BOGOTA – A Libertarian report gives New Jersey poor marks for its fiscal climate.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University slots the Garden State 48th on what it refers to as its rankings of “economic freedom.” Only New York and California placed lower.
The index measures a number of factors, including overall tax burden, regulatory burdens, education, civil liberties, gun control, health insurance, and more.
“None of this will come as a shock to long-suffering New Jersey taxpayers, yet it’s still another stark reminder of how unbridled big government destroys prosperity and undermines our quality of life,” Mike Proto, spokesman for the Americans For Prosperity Foundation, said in a release.
AFP is a conservative group led by former Bogota mayor and one-time gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan.
According to the Mercatus report, New Jersey has dropped 37 points on the “economic freedom” scale since 2001.
The top states in the rankings were North and South Dakota, Tennessee, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.
“Big government is choking people’s spirit of entrepreneurship in this state and making it less and less possible for people to realize the American Dream here,” Proto said.
Mercatus Center Report: “Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom”
