So last March, Gov. Corzine invited eight of the nation’s top real estate executives for a meeting to discuss New Jersey’s economy.

And New Jersey’s governor?

Look at the photo above.  It was taken on June 21 in Atlantic City.  About 5,000 union workers were at the rally which, according to the Associated Press, “was aimed at pressuring Atlantic City casinos to agree to new contracts.”

“We stand with you. We’ll fight with you. You have a right for a contract now,” Corzine shouted to the crowd. You can see the video here.

Now we may not be rocket scientists.  We may not even play one on TV. But what message does Jon Corzine think he is sending to business when he attends labor rallies like these?

But governors are different.  Governors are their state’s business ambassadors. They set the tone for whether a state is considered is open or closed for business.

Let’s contrast that with what the Ledger wrote about New Jersey’s governor, shall we?

Not exactly what one would expect from a hard-charging economic development salesman promoting the virtues of his state.

But perhaps that’s too harsh.  Perhaps the governor was taking it all in, to develop a pro-growth policy later. So exactly what has our governor done since that March 2007 meeting to improve the state’s business climate?

Let’s see. On the plus side, he signed a budget this year that was $600 million less than last year, and he replenished the unemployment insurance trust fund with $260 million. Last year’s budget cut corporate business taxes by $275 million, by allowing the alternative minimum assessment, net operating loss, and subchapter S provisions of the 2002 Corporation Business Tax reforms to expire.

On the negative? Business groups have opposed the paid family leave and extension of the utility tax. There’s also that affordable housing bill on Corzine’s desk, which places an additional tax on business.

And, let’s not forget that in January, he rolled out his proposed 800 percent toll hike to pay for transportation projects and debt reductions.  That plan might have died, but the governor is reportedly planning “Son of Toll Hike,” which will likely contain a smaller toll hike, and possibly a gasoline tax hike, although Corzine has said he views that as a “last resort.” 

He also disbanded the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission.

All this taxation goes to fuel the cost of government. This year’s budget reversed a recent trend of ever-higher spending. But it left open the necessity to increase tolls or the gas tax to pay for transportation projects, by not cutting deeper to pay for those projects with revenues on hand.  It allows the state to go further into debt, by bonding an additional $3.9 billion for school construction. And while the Legislature passed modest pension reforms, it left on the table larger benefit issues – like that 9 percent gift pension boost that the Legislature and then-Republican Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco gave employees in 2001.

Since December 2007, New Jersey has lost 10,300 jobs. There are 6,500 fewer private sector jobs in New Jersey today than there were in December 2000, according to NJBIA. The trend is going the wrong way.  And, to point out the obvious, people need jobs in order to pay taxes.

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