Gov. Aims for Business-Friendly State

Addressing concerns raised by participants involving tax incentives and tax increases, and their relationship to job growth and competition from neighboring states, "there is a great sense of urgency," said Carl Van Horn, chairman of the New Jersey EDA. "We will continue to consult widely. We need to eliminate problems we made for ourselves."

According to Angie McGuire, deputy chief of the Governor's Office of Economic Growth, "the driving force is to create and support policies favorable to economic growth. The goal is to improve the trajectory for business growth."

The Governor's Office of Economic Growth itself was the first initiative taken by the administration. Shortly after he was sworn in, in January, Gov. Corzine announced his intention to closely supervise the state's economic development efforts with the creation of that office.

Participants and the two state officials alike agreed on some pressing issues and initiatives. Among them: Continued funding for the Business Expansion Incentive Program, which lowers companies' state taxes based on the number of people they hire; improved interaction between state and local agencies as far as coordinating the permitting process; increased marketing of the state; taking a more pro-active stance on "business-poaching" by other states; more and better programs for smaller companies.

"I'm hearing things that I've not heard before," said Jim Leonard, vice president of government relations for the NJ Chamber of Commerce." Notably, the assurances that Corzine wants to retool state government so that it is in a position to respond adequately and in a timely fashion to the needs of the business community."