By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Citing “special interests for part-time legislators,” Governor Chris Christie conditionally vetoed A-3213/S-1551 today, Save Jerseyans, otherwise known as the Economic Opportunity Act, Part 3.
This legislation was sponsored by Christie arch-critic Lou Greenwald in the Assembly and Ray Lesniak and Shavonda Sumter in the State Senate. The original package cleared the state house last fall. Things are different now, in terms of both political and economic realities. The latter point is expressly argued in the Governor’s statement.
“My recommendations include revising the availability of pass-through taxation and the transfer of tax credits in order to protect the integrity of the programs,” Christie’s conditional veto message continued, “clarifying eligibility for Garden State Growth Zone property tax abatements to ensure availability for projects in our most troubled cities; and maintaining the cap on residential ERG grants in certain communities to ensure availability of resources across the State. With these important modifications incorporated, I look forward to swiftly signing this bill into law.”
I don’t always agree with the Big Guy’s fiscal calculations, it’s true, but I’m 1000x more frustrated when these Democrat jokers in the legislature continue to get away with their primary role in the fiscal and economic turmoil responsible for wrecking our credit rating.
Our almost worst-in-the-nation tax climate remains the #1 enemy of “economic opportunity” in the Garden State. It’s been decades in the making. Someone call me when there’s a bill or package to address THAT problem – the problem to end all other problems – and I’ll get excited.
I expect to be waiting for a long time.
