In 2016, more people moved from New Jersey than any other state in the nation, the fifth consecutive year that the Garden State earned this dubious distinction.
And so, when Gov. Chris Christie took the podium for his final State of the State Address last month, small business owners were disappointed with the fact that his speech didn’t include a plan to get the state’s economy back on track.
“Without a realistic discussion regarding the economic conditions that taxpayers, including small business owners, face, the rate in which people seek asylum from New Jersey’s economy will only increase,” said NFIB/NJ State Director Laurie Ehlbeck in a statement. “We failed to hear a robust plan to improve our economy or reduce our crippling tax structure.
“Economically, we are stagnant at best, and continuing to do nothing about our ballooning deficit and crushing pension obligations will only make matters worse. Talk of dramatic, bipartisan pension reform can no longer be used simply as catchy campaign slogans for our repeatedly elected state officials.”
Next up is Christie’s final budget proposal address, which will take place before a joint session of the Legislature in February. Ehlbeck said the small business community is hoping to hear about substantive economic reforms at that time.
