LONEGAN: NJPP’S “BUDGET PLAN”: HIGHER TAXES, NO SPENDING CUTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb. 13, 2008
Contact: Steve Lonegan (201) 881-6682

LONEGAN: NJPP’S “BUDGET PLAN”: HIGHER TAXES, NO SPENDING CUTS

BOGOTA, NJ -- Steve Lonegan, Executive Director of Americans for Prosperity’s New Jersey chapter, today took aim at a proposal by a liberal group for proposing new and higher taxes and fees on motorists to fund even more government growth in New Jersey.

Lonegan described a proposal by the New Jersey Policy Perspective, headed by former Jim Florio aide Jon Shure, as “more nails in New Jersey’s economic coffin.”

“The idea of raising taxes and fees on motorists to fund ever-expanding big government is as ridiculous as the idea of raising tolls for the same purpose,” Lonegan said. “The problem isn’t that our taxes or tolls are too low -- the problem is that state government spends too much.”

“Why does Pennsylvania have a smaller state budget than New Jersey, even though Pennsylvania has 40 percent more people and is six times the size?” Lonegan asked. “And what do we get for all the big government in New Jersey? The highest property taxes in the nation, the highest state sales tax and the worst income tax. Now Jon Shure and his liberal friends are urging the nation’s most left-wing governor to give us the highest gasoline tax in the nation as well. It’s time that New Jersey lead the nation in something other than high taxes and people leaving the state.”

Lonegan noted that if Shure’s proposals are adopted, New Jersey’s current 14.5 cent gasoline tax on a $2.80 gallon of gas would rise to 54.1 cents, raising the price of that same gallon to $3.20.

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

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