News Release - Americans for Prosperity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 31, 2007

Contact: Steven Lonegan, (201) 487-8844

Americans for Prosperity Launches Grassroots Campaign Against New Jersey “Paid Family Leave” Legislation

BOGOTA – The grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity today announced its campaign to mobilize thousands of grassroots activists against the “Paid Family Leave” legislation (Senate Bill 2249), which emerged from the Senate Budget committee last week. The bill would be bad for business in a state that is already rated among the worst states in the nation for businesses large and small, AFP New Jersey Director Steve Lonegan warned in an e-mail action alert urging citizens to contact legislators, write letters to the editor and call-in to talk radio shows.

“Instead of adding extra mandates to the thicket of taxes and regulations that already have a choke-hold on our businesses, we need to attract new jobs through lower taxes, regulatory relief, and a state government that helps businesses by getting out of their way,” Lonegan said. “Good intentions don’t equal good economic policy. The American Dream cannot be earned through feel-good big-government policies, but through free-market policies that reward hard work and determination.”

Lonegan noted the entitlement to be created by the “Paid Family Leave” bill (S2249 or A3812) would allow any employee of a company with more than two employees to take up to ten weeks off with pay up to $480.00 a week for virtually any reason they can justify involving a family member, including providing “psychological comfort.” The ten weeks each employee is “entitled” to take off under the mandate amounts to over 19 percent of the year, so in order for the one-hundredth of a percent income tax hike to cover costs, no more than 1 in 180  workers earning $30,000 per year can take advantage of the benefit without requiring additional taxpayer subsidies. It will take ninety households making the state’s median household income of $59,980 to fund the benefit for just one individual.   

“It is nearly certain that more than one in one hundred and eighty workers will take advantage of this new government program that pays them to not work. Who will pick up the tab for the program then?” Lonegan asked. “And if only a small number of workers will use this so-called benefit, why does it need to be foisted on virtually every business in our state as a government mandate?”

In addition to activating its thousands of grassroots members, AFP will air radio spots to help educate citizens on the negative impact “Paid Family Leave” would have on the state. “Our message is simple: this bill is bad for business in a state that cannot afford to drive any more businesses out,” Lonegan concluded.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org