Tax Cuts Work Their Magic

The breeze from the ocean was making the palm trees sway gently. The sounds of the surf were lulling me into a blissful lethargy as I sat in a chaise lounge chair looking out at the white sandy beach and the endless horizon. Behind me, the patrons of the resort were having their drinks and meals served on the beautiful patio overlooking the perfect vista. Now guess where I vacationed. Malibu? South Beach? No. No. It was the New Jersey shore. I'll bet it was the palm trees that fooled you. I, too, wonder how those palm trees can survive the northern winter. My husband, who's from Florida, identified them as Washingtonian, Coconut, and Sable palms, and they do lend an exotic air to the Eastern Shore. A recent article in a local paper indicated that the New Jersey shore might be replacing the Hamptons as the New Yorkers' choice for summer vacations, and I'm just glad that I was able to take advantage of a restful weekend before the shore gets corrupted by the crowds escaping the asphalt jungle during the long hot summer. When I mentioned to someone that I had booked a reservation for the Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch, N.J., I was told that this was a rundown area. Apparently, that person had not been in the area for some time because most of that shore has been completely redeveloped. The resort was originally a Hilton Hotel and is fully modernized. All the rooms are equipped with wireless Internet, there's an indoor and outdoor pool, and in-house movies are also available. The best thing about this location is that it's only 45 minutes from my home in Staten Island. The last time I was in the Hamptons, it took me two hours to get there. My husband, a connoisseur of ocean waters, was stunned by the crystal clarity of the shore waters. He ranked this aquatic experience second only to the Fire Island we visited more than 30 years ago. Of course, the popularity of the Hamptons has little to do with the beauty of the waterfront or the available accommodations. It's all about the nightlife, the A-list parties and the possibility of celebrity sightings. Manhattanites shell out thousands of dollars for summer rentals and then endure long treks back and forth to where the action is because everybody who is anybody leaves town for the summer. There's certainly nothing wrong with that if you're young enough and have deep enough pockets. But the smarter and wiser mavericks are hopping on the express ferries that leave from various locations in Manhattan to the Jersey Shore. The larger hotels provide pickup service from the pier in the Atlantic Highlands. There is also train service directly to Long Branch. But this isn't really a column about travel or the comparable benefits of the Jersey shore vs. the Hamptons. It's more about the fact that now I can actually afford to go to that resort. Granted, the room charge with the AAA discount was a moderate $152 a night, but once upon a time even that would have been out of my reach. During the boom '90s when the economy was supposedly the best in years, I had to worry constantly about whether my utilities were going to be shut off. Any family trips involved the cheapest motels on I-95 and coupons for budget buffets at highway restaurants. Now, here I was on a lovely stretch of beach under an umbrella provided by the hotel staff along with the chaise lounge and the beach towels and loving every bit of the deluxe service. In every direction I looked, there were huge apartment buildings being erected. Help-wanted signs are everywhere in the stores of the mini-malls. Dare I say it? Business is booming. The tax cuts have worked their magic, and yet we still hear the most idiotic remarks from celebrities bemoaning tax cuts for the rich. The most ridiculous statement I've heard has to be what Ben Affleck ranted at the Kerry fund-raiser last week. He actually said, "Thanks to Bush's tax cuts, I saved a million and a half dollars. Does anyone think that's fair?" Well, yes, Ed. It's your money and Mr. Bush gave it back to you so now you have the freedom to do whatever you want with it. Why don't you adopt a poor family, open up your own food kitchen, or buy more mansions or cars, whatever. It's up to you, not the government, and that is absolutely fair. When our brilliant Legislature imposed a luxury tax on nonessential items like expensive cars and boats, the wealthy just stopped buying them, and voila, businesses went belly-up, with high unemployment and a recession following. Thankfully, that luxury tax was repealed last year, and that has also helped the economy. When you cut the taxes of the rich, they spend more. Ergo, that means businesses benefit and create jobs. Everybody benefits. It's such a simple concept that even an Affleck should be able to understand it.