N.J. Chamber President and CEO Tom Bracken's statement on Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick's proposal for the legislative leaders and the governor to meet quarterly to discuss issues facing the state:
What Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick is saying is what the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has been preaching since the New Jersey Business Summit last September: Ongoing face-to-face dialogue is the best way to work through issues the state is facing and the best way to formulate actions and remedies.
It is a much better alternative to electronic or telephonic communications, and it is a far more efficient and effective way to solve problems and formulate strategies.
At the Business Summit, I asked our four legislative leaders to meet at least quarterly with the leaders of our business coalition to provide a forum to deal with issues impacting the business community, and by extension, impacting job growth and economic growth.
That concept was unanimously accepted, but, to date, no meetings have occurred.
The state is facing many critical issues that seem to linger and fester with no resolutions in sight. There is growing concern about the lack of progress on these issues and there is no evidence of substantive face-to-face meetings regarding them. I think there is a direct correlation.
We strongly urge adoption of Assemblyman Bramnick's proposal and we ask, again, that our legislative leaders begin to convene quarterly meetings with leaders from our Business Summit.
Together, we can formulate a path to enhance economic expansion and job growth and make our state more competitive and affordable. All of which are desperately needed.