Governor Christie (NJ) Plans to Steal Gift Card Balances to Pump Up State Coffers

[Hannah Bell]

Unbelievable. This guy has a crooked history & you can tell it in his budgeting ideas.

http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2010/11/christie-plans-to-steal-unused-gift.html

Wow - the governor with the big mouth and the even bigger ego just won't stop his power and money grabs.

This time he and the Jersey legislature cooked up a scheme to take unused gift card money:


A federal judge has put a temporary stop to New Jersey's plan to generate up to $80 million from unused gift cards, calling cards and money orders.

To help balance the state budget this summer, lawmakers passed a bill allowing the state to claim proceeds of gift cards purchased in New Jersey if customers don't use them within two years. The state would claim funds from inactive travelers' checks and money orders after three years.

The new law was to go into effect earlier this week, but over the weekend U.S. District Court Judge Freda Wolfson issued a temporarily restraining order keeping it from being enforced until a hearing can be held....

Currently, if a gift card goes unused, the issuing business keeps the money. Under the new law, the state could collect the money after the waiting period.

[hobbit709]

1. Scratch a repuke, find a thief in one form or another.

I would leave one or two cents balance on any old cards. It would cost them more to process than they would get.

[Uben]

2. That is government theft

I got a better idea, why not confiscate political donations and war chests if they are more than two years old?

[druidity33]

4. that's an EXCELLENT idea. nt.

[DonCoquixote]

3. Great

So now you will discourage people from using Gift cards because you will not only steal them, but steal them to pay the rich bastards off!

John Corzine was an ass, but frankly, NJ, state of my birth (Margaret Hague hospital, like the politicians say in Mayoral campaigns), frankly, you are on your way to having all the dirt of the North, and the stupidity of Dixie, NOT the combo you want!

[Hannah Bell]

5. k

[sufrommich]

6. I don't have a problem with this. I'd rather see unused gift cards

used for government programs than as free money for a corporation.