Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Kean: Dems Give NJ 'Worst Tax State" Status


New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R- Union) issued the following statement in response to the latest Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) survey ranking New Jersey's tax climate 49th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia:

After nearly a decade of total Democrat control in Trenton, New Jerseyans are still paying the price for "courage to spend" policies that pushed taxes to new heights in our state.

The latest SBE Council 2012 Business Tax Index validates longstanding Republican criticisms of Demcorat economic policies as anti-competitive and antithetical to job creation. From 2002 through 2009, Democrats raised business taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, and cut or limited property tax rebates to fuel nearly $11 billion in new spending.

It is little wonder that New Jersey has a less attractive tax climate than every state save for Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

When competing for economic development, business growth, and job creation, New Jersey starts at a competitive disadvantage to all but two jurisdictions in the U.S. Yet Democrats in New Jersey continue to advocate for higher personal income taxes and unchecked spending by state government.

It is time for Trenton Democrats to stop bemoaning efforts by Governor Christie and Senate Republicans to reduce state spending and lower New Jersey's tax burden. The consequences of our competitive disadvantage are real for every worker who is unemployed, every small business struggling to survive, and our communities trying to attract investment and opportunity.

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