendez said the rules would unfairly target state wide efforts to protect New Jersey taxpayers from being double-taxed by the Trump Administration’s plan limiting state and local tax deductions.
Republican federal tax law, passed last year, is expected to hurt New Jersey taxpayers who pay more than $10,000 in state and local property taxes. Estimates indicate that more than one in 10 New Jersey households will see an increase in their federal income taxes.
To mitigate the federal tax law, earlier this month, the senator – a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national tax policy and the leader in the U.S. Senate in the fight to preserve the state and local tax deduction – joined Gov. Phil Murphy as he signed state legislation that allows municipalities to establish charitable funds where taxpayers can donate in return for a property tax credit.
The state legislation, S-1893, allows taxpayers to donate to a charitable fund established by their municipality, county, or school district. In return for their donation, the taxpayer receives a credit on their property tax bill of up to 90 percent of the donation. Taxpayers would then be able to claim their donation as a charitable deduction on their federal income tax return.
The IRS has said it will try to limit these strategies, without giving any details.
“Despite these state efforts to circumvent the new statutory limitation on state and local tax deductions, taxpayers should be mindful that federal law controls the proper characterization of payments for federal income tax purposes,” the IRS wrote in its notice.
Menendez reacted angrily. “The concept of incentivizing charitable contributions with state tax benefits, including credits, has long been found by the IRS to be acceptable,” the senator said. “The only reasonable conclusion to draw is that the Trump Administration will stop at nothing to hurt New Jersey, and will always put petty partisan politics ahead of the people he has been sworn to serve.”
Menendez added, “As appalling as it was for President Trump and Congressional Republicans to use tax reform as a way to exact political revenge against so-called blue states by limiting the state and local tax deduction, it is absolutely unacceptable to use the IRS as a political weapon to target New Jerseyans. I will not stand for it, and will use every tool at my disposal to protect the taxpayers of New Jersey.”
Hudson County CASA is seeking volunteers
Learn how to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and help foster children find safe and permanent homes. The next information session will be held at the Hudson County Courthouse, 595 Newark Ave. Rm. 901 on Tuesday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes. Hudson County CASA volunteers are everyday people who make a direct impact in foster children’s lives. They are trusted, dedicated adults who seek to improve children’s well-being. CASA volunteers get to know their assigned child and his or her circumstances and provide valuable information to the court. Judges rely on the volunteers’ recommendations to make the best decisions about the children’s futures.
For further information, visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Uber Express POOL launches in New Jersey
Uber announces last week that its new shared rides product Express POOL launched May 17 in Hudson County, Newark, Elizabeth, and parts of Essex and Bergen counties.
In Express POOL, where riders wait a few minutes before their trips begin, and then walk a short distance to a nearby spot for pick up and dropoff. Walking and waiting help make more optimal matches and provide better, straighter, faster routes with fewer detours.
New Jersey residents will see Express POOL next to POOL in the app. Once requested, the app spends the next few minutes selecting the most compatible co-riders and a driver nearby, and the best spot for pickup within a few blocks of your location.
LYFT signs on as sponsor of Hudson Bike Share
Lyft is now an official sponsor of Hudson Bike Share, the two companies announced last week.
Hudson Bike Share launched in Hoboken in October 2015 and just last year expanded to Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Bayonne and Port Imperial for a total of 560 bikes. The system currently has 22,436 registered members and has clocked over 390,000 rides since inception.
Said Ann Ferracane, general manager of Lyft New Jersey, “By supporting Hudson Bikeshare, we’re able to make it easier to combine modes of transportation. From taking a Lyft to Weehawken and exploring downtown by bike, or taking bike between towns and a Lyft complete the journey, this partnership makes easier to imagine living car-free in many areas of New Jersey.”
Existing Hudson Bike Share riders who try Lyft for the first time and download the app can use code NJBIKE18 for $15 in free ride credit.
