The Answer to New Jersey's Severe Economic Woes: Jobs

READ ANY LOCAL publication on any given day and you will undoubtedly see stories about the severity of New Jersey's economic woes. These include historic budget deficits, a decaying infrastructure, significant erosion of the state's

So with all of this doom and gloom it is no wonder that people have given up hope and that many are leaving the state. However, there are several very easy and painless steps that our elected leaders can take to completely change the economic climate in New Jersey.

It will take some courage, which seems to be lacking these days throughout Trenton, but below are six steps that will immediately change the equation.

First, let's follow the lead of many other states, including Massachusetts, and privatize many of the permits issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, as well as minor building permits, such as those for office renovations. The state should license professionals in these areas and allow them to deal with minor permits, such as permits for the removal of a fuel oil tank from a home, permits for voluntary cleanups that do not create a serious hazard to public health, and non-structural building permits that do not require site plan approval. The state agencies and building code officials should deal with Superfund sites, major building permits involving structural issues, site plan reviews and other important issues.

Second, let's create review boards where disputes over decisions by the DEP, DOT and local and state land-use agencies can be quickly resolved instead of the current lengthy procedure in the courts.

Third, let's not drive our seniors to states like Florida, the Carolinas and Arizona because of inheritance taxes. This tax is counterproductive. Wealthy people in New Jersey establish residency in other states once they are 60 or so, and never pay the tax. We also need to give seniors a break on their income tax by allowing a percentage of their real estate taxes based on their income to be a credit against their state income tax. If we do this, we will not miss out on their income taxes, charitable contributions and volunteer efforts. With people living longer and longer, it is my guess that these taxes will more than offset the inheritance taxes that are actually paid.

Fourth, let's create standard templates, applications and regulations for zoning codes, planning boards and boards of adjustment so applicants do not have to deal with 570 or more different sets of procedures. Let's also require them to meet as frequently as required so that an applicant gets a timely decision.

Fifth, let's eliminate or modify the so-called "but for" conditions of many of our economic incentives that require applicants to get competing proposals from developers in states outside of New Jersey. Recently, a company that intended to stay in New Jersey was told it had to do this to get a grant, and when it found out how much money it could save by leaving the state, the firm changed its mind and is now leaving.

Sixth, let's rethink the Council on Affordable Housing. The more jobs you create in New Jersey, the more affordable housing you have to pay for. In some communities, the new company may have to pay as much as $180,000 for every 16 jobs it creates, and even build the housing on its office or industrial campus.

Finally, let's learn from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and establish a 311 number for companies with problems, and create a real ombudsman independent of the bureaucracy in Trenton to help people caught in our bureaucratic morass.

In conclusion, we need to start talking about solutions and not just describing the problems. I have lived in New Jersey my whole life, and I have never seen such pessimism concerning the direction we are heading in. We are losing companies to Pennsylvania and other states, our children are moving out and our parents are moving out as well. The good news, however, is that the solutions are right in front of us, they will require little or no sacrifice from our residents and can make an immediate impact.