Thursday, February 3, 2011

Christie, Guadagno Spearhead NJ Business Summit

Today, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno brought together Fortune 500 CEOs and industry leaders from New Jersey and neighboring states to have a frank dialogue on how businesses can grow and create jobs in today’s economy, and the role policymakers and government can have in encouraging long-term investment.
Governor Christie has taken a hands-on approach in reaching out to the business community to promote New Jersey and improve the climate for investment and job growth. The roundtable was moderated by Neil Cavuto of FOX News Channel.
“New Jersey is on a path to economic recovery, growth and job creation. We’ve made progress in the last year to improve our state’s business climate, reduce taxes, eliminate burdensome red tape and restore fiscal discipline to the state’s finances, but we have more work to do,” said Governor Christie.
“Today gave us a unique opportunity to hear directly from business leaders from inside and outside of New Jersey and across industries, and get valuable input on the opportunities and challenges they face in the current economic climate. These insights will help us guide our decisions going forward to ensure that New Jersey is well-positioned to open for business expansion, economic growth and job creation as the economy recovers.” Governor Christie has continued to advocate for policies that will improve New Jersey’s business climate, including the need to exercise fiscal discipline and spending restraint.
After 115 tax increases in the last 10 years, Governor Christie has called for comprehensive tax reforms and economic incentives that are done in a fiscally responsible manner. The Governor put forward a comprehensive plan to fund the state’s infrastructure needs that limits borrowing, increases the amount of PAYGO funding and does not raise taxes. And, the Governor has committed to a balanced budget that does not raise taxes on New Jersey families and that finally prioritizes the necessary over the popular. Without getting the state’s fiscal house in order, improving New Jersey’s business climate will be impossible.
Held at the Rutgers’s Business School in Newark, New Jersey, the summit was convened by Governor Christie’s Council of Economic Advisors and provided an opportunity to hear from the men and women who are making the critical decisions about investment and job creation in the current economic climate.
Among the topics discussed by the roundtable participants were: the opportunities and impediments to business investment and job growth in New Jersey; the correlation between individual tax reforms, business tax reforms, individual income tax reductions, and economic growth; the impact of New Jersey’s workforce, infrastructure and regulatory climate on business decisions; and, whether or not fiscal discipline really matters and says something positive about the business climate. The participants in today’s roundtable included:

Governor Chris Christie

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno

Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, Treasurer, Department of Treasury

Katherine Adams, SVP, Honeywell International

Dennis Bone, President, Verizon New Jersey

Jim Chambers, President, Kraft Foods

John DeFord, SVP, Science, Technology & Clinical Affairs, C.R. Bard

Carmelito Denaro, CEO, MX Solar USA

Kevin DeSanctis, President & CEO, Revel Entertainment

Christopher Dries, President & CEO, United Silicon Carbide Inc.

Murdo Gordon, SVP US Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb

Bob Grady, Chairman, New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors

Robert Griffins, CEO, Trump Resorts, Entertainment, Inc.

Stephen Holmes, Chairman and CEO, Wyndham

Robert Hugin, CEO, Celgene Corporation

Nancy Lurker, CEO, PDI Inc.

Cheryl Ann Lawrence McDaniel, CEO, Direct Success, Inc.

Tracye McDaniel, CEO, Choose NJ

J. Andrew Murphy, Executive VP & Regional President, NRG

Marjorie Perry, President & CEO, MZM Construction

Michael Reilly, SVP Corporate Taxation, Johnson & Johnson

David Schwartz, Executive VP, Corporate Secretary & General Counsel, Toys “R” Us

Brian Stolar, President & CEO, Pinnacle Companies

Bridget van Kralingen, General Manager North America, IBM

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