In response to the New Jersey Comptroller’s audit of the Economic Development Authority, New Jersey Working Families executive director Analilia Mejia said:

“Experts and advocates have sounded the alarm on New Jersey’s ballooning corporate welfare programs for years, and this damning report proves us right. New Jersey gave away $11 billion in tax breaks to some of the most profitable companies in the world, with very little apparent benefits in return. Big corporations got a big payday, while New Jersey taxpayers were fleeced by Chris Christie’s EDA and business-backed Democrats in the legislature. The good news is these broken programs sunset this year, giving us an opportunity to revamp this broken system and radically reform New Jersey’s tax incentive programs to deliver the transparency, accountability, and fiscal restraint New Jerseyans deserve.  The revamping of this system, however, should not be carried out in the traditional backroom way legislators have grown accustomed to. We are prepared to demand a public and transparent process with greater participation from impacted communities. “

New Jersey Working Families leads the Better Choices for New Jersey campaign, a decade-long effort by education, environmental, labor, and community advocates to promote common sense investments that make New Jersey work. Better Choices partners have led the fight for transparency, accountability, and fiscal restraint in New Jersey’s tax incentive programs. In 2015 Better Choices called for a moratorium on major EDA programs. Over the years the Better Choices have made multiple calls for legislation to increased transparency around economic incentives. Annually the coalition have held multiple press conferences  and questioning mass incentives announcements.

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