Senators Oppose GOP Plan For 30% Sales Tax Capitol Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), joined a group of Democratic colleagues in introducing a Senate resolution opposing the plan led by Congressional Republicans to impose a nationwide sales tax on all goods and services, which would increase prices for hardworking families by 30 percent.

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At the Township Council meeting, Council President John Bacchione asked for a moment of silence to remember her.

Mayor Carmen Amato said that he’s spoken to a number of residents in the past few weeks regarding Adriana. He wants an anti-bullying law named after her that would create legal consequences for people who share video or images of an assault on a minor, since sharing the attack is an attack in and of itself. He was emotional in his statements and had to pause to collect himself.

“I’ve spoken numerous times to the prosecutor and elected officials, students and educators,” he said. “We must do everything we can to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”

A resolution the council passed said the state’s “Anti-Bullying Law” is well meaning, but it hasn’t prevented harassment, intimidation or bullying in schools. There is a lack of repercussions for those sharing and sending videos via

Instead of this misguided tax increase, the resolution calls for supporting a tax cut that will help working families and grow the middle class while opposing cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, or cuts to pay or benefits for servicemembers, veterans, or law enforcement.

“As New Jerseyans - and Americans all over the nation - are struggling to make ends meet while the economic recovery continues to take hold, the last thing we need is to create an additional tax burden that will further raise costs and squeeze the technology that teens have.

The resolution was sent to leaders in Trenton. Amato is hoping to soon be one of them, as he is running for state senate this year.

The issue has led to a lot of strong emotions. In addition to sadness, there has been a lot of rage directed at the staff of Central Regional. Employees have received death threats.

Councilman Thomas Grosse, who is a retired Toms River police officer and whose wife teaches at Central, said that the school district has been painted unfairly by the public and the media.

“There’s no more bullying there than any other district,” he said. “Were there mistakes? Of course.” the pocketbooks of hard-working families,” said Sen. Menendez. “This Senate resolution sends a clear message that Senate Democrats from all over the country are standing united in rejecting the misguided approach by House Republicans. Any legislation that cuts vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security or raises taxes to the middle class is dead on arrival in the Senate.”

A lot of the public had been asking where the police were when Adriana was getting attacked, knowing that there are officers stationed in the school.

“They can’t always be everywhere,” he said. “It’s no fault of the police department.” He said there have been numerous times that the police stopped bad things from happening at the school that you never hear about.

The Senators’ resolution opposes the House Republican proposal to impose a 30 percent sales tax on all goods and services, which would raise prices for hardworking families and seniors. The resolution also supports the passage of a

Police Chief Kevin Santucci said there’s been a misconception that the police weren’t around. They’ve had officers in schools for about a decade and always respond if they are called.

Some residents had questions about whether the council has a liaison to the school districts so they would be kept abreast of situations.

Santucci said the public and even elected officials are not told about issues happening if it involves a juvenile or if it’s an active investigation.

Amato said the majority of the council had been on a board of education and is kept abreast of situations as much as they can legally.

One resident said that she’s bullied by her neighbors in her own senior com- responsible tax cut to benefit hardworking families and grow the middle class, while ensuring that the ultra-wealthy and billion-dollar corporations pay their fair share. munity.

Alongside Sen. Menendez in cosponsoring the resolution are Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

One parent said that her son was assaulted by a group of students while he was sleeping during the elementary school’s trip to Stokes State Forest several years ago. This same parent noted that sometimes the issue is handled before it gets to the upper administration. For example, there had been a busing issue that was handled within the transportation department and the superintendent and board of education likely never got informed of it.

Councilman James Byrnes shared a horror story of what happened in a district he used to work in that is in another county. “This (expletive deleted) is going on in schools all over New Jersey and we’re going to end it here.”

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