New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s office said Wednesday charges that he has funneled corporate tax breaks to politically influential companies are misleading.
The allegations were made in an article released Tuesday night by The Associated Press, which claimed that, “Under Gov. Chris Christie, New Jersey has provided more than $2 billion in state tax breaks since 2014, often to corporations with political connections.” (RELATED: Political Insiders Get Major Tax Breaks From Chris Christie)
The article went on to assert that, “The aid has gone disproportionately to businesses in Camden,” and suggested this might be related to Christie’s presidential aspirations, noting that, “the prospect of a renaissance for heavily Democratic Camden would offer a useful counterpoint to New Jersey’s lackluster economic performance.”
Christie’s press secretary Kevin Roberts disputes the AP’s interpretation, noting that the tax credits were created by the Economic Opportunity Act of 2013, which passed the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. (RELATED: McAuliffe Sets Record for Business Incentive Deals)
Moreover, “The legislative changes to EOA made urban economic investment a priority by design,” Roberts told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Targeting investment into our cities like Camden, Trenton, Passaic and Atlantic City where job creation and economic development are sorely needed is a feature of the law, not a bug.”
“Expanding job opportunities is essential to renewing a city like Camden right now,” he reiterated, noting that the tax credits awarded under EOA are directly predicated on recipients meeting job creation and/or investment goals, a safeguard that helps ensure they produce positive outcomes for residents rather than simply lining the pockets of corporate executives.
“The critics of these programs,” Roberts told TheDCNF. “Are largely those who oppose incentive policy to begin with and who offer no alternative plans for creating jobs, growing the economy, or renewing our urban centers.”
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