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Today the Census Bureau announced that New Jersey will lose one Congressional seat as part of the decennial reapportionment process. An updated study by Americans for Tax Reform compared states gaining and losing seats, finding that gainers had significantly lower taxes, less government spending, and were more likely to have “Right to Work” laws in place. Because reapportionment is based on population migration, this is further proof that fiscally conservative public policy spurs economic growth, creates jobs, and attracts population growth.

New Jersey’s top personal income tax rate is 8.97 percent, while the average among reapportionment gainers is only 2.8 percent. Half of the states gaining seats do not levy a personal income tax at all. Government spends $5,609 per every man, woman and child in New Jersey, 40 percent higher than the average among gainers. And New Jersey is a forced unionization state, where an employee can be required to join and contribute financially to a union as a condition of employment. All but one of the states gaining Congressional representation, by contrast, are Right to Work states.

New Jerseywill now have 12 Congressional seats, a decline from its high of 15 seats in 1960. Luckily, Gov. Chris Christie has presented a serious change in direction on fiscal and economic policy, which is crucial to the state reversing the outflow of jobs and population to more business-friendly states. ATR’s study on New Jersey follows:

 

Average Top Personal Income Tax Rate

Per Capita State and Local Tax Burden

Per Capita Government Spending

Right to Work States

Average

Reapportionment Gainers

2.8 percent

$3,519

$4,008

7 of 8

New Jersey

8.97 percent

$6,610

$5,609

NO

Difference

220 percent

$3,093

$1,601