Here's Why His Claims Simply Don't Hold Up

A Clear-eyed Look at the Governor's Budget A special message from Regina Egea, President of The Garden State Initiative: As the Governor presented his FY 2021 Budget this week in Trenton, Garden State Initiative was in the forefront of examining the underlying policies and raising questions about its impact on New Jersey residents and businesses. In addition to our statement on the budget, I authored two opinion pieces on aspects of the Governor Murphy’s agenda that appeared in the Asbury Park Press and The Record. In the Asbury Park Press piece, which you can read by clicking on the image at right, I explored the Governor's claims regarding New Jersey's property taxes and posited that  "relief" is only real when some savings are returned to taxpayers and policies impact residents' bottom line. As I write in the op-ed, the details of the Governor’s address, and a clear-eyed review of the facts, illustrate that our state is no closer to taming our property tax beast but is, in fact, heading in the opposite direction. More broadly, New Jersey's "value proposition" is often referenced to justify the higher than average rate of taxes our residents and job creators endure. My op-ed in The Record, which you can read by clicking on the image at left, takes a look at how our state's value proposition compares to the states with whom we are competing in our own region and across the county. An examination of what New Jersey spends in some critical areas like education and infrastructure, and the value delivered compared to other states, deserves a serious examination. No longer can we shrug our shoulders saying “that’s how it is in New Jersey … take it or leave it” because now more are leaving than taking it. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these op-eds and please share this email with anyone who may be interested. For the latest updates, please be sure to visit our website at gardenstateinitiative.org, liking our Facebook page @GardenStateInitiative and follow us on Twitter @GSI_NewJersey. Sincerely, Regina M. Egea, President Garden State Initiative