Pub. 16 2017-2018 Issue 2

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 3 , 2 0 1 7 18 new jersey auto retailer Building a Stronger, Fairer Economy For New Jersey O ur goal must be nothing less than creating a stronger, fairer economy that works for every New Jersey resident. And we must do that together — all of us. Very simply, the path forward for our State starts with our economy. The solutions to nearly all of our State’s problems are rooted in a stronger economy. When we get this right, we get New Jersey right. Under Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno, we haven’t gotten it right. Think about this: In 2015, the nation set a record for income growth — except New Jersey came in dead last. Also since 2010, household incomes in our State have actually fallen, on average, by 2 percent. Meanwhile, costs have gone up. Property taxes — up by 17 percent since 2010. College tuitions — up nearly 20 percent. Employer-based healthcare premiums — up more than 40 percent. Not to mention tolls and fares. Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of visiting all 21 counties. I have met countless residents and business owners whose lives have been put on hold because our economy is f lat. My goal as governor will be positioning New Jersey for long-term and sustainable success that benefits everyone, not just a few. Had New Jersey’s economy grown at the same rate as our peer states over the past seven years, we would be looking at anywhere between $20 billion to $50 billion more in annual economic activity — which not only would have allowed us to do much more in meeting our challenges, but would have put billions more in the pockets of consumers. To me, that means starting with a true economic vision. I want to create the hubs where people will want to live and work, with exciting communities that are attractive to business — dense, interconnected, with access to both great institutions of higher education and the world’s leading markets. This is a vision that can be brought to reality by investing in both businesses and the pipelines that lead to them. We must be able to bring consumers and businesses together— a key ingredient that businesses look for when choosing their next Phil Murphy, Democratic Candidate For Governor