10.) New Jersey has the
highest property taxes in the nation.
9.) New Jersey has the highest
health insurance costs in the nation.
8.) Only parts of California and
Hawaii have higher housing costs than Central and North Jersey,
and rents in New Jersey are the second highest in the nation.
That's driving many of New Jersey's best, brightest and wealthiest
out of state.
7.) Thanks to the recent 16
percent increase in the state sales tax, New Jersey is tied with
two other states for the highest rate in the nation. (And now Gov.
Corzine is suggesting the Legislature consider allowing local
communities to impose their own sales taxes.)
6.) Only four states have a
higher top income tax rate than New Jersey.
5.) New Jersey's energy,
insurance and regulatory costs are among the highest in the
nation.
4.) The political bosses and
public employee unions dictate government policy. Corzine's
ex-squeeze heads the state's most powerful union, and Corzine
pledged at a union rally protesting badly needed benefit
givebacks, "I stand with you. I'll fight with you."
3.) New Jersey has a
well-deserved reputation for political corruption a reputation
that has been enhanced by its last two laughingstock attorneys
general.
2.) New Jersey's once-vaunted
labor pool is no longer the envy of the pharmaceutical and
communications worlds.
1.) The state's lawmakers have
shown themselves to be completely inept at solving problems needed
to help the state prosper.
The solution to New Jersey's problems is easy --
less government. It is so simple.
