You always hear on the news that New Jersey is the state that is most moved away from. It’s almost like people are dropping like flies, trying to escape the high taxes, restrictions and the bloated government that passes down its spending costs to us.

But when we hear about people escaping New Jersey, we usually think of it in terms of residents and taxpayers. It hits even harder when a corporation who has had its home in New Jersey for over 60 years decides that it’s time to go. That is the case with the Nabisco factory in Fair Lawn.

According to an article on NorthJersey.com, 600 people are about to be out of jobs once the plant closes down by summer 2021. And people are angry, with Fair Lawn residents taking to Facebook to express their dissatisfaction with Nabisco for caring about “the bottom line“ more than they do its employees.

But here’s the problem. It is a business. Businesses exist for the bottom line. And while it’s true that some are kinder to their employees than others, if a business is not making money, it needs to do what it needs to do. The article goes on to say that Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Paluso and other residents have decided to boycott Nabisco products.

Even Gov. Murphy weighed in, according to the piece, opining that he thought the closing was handled poorly. He said, “I don't like the fact that it's happening, I don't like the way it's being done and the treatment of these folks who are going to lose their jobs." But ironically, it’s some of Murphy’s and the Legislature’s policies that make it so difficult to run a business here, even businesses who have been around for as long as Nabisco has.

This state is not as hospitable to business as other states are. The taxes are higher, the restrictions are plentiful and the costs of running a business increase exponentially year after year, which makes staying here and being profitable prohibitive, in many cases. In fact, The New Jersey business and industry Association, or NJBIA, which does a business climate analysis every year, showed that New Jersey has the least competitive business climate in the country with the highest corporate tax, state sales tax, income tax and property taxes in the region.

So you can blame Nabisco all you want. But I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. The real culprits here are the free-spending Phil Murphy and his merry band of lawmakers. Because in order for big businesses to stay in New Jersey, we have to make them feel like we actually WANT them here by creating budget policies that make this a more attractive state to do business in.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.

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