October 23, 2009
"Economists give mixed reviews of NJ tax plans"
By Geoff Mulvihill
In diverse New Jersey, there seems to be only one issue that nearly everyone agrees on: Taxes are too high.
The state's property tax bills average over $7,000, highest in the nation. And overall, the National Tax Foundation found that in 2007, the latest year for which data is available, New Jersey residents paid nearly 12 percent of their income to state and local governments - the highest burden in the nation.
While they all offer ideas, none of the three men running for governor has a sure fix, though, according to three economists asked by The Associated Press to analyze each candidate's record and plans on taxes. They found strengths and weaknesses in the plans from incumbent Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine, Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett.