Posted by
Trophy Wife on Thursday, October 11, 2007 6:28:33 PM
I live in NJ. We are overcrowded, overtaxed and underappreciated by the rest of the country. Despite its national reputation, New Jersey actually earns its nickname as the Garden State. Here in South Jersey we are busy preserving our open spaces to ensure quality of life for current and future residents. How many future residents, however, is now in doubt. A recent report out of Rutgers University shows that NJ had a loss of 231,565 residents between 2002 and 2006. We were fourth behind California, Louisiana and New York for lost population. Most of the fleeing population ended up in Florida, Pennsylvania (our immediate neighbor to the west) and North Carolina. What does this say about New Jersey? Well, it's in the company of the two biggest "blue" states - high taxing and highly liberal who are also bleeding population. There is no question that property taxes, car insurance and the cost of living overall are all too high in New Jersey. Our govenor (the obnoxious and egotistic Jon Corzine - use the seat belt you a**!) seems to see only one solution to the state's budget woes - raise taxes! What a novel approach for a Democrat. In order to pay for a property tax "rebate" Corzine and the Democratic-controlled state legislature raised the sales tax from 6% to 7%. They take from one pocket to give to the other. Do they think we don't realize what they are doing?
I have lived in NJ since I was five (minus college and law school). All my family still lives here. We are closely attached to our church, our school, our town and our friends. We have no plans to leave New Jersey despite the rising cost of living here because our quality of life depends upon these attachments we have made. I suggested to my engineer husband that maybe we should flee to North Carolina like nearly 30,000 other former New Jerseyans. As an excellent electrical engineer he would have no trouble finding work in the research triangle. We would find another parochial school for our children and become active in a nice parish down there. I'm sure they even have karate in N.C. (my husband is about to test for black belt). Our taxes are sure to be lower and the house you can get for your money is impressive. Despite the obvious positives to such a move, we won't do it. We live in New Jersey - for good or bad. That's just the way it is.