U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, appearing with Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday in Lavallette to discuss the impact of the joint federal and state efforts to help New Jersey’s shoreline, spoke out in defense of Murphy’s EDA Task Force on tax incentives.
“Well, I have enough in Washington to deal with, to be perfectly honest with you, but let me just say, I said before, I’ll say it again: I think the governor is right to make sure that whatever tax incentive program exists for the state of New Jersey produces the benefits to the people of the state of New Jersey,” Menendez (D-N.J.) said.
“What is that? It is about creating employment, jobs, good-paying jobs, and you have to look at how much you invest for what you get, and I think that the governor looking at that is a totally legitimate exercise of not only his authority, but, actually, it’s an important decision to make.
“If we’re going to collectively use all the monies that we pay to create incentives to companies and entities to come or stay in New Jersey, then we have to make sure the result is there, so I think the governor is totally right on that regard and I applaud him for looking into it.”
The event, which kicked off the Shore season, was centered around the efforts to make the coast more prepared and resilient for future natural disasters.
“We’re here today not only to celebrate another wonderful Memorial Day weekend at the Jersey Shore, but yet another milestone in our recovery from Superstorm Sandy,” Menendez said. “If Sandy taught us anything, it’s that our beaches need to be strong.
“The pristine beaches we see today are the result of your federal tax dollars at work. Our beaches and dunes are our frontline defense to shield our homes, businesses, iconic boardwalks and coastal towns from powerful storms and the pounding waves and ruthless winds they bring.”
