The Record, Hackensack, N.J., Your Money’s Worth column: DeMarrais: Overturning blue laws not about the money [The Record, Hackensack, N.J.]

Mar. 24--Voters be damned.

That seems to be the message coming from Trenton.

Perhaps the most difficult assignment I had in my 24 years at The Record was interviewing store owners and workers before a 1993 referendum to overturn the Sunday blue law in Bergen County.

It was awkward because The Record was one of the major sponsors of the bill, along with major shopping centers, and several people asked me how I could be objective when the paper had already made up its mind on the issue.

It wasn't difficult to keep my objectivity because there was -- and still is -- a clear line between the news and editorial pages. I felt no pressure to slant my article.

I wrote that many people were strongly opposed to the repeal because of concern about traffic congestion in the heart of the county and being forced to work on Sunday.

The vote wasn't even close; the referendum lost by 80,000 votes.

Now our governor wants the legislature to abolish the blue law as a way to increase sales taxes. I question how much extra money will be raised because, for the most part, consumers wait until Monday or shop in Passaic County or Hudson County if they need to make a purchase -- and the state still gets its sales tax. Yes, some money is lost to Rockland County, but not enough to justify overturning a public referendum.

But this isn't about money. It's about an end run to overturn the will of the people.

Transmission rules

As expected, the Federal Communications Commission is looking into proposed rules changes that would avoid a repeat of the recent blackout of the start of the Academy Awards telecast.

Last week the FCC posted a notice on its Web site seeking comments on a proposal that would limit when a content provider, such as a television network, could deny access to the channel during negotiations over retransmission fees paid by the cable, telephone or satellite company.

The FCC is acting on a petition filed last week by Verizon Communications Inc. and the nation's major cable companies that mirrors a proposal made by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the industry.

"I simply do not believe consumers should lose access to a signal over their cable service as long as both parties are negotiating in good faith," Kerry said in a letter to the chairman of the FCC.

The FCC is acting after Cablevision customers lost WABC-Channel 7 for about 21 hours in a dispute with the station's owner, and Time Warner Cable customers came within hours of losing football bowl games on Dec. 31 during negotiations with the Fox Broadcasting Co.

The FCC will accept comments through April 19, and responses through May 4.

Food spoilage?

Did the loss of electricity from the storm earlier this month cause food to spoil? You may be covered by insurance.

Coverage is not universal, so check with your insurer. The spoilage would have to be because of the loss of electricity from the storm. If, however, a basement freezer was ruined by rising water, you're covered only if you have flood insurance.

All losses are subject to deductibles, so you'd probably need a freezer full before qualifying. However, if you have other storm-related claims, one deductible applies to all losses.

Tax help

Last year the federal government added a number of tax breaks for the middle class as part of various stimulus packages. But they don't mean a whole lot unless you remember to apply for them on your federal tax return.

If you file online, the software should identify them, but it is easy to skip one or two if you don't know where to look.

That's why the government has set up an online tax tool to help: whitehouse.gov/recovery/tax-saving-tool. It includes details for claiming up to $1,500 for energy-conservation tax credits for home improvements, sales-tax deductions for the purchase of a new vehicle, tax-free unemployment benefits of as much as $2,400 and the $1,000 child-care tax credit.

Read "Your Money's Worth" blog at http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/ yourmoneysworth/. Highlights appear in Wednesday's Record. E-mail: [email protected]

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