Jon S. Corzine, Governor of New Jersey

Punishes Taxpayers for his Own Fiscal Incompetence
by Kelly William Cobb on Monday, March 16, 2009 on ATR

Since 2002, the Garden State has raised taxes on each resident by $2,601 – the highest nationally. The combined $22 billion in tax hikes has also resulted in a mass exodus of residents. Over 330,000 people left New Jersey since 1997 and over two-thirds of them left since 2002. Two of the top destinations for New Jersey exiles: Pennsylvania and Florida, with income tax rates of 3.07% and 0% respectively.

New Jersey taxpayers already spend 211 days a year working just to cover the cost of government – the second highest burden nationally. New Jersey also has the highest state and local tax burden, the second highest business tax burden, and collects more property taxes per capita than any other state.

But apparently, Governor Jon Corzine’s plans to turn New Jersey into a depopulated ghost town are occurring just too slowly. So, last week he announced a plan to further drive residents out of the Garden State and simultaneously rectify his $7 billion overspending problem: an executive budget with $1 billion in new tax increases.

The Governor’s newly released budget increases the New Jersey income tax to the 3rd highest nationally, eliminates most property tax deductions, extends a 4% tax surcharge on businesses, raises the tax on alcohol beverages by 25%, and hikes the tax on cigarettes to $2.70 per pack.

This guy gives lessons on how to remove the lower middle class from your state!


emphasis added by Denney Crane