The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Trenton NJ, a year ago, historic inflation resulted in one of the most dismal outlooks from New Jersey businesses in recent memory.
But NJBIA’s 65th annual Business Outlook Survey for 2024, released today, shows a leveling off from the overall negativity from New Jersey’s business community amid a slow retreat from record-setting inflation.
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Trenton NJ, NJBIA’s updated 2022 Indicators of Innovation report, a comprehensive examination of how New Jersey’s innovation economy compares to other regional states, shows the Garden State slipping slightly in overall score and position from the 2020 report, but also taking key steps which could improve its future standing.
Continue reading New Jersey’s Innovation Economy Continues to Lag Region
file photo by Boyd Loving
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Trenton NJ, NJBIA urged lawmakers to pass legislation today that calls for municipal and county governments to share services to reduce costs and achieve some much-needed fiscal discipline in a state with the highest property taxes per capita in the nation.
Continue reading New Jersey Business and Industry Association Supports Shared Services Bill
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Business and Industry Association today urged state officials to take a more measured approach than the overreaching proposals contained in New Jersey’s 2021 Draft Climate Change Resilience Strategy because the sea-level rise scenarios it uses to guide coastal management decisions are not based on the latest science.
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) released its 62nd annual Business Outlook Survey , The survey as expected showed a severe COVID-19 impact, an anticipated slow recovery and an overall dissatisfaction with NJ’s business climate.
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Business and Industry Association calls Governor Murphy’s 2021 Budget with $1.4 Billion Spending Increase Is Irresponsible:
“This budget simply does not reflect the stark reality of our times. Instead of keeping expenses low for our taxpayers, Governor Murphy is raising taxes to make New Jersey businesses less competitive. Instead of holding the line on spending, Governor Murphy has proposed spending $1.4 billion or 3.6% more than the prior year and $5.4 billion or 15.6% more than the budget three years ago before he took office.
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Trenton NJ, Senator Steven Oroho is calling for the safe reopening of all businesses throughout the Garden State echoing a plea made by the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, the largest statewide employer association.
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Business and Industry Association Vice President of Government Affairs Chris Emigholz called for a stop on “unrelenting” and “unnecessary” tax increases in his testimony on the FY 2021 State Budget before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Continue reading New Jersey Business and Industry Association Says ,”No Tax Increases”
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Ridgewood NJ, , a diverse group of New Jersey patient, healthcare, and employer advocates opposed Governor Murphy’s proposal to include significant fees on pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors in the Fiscal Year 2021 State Budget. These groups — including the American Cancer Society of New Jersey Cancer Action Network, Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Pharmacists Association, the New Jersey Council of Chain Drug Stores, New Jersey Business and Industry Association, and the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey — cite serious concerns that such substantial fees would harm patients and increase healthcare costs.
Discusses Poll Showing Public’s Dissatisfaction with Handling of Public Finances
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Trenton NJ, Continuing to advocate for the fiscal and economic reforms needed to avert future financial crises, Senate President Steve Sweeney spoke at the New Jersey Business and Industry Associations policy forum today where he emphasized the economic value of bringing fiscal reforms to public finances.
Senator Sweeney addressed NJBIA’s Government Affairs Policy Committee about the “Path to Progress” report issued by the 25-member study group that provides a working blueprint to achieve the operational and structural reforms needed to restore financial stability and affordable government.
Continue reading Sweeney Addresses NJBIA’s Policy Forum on Economic Value of Fiscal Reforms
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New Jersey Business and Industry Association President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka issued the following statement regarding the $15 Minimum Wage law signed by Governor Murphy today.
“After calling for a responsible, slow and predictive pathway to increasing the minimum wage, we are disappointed that our policymakers have put into place a plan that will result in a 35 percent cost increase to New Jersey’s small businesses, when including the increased wage and payroll taxes, within just 11 months.
Continue reading NJBIA President Calls Murphy’s Minimum Wage Law Irresponsible
A new bipartisan legislative panel will look into addressing a shortage of middle-skilled workers in New Jersey.
Melanie Willoughby with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association said 80 percent of manufacturers in the nation have a serious shortage of qualified applicants for skilled production positions.
“This is not where we want to be with the manufacturing industry in New Jersey that is worth over $44 billion, paying an average salary of $90,450 without a BA.”
Senate President Steve Sweeney wants to put a bond act on next year’s ballot that would provide hundreds of millions of dollars to expand and equip New Jersey’s vocational-technical schools.
“Not everyone is meant to go to college and there’s nothing wrong with having a trade. We want to make sure that our vocational schools are equipped to work with businesses for the future to make sure that they have the employees that they want.
https://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/politics/106435-new-jersey-needs-more-workers-with-voc-tech-training
