So many people are carrying on – at meetings and in the media – about Governor Murphy’s proposal to raise income taxes on New Jersey residents with annual incomes of more than $1 million. Everybody knows it’s an idea that’s been kicking around for a while.

But who’s bright idea was it in the first place?

Years ago Senate President Steve Sweeney was the prime sponsor of legislation to do just that. Yep, the man who is shouting loudest that he will never approve another tax increase, especially not one on millionaires.

His bill didn’t pass then, and although he voted for similar measures several times in recent years, he’s not likely to agree to it now.

What made him change his mind?

Some people snicker that maybe he’s a millionaire now and he wasn’t back then, but I don’t believe that’s the case. Other people speculate that he was willing to support the idea when Republican Chris Christie was governor because he knew Christie wouldn’t allow it to happen. So no harm done.

Those same folks point out that the relationship between Murphy and Sweeney is not a warm and fuzzy one, so they don’t think Sweeney is willing to make enemies while giving the Governor a win. Even though those enemies wouldn’t love the governor either.

But it’s more likely Sweeney’s public statements express his real feelings. He says now that there’s a $10,000 cap on federal income tax deductions for property taxes, millionaires are getting socked already. He doesn’t want to make things worse. He wants to keep them living and working in New Jersey where they already pay more taxes than other folks.

Estimates of revenues from the proposed millionaire’s tax are $447 million a year. While that’s more than a drop in the bucket, it is a relatively small amount compared to a total budget of $38.6 billion.

New Jersey’s tax rate of 10.75 percent now is levied only on people reporting annual incomes of $5 million or more. New York’s highest tax rate of 8.82 percent hits people with $1 million annual income. Connecticut’s highest rate of 6.99 percent kicks in for people making a half million a year. Pennsylvania, where south Jersey’s millionaires go to live, taxes them at only 3.07 percent.

New Jersey Treasury officials caution straight state-to-state comparisons aren’t helpful. They point out, for instance, that about 20,000 people now paying the top tax rate in New Jersey don’t actually live here but earn here through partnerships and investments.

The suggestion to raise taxes on New Jersey millionaires was launched in 2009, when all states were in the desperate grip of the Recession. It was expected to raise $200 million. Democrats then, as now, were in the majority and leaders told their caucus to hold their nose and vote for it. Frankly, all were relieved it didn’t happen.

Sixteen years earlier, I’d been warned by Democratic leaders, then in the minority, never to vote for any kind of tax. They didn’t have to tell me. I felt that way, too. But their reasoning was that the party in power always has the onerous responsibility of raising enough taxes to fund government. When we regained the majority, it became our problem.

And it still is. Behind the scenes almost everyone who’s currently in power, along with everyone who ever was, admits our state needs a total tax overhaul. That’s the only way to achieve what Governor Murphy professes to want: Tax Fairness.

But government only seems to work when it’s in crisis mode. So here were are. Another taxation crisis and no solution in sight.

A former assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp.

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