finediony New Jersey news: holiday

Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Monday, September 17, 2012

New Jersey Holiday Vacations - Things to Do in the Winter

Friday, June 1, 2012

Highway Madness: Holiday Travel In New Jersey

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Amazon to end New Jersey tax holiday, build sites

ANGELA DELLI SANTITRENTON -- Amazon.com, the world's biggest online retailer, has agreed to collect 7 percent sales tax on purchases made in New Jersey starting next summer, the same time it plans to begin building two new distribution warehouses in the state.

The agreement, announced jointly by Gov. Chris Christie and Amazon executive Paul Meisner at the Statehouse on Wednesday, could bring thousands of construction jobs and 1,500 permanent positions at the warehouses. The collection of sales taxes, which online retailers like Amazon are not required to do now, will bring the state an estimated $30 million to $40 million a year in new revenue.

Amazon has not picked the locations for the warehouses. The retailer will be eligible for state economic assistance grants totaling millions on its investment of $130 million to build the warehouses.

"We're going to keep working and partnering with companies like Amazon to secure continued growth for our state and our families," Christie said in announcing the deal. "Each of (other companies') decisions to locate, stay or expand in New Jersey recognizes the concrete steps we've taken to improve our business climate, to create jobs and deliver tax relief and deliver new job opportunities to families in our state."

Amazon collects no sales taxes from New Jersey customers now, but would have been required to do so once the warehouses open. New Jersey residents who buy from Amazon are supposed to pay the sales tax themselves when they file their state income taxes, though few do.

The retailer has agreed to build job-creating distribution centers in Indiana, California, Tennessee and South Carolina in exchange for sales tax exemptions. It had requested a 22-month sales tax exemption in New Jersey.

Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald of Voorhees introduced legislation in February aimed at enticing Amazon to locate in the state by granting it limited-time sales tax immunity. Though the bill was designed in the long-term to eliminate the disparity between online retailers and those operating out of traditional storefronts, brick-and-mortar retailers opposed the bill.

But they applauded the deal.

"There has been no bigger issue facing retailers than sales tax fairness, and we need to now use this event to continue the momentum and pressure Washington to finally resolve this issue for all Internet retailers once and for all," said John Holub, president of the NJ Retail Merchants Association. "We applaud the bipartisan efforts in Trenton to deliver a level playing field for retail businesses large and small."

Assemblyman Al Coutinho, a Newark Democrat who stood with the governor to announce the deal, said the agreement accomplishes everything the legislation would have done.

"What matters is the job creation and economic growth that will come with this enterprise," said Coutinho. "We need jobs, economic growth and a level playing field, and we get all three with this agreement."

---
Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

new jersey, new jersey news

View the original article here

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Hitting the beach for the holiday weekend

PLEASANT BEACH (WABC) -- The summer season officially kicks off this weekend, and many people are using the three-day holiday as a reason to take a trip to the beach despite the high cost of gas.

All along the Garden State Parkway, the price of gas has come down a bit. Still high, but People are filling up and getting ready for the long holiday weekend.

Pat and Steve Ruggiero were filling up and heading to Atlantic City, staying closer to home like many in this economy.

"A lot of people can't afford it and are having trouble. A lot of people are staying close to home," Steve Ruggiero said.

Like Steven Grater. He's been on the beach all day, but it's a once a year thing for him. His house flooded during Hurricane Irene, and it's been tough.

"We are doing the best we can, having fun and squeezing whatever we can out of the rest o the year," Grater said.

Businesses all along the Jersey Shore hear what Steven Is saying, so they are offering deals.

"We're doing our part offering deals where we can so it makes it easier to bring the family down," Marilu Halverson, Jenkinson's Boardwalk, said.

If you are still looking for a rental, Paul Ward of Ward Realty says he still has some great deals too, like a 3 bedroom cottage, feet from the ocean, for $1750 a week.

"What we are seeing is people coming through our door sick and tired of being sick and tired, looking do the best deal they can find," Ward said.

---
Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

(Copyright ©2012 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more New Jersey News »

new jersey, pleasant beach, jersey shore, summer, memorial day, new jersey news, phil lipof
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/wabc/xml?id=5758260&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Sunday, May 13, 2012

2 weeks ahead of holiday, gas prices falling

Eyewitness NewsNEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Just two weeks before the unofficial start of the summer, gas prices are falling.

The price of regular unleaded along New Jersey toll roads dropped six cents Friday morning.

Now, instead of $3.74 a gallon, drivers will only have to pay $3.68.

Typically, the price of gas goes up as summer approaches, but not this year.

The average price has been steadily declining for more than a month, dropping 20 cents.

The highest prices in our area are in Connecticut, where the average is $4.04 a gallon. In New York the average is $4.02.

Motorists are taking note.

"I live on Staten Island, but I try to fill up in Jersey every chance I get," driver Tony Ablavskiy said.

---
Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

gas prices, travel, new jersey turnpike, garden state parkway, abc7 traffic center
// perform JavaScript after the document is scriptable.OTV.common.modules.promoCarousel.promoCarouselInit("/wabc/xml?id=5758260&ptnr=promoCarousel");

View the original article here

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Drivers hit the highways for holiday weekend

Eyewitness NewsBLOOMFIELD (WABC) -- Millions of people are expected to hit the road for the July Fourth holiday weekend. So what better time for gas prices to drop?

The price for a regular gallon of gas along the New Jersey Turnpike dropped from $3.64 to $3.59 Friday.

AAA says 39 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend, and many have already hit the road across the Tri-State area.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority predicts 1-.5 million vehicles will travel the Garden State Parkway Friday. The Port Authority, which projects 2.6 million vehicles will cross its bridges and tunnels, says it will fully staff the toll booths to help speed things along.

Most of the cars on the parkway are headed to the shore. A shuttle will link train stations with beaches and shopping areas in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar.

But for those with their sights set on other holiday weekend destinations, it may not be too late to plan that trip. Some airlines are offering last-minute deals.

"I always advise people, if you look at an airfare on a particular route and you think it's really way out of your budget, come back a day later, a couple days later, an hour later and look again, you may be surprised, because fares yo-yo all the time," said George Hobica, of AirfareWatchdog.com.

While the bargains are out there, the holiday getaway is costing more this year. A AAA and IHS Global insight survey reports the average traveler will spend $807 this weekend. That's an an increase of more than 25 percent over last year.

new jersey, new jersey news

View the original article here