Main St. consumers need immediate tax relief

The New Jersey Restaurant Association supports A- 3327/S-2281, the proposal that would cut the sales tax in half to stimulate spending during the upcoming holiday season. Unfortunately, Gov. Corzine simply dismissed this idea.

While some longer-term programs certainly have merit, nothing was proposed to provide immediate help to "Main Street" businesses, including the restaurants that anchor many downtown shopping areas and help drive the local economy.

Many of our members believe the $3,000 per job grant program, for instance, will be too cumbersome for the small businessperson to implement.

Frankly, for "Main Street" businesses, creating jobs is achievable only if there are the sales to support the jobs.

Immediate tax relief for "Main Street's" consumers and for the "Main Street" small businesses who create jobs was sorely missing from Gov. Corzine's economic stimulus program. There is still time to consider the 50 percent sales tax holiday so that it can benefit "Main Street" businesses and consumers. We urge an embrace of the proposal and other policies

to cut taxes and spending.

Deborah Dowdell

President New Jersey Restaurant

Association

Trenton