The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce strongly applauds Gov. Chris Christie's State of the State message today, especially with regard to issues important to the business community and to everyone who wants to see New Jersey grow and prosper.
We endorse Gov. Christie's call to eliminate the estate tax. Doing so will greatly enhance New Jersey's competitive position and will benefit the majority of businesses in New Jersey regardless of size. It will also have a positive impact on the state's efforts to stop the out-migration of talent and investment leaving our state.
The State Chamber also strongly endorses the governor's call for programs that enhance job retention and economic growth via business friendly initiatives. These initiatives increase opportunities for everyone.
We support the discussion of improving K-12 education. Doing everything we can to prepare our students for the demands of tomorrow's workplace is a fundamental imperative in creating a prosperous and growing economy.
Finally, the governor effectively illustrated the fiscal challenges embedded in the proposal to mandate future pension payments via a Constitutional Amendment. To do so would be an economic step backward this state cannot afford to take.