UEZ Programs Could Be Eliminated By June 30 – Democrats Oppose Idea

uez sign mayor miller tls picThe Christie administration today announced that Christie wants the state’s UEZ (Urban Enterprise Zone) program eliminated by June 30, saying it was too costly. The sales tax in UEZs is 3.5 percent, which is half of the statewide 7 percent tax. In addition, the state traditionally has dedicated the funds raised by the tax toward economic development projects in the zones.

However, some Democrats are not happy about the idea of scratching the program.

Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D-Hudson) released the following statement today on a Christie administration report that recommends eliminating New Jersey’s Urban Enterprise Zones: “Well, most of us already knew that job creation and economic development were not the governor’s priorities, but after this report there can be no doubt that this administration has little interest in residents and businesses in working class neighborhoods”. “Any report that questions the success of New Jersey’s Urban Enterprise Zone program ignores reality”.

“This program supports 133,000 full-time jobs and has attracted $31.6 billion in investment into struggling communities. Since the program started, 30,000 businesses have benefited from it, and sales tax revenues generated by UEZ businesses have led to 2,620 economic development projects”.

“The report somehow criticizes UEZ programs for not spending every penny they take in on annual basis, as if government is supposed to just spend for the sake of doing so. UEZ programs that carry surpluses and plan sensibly should be held out as examples, not punished”. “No program is perfect, but the UEZ program has been, by any objective measure, a successful economic development program”. TLS.

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22 COMMENTS

  1. All these programs are well intentioned and some work better than others , however with the state of the economy most of these programs are not sustainable ,the democrats are going to spend us into oblivion.

  2. He’s not raising taxes.

    He’s taking away the UEZ from the politicians who use it as their personal slush fund.

    Well, now Christie decided that politicians shouldn’t waste state sales tax money on their pet projects. Instead, the money will go in to the regular state budget, to pay for things that are absolutely necessary.

    GO CHRISTIE GO!!!!

    [Do not let the Democrats spin every thing that Christie does, as being against the people. The Democrats think that they will be able to stop Christie, by painting him in a negative light. The truth is that Christie is against SPECIAL INTERESTS. He is fighting to stop the Democrats from running this great state into bankruptcy. Kol Hakavod!]

  3. The UEZ program is the best thing that ever happened for lakewood businesses. We pay an exhorbitant amount for property tax at least our businesses can use some surplus money in order to improve the economy!

  4. It’s all the same the unions are are upset they are getting pay cuts in the way of befits and paying even more into the pension and now business owners that were saying yeah make the unions pay are saying hold up. You don’t care about the other person you just care when it effects you.

    What our Governor is doing is cutting from the middle class and letting the rich get richer. Good job Chris keep killing the middle class and I like the no tax increase to the rich that must be what you meant when you said not tax increase. Chris you should have also said and middle class good luck with me in-charge.

  5. I don’t know wheter UEZ really creates jobs or not .But I’vre seen the place my wife works for struggle for a long time to stay open. The ten jobs there are at risk.Therefore I propose that any business anywhere in NJ that had been open and profitable for more then ten years but is now running at a deficit should be allowed temporary UEZ status

  6. the government should stay in the business of governing and leave business to handle their own situation, the government should not subsidize anything that is in the private sector, thats why we now have State & Federal governments that are essentially broke.

  7. At the end of the day everyone has to sacrifice, and if it means we have to pay somewhat higher property taxes or create more efficiency in the police department to make up for the UEZ money taken away from Lakewood, then so be it. I’m sure most of the local busimesses who were getting thousands of dollars in advertising grants will do ok with a little less, but more targeted advertising. Small business loans are more of an issue, but local businesses will hpofully find alternate funding sources. NJ has to get its fiscal house in order and everyone has to contribute. On the federal level it looks like HEAP and Food Stamps are going to have significant cuts, so on the state level this is much more mild in terms of overall impact.

  8. JUNE 30 gives us time to get all those pesach pots and pans, shalach monos and costumes, and pre pesach cleaning restaurant and take out meals before the sales tax doubles to 7 percent. Chap arain!

  9. Everybody needs to sacrifice except the wealthy? Really middle class needs to sacrifice, the back bone of every economy. I understand about giving more but then Chris should make EVERYONE sacrifice not just middle class!

  10. To yid, are you christie’s cheerleader cause that’s what you sound like. You are amost getting annoying with the way you praise this man. Please get a life. 😉

  11. Hey reality, do you run a business in Lakewood? I do. And I don’t know where you heard that we get “thousands of dollars” in advertising grants. What this means for a small business like us, is that we are going to move out of Lakewood. The only selling point we had to our customers was the tax break. We have a hard enough time attracting customers to come to our store with all of the negative press that Lakewood gets. This takes away one of the last major reasons for our customers to come into Lakewood. This political game has consequences.

  12. If anyone has been helped or knows of one of the thousands of people who have been helped by the following mosdos, lcsc, pcs, lrrc then please write to the gov’s office asking that the uez be continued because these org receive a major part of their funding from the uez.

Comments are closed.