Art Maurice was promoted from government affairs vice president to first vice president for economic development and tax issues.

Libby Vinson was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president for education affairs and grassroots activities. She was also promoted to executive director of the Employer Legislative Committees. Steve Wilson was promoted from director to assistant vice president of communications.

Sara Bluhm was promoted from government affairs associate to director of legislative affairs. And Shelia Woods will serve as executive secretary to President Philip Kirschner after several years as a government affairs associate. At New Jersey Business Magazine, Susan Corbett was promoted to advertising pre-press associate.

Thanks to Our LBB Sponsors
NJBIA wishes to thank the sponsors of our 2003 Legislative Briefing Breakfast series, held in March, April and May. Each company sponsored at least one of our six briefing breakfasts held throughout the state.

• Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey
• Najarian Associates
• New Jersey-American Water Company
• New Jersey Resources Corp.
• Schering-Plough Corp.

Andrews Glass, FSC Site Visits Highlight South Jersey Businesses
The "factory floor" at Andrews Glass Company looks more like a large workshop than a 39-employee manufacturing facility in Vineland. Assembly lines and forklifts have given way to individual stations where workers use fire and a lathe to fashion tubes, vials, and other custom-made glassware.

"This is a machine-made vial," Vice President Wayne Downs explained to Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew as one of the workers shaped the end. "What we're basically doing is melting it back and forming a point. We take the basic item, and then make different shapes for different purposes."

Downs, President Dennis Courtney, and Executive Vice President Jack Cannon recently gave a tour to Van Drew as part of NJBIA's Site Visit program. The program helps legislators learn more about companies in their area and the issues those companies face. Later, the assemblyman visited Foundry Service Corporation, which specializes in interstate transportation of bulk materials.

Andrews specializes in custom-made, precision glass products used as components in analytical instruments, lasers, CAT and PET scanners, and a multitude of scientific devices. Glass is first heated around square, round or fluted metal rods and shaped to detailed specifications. The shaped tubes are then sent to the floor where workers using flame and a lathe form the bottoms, mouths or other features of the finished product.

Rising business costs and onerous environmental regulations make it difficult for small manufacturers to operate. At Andrews, for instance, an environmental incident that occurred before the current owners purchased the plant continues to eat up the company's time and attention. After 15 years of reporting and monitoring, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) still hasn't closed the case.

"Right now, it's not a significant problem for us because the incident occurred before we moved in, so the previous owners are responsible," Courtney said. "But it's a pain."

Foundry Service Corporation (FSC), founded in 1969 by Chairman and CEO William F. Milam, services metal-casting foundries, as well as glass, building products, water-filtration, and surface-preparation industries. With 87 employees and a payroll in excess of $3 million, FSC is a significant employer in Cumberland County.

To Milam, finding and keeping skilled workers is a constant battle. About half of FSC's staff of truck drivers is replaced annually, making it difficult to keep up with employee training and maintain a stable workforce.

Rising business costs are a major problem for FSC. Since one of its main markets is the struggling foundry industry, even the slightest increase in operating costs can have a big impact on the bottom line. An increase in the gas tax, which FSC strongly opposes, could be devastating.

Governor Signs NJBIA-Backed Bill ThatAdds Tech Education to Curriculum
Governor James E. McGreevey on May 5 signed into law legislation making technology education part of the Core Curriculum Content Standards that all public school students must be taught.

The legislation, A-2169 (Conners, Conaway, Geist)/S-1531 (Turner, Martin), will help produce what all employers want-entry-level workers who can think analytically and use technology to solve problems.

At a bill signing ceremony in the Governor's office, NJBIA President Philip Kirschner praised McGreevey's workforce development efforts.

"People are often surprised to learn that NJBIA has spent so much time pushing for an education bill," Kirschner said. "But the fact is, education is an important business issue. Just last year, 67 percent of our members said they had difficulty finding skilled workers. We must make sure that people entering the workforce have the skills they need to fill the jobs that we have. That is exactly what this new law does."

Libby Vinson, NJBIA vice president for education, and the NJBIA Education Committee have worked hard to get the bill enacted.

"We have been trying to get technology education included in the curriculum since 1995," Kirschner said. "Governor McGreevey did more than just talk-he took action."

Many states competing with New Jersey for skilled workers and technology companies have already adopted standards for technological literacy. The new law will help New Jersey supply a workforce for the growing technology-based industries that are driving economic growth. For more information, contact Libby Vinson at ext. 201 or lvinson@njbia.org.

Governor Picks Kirschner for Economic Development Panel Position
Governor James E. McGreevey has appointed NJBIA President Philip Kirschner to the newly-created Commission on Jobs, Growth and Economic Development. The Commission is charged with identifying emerging technologies and the resources to support them, creating a partnership between New Jersey's university research system and private industry, and ensuring that government policies are responsive to business needs.

McGreevey said the commission will "set forth a blueprint to enable New Jersey to not simply compete in the new economy, but to thrive and prosper in the coming decade." McGreevey will chair the Commission with Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, retired chief executive officer of Merck and Co., and Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton University.

A BETTER STATE (NEW JOBS Newsletter)
DEAR NJ EMPLOYER,
You have told us that you are not happy with the way things are going in Trenton. Your taxes have been raised, nonunion companies have been excluded from obtaining government contracts, and laws have been proposed that would hike your already soaring health insurance costs.

Make no mistake about it. You have been the target of a highly organized campaign by antibusiness forces. But you are not alone, and you are not powerless.

I urge you to join the campaign by NEW JOBS, the business community's largest political action committee, to elect a probusiness state Legislature this fall. The trustees of NEW JOBS need your financial support. Together, we can oust the state's antibusiness legislators and replace them with elected representatives of both parties who support job growth and a healthy economy.

If you are alarmed at what is happening in Trenton, the most effective thing you can do is write a check to NEW JOBS today! The maximum amount that most businesses can legally contribute is $7,200. Step up and be a leader. Invest in the future of our state. Contribute the maximum amount, if you can, less if you cannot. We need your help now!

We are challenged by rising threats to our very ability to stay in business and create new jobs. Even as we struggle to emerge from a long recession, a new antibusiness bias in many corners of state government is driving business taxes sharply higher and giving unions sweetheart deals in public contracts.

To ward off these threats, we must make New Jersey a business-friendly state once again. We must support legislative candidates of both parties who will stand up for business.

Don't sit on the sidelines! Your future is at stake!

Organized labor has invested millions of dollars to promote their agenda. As the business community's strongest political action committee, NEW JOBS is leading the fight to bring the Legislature back under the control of lawmakers of both parties who support probusiness policies.

We can overcome the enormous challenges ahead of us. But we must work together. We must be organized. I ask you to reach out to everyone in your network of friends, vendors, and employees. Urge them to join the fight for a better state.

With your help, we can change the way business is viewed in Trenton. Contribute to NEW JOBS. Invest today in a better state-and the future of your business.

                    Jim Sinclair
                    Executive Director, NEW JOBS

NEW JOBS Fall Fund-Raiser-A Night at the Meadowlands
Wednesday, Sept. 24
The trustees of NEW JOBS will hold their annual "Night at the Meadowlands" event in the Pegasus Restaurant at the racetrack in East Rutherford. The event begins with cocktails at 6:00 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 p.m. The price is $200 per person, and tables of 10 are available. To register, call Sherry Esteves at 609-393-7707, ext. 219.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, chair of the State Democratic Party, discusses the Democratic Party Agenda at last year's South Jersey reception for probusiness legislators at the Mansion in Voorhees. Listening in are Debra DiLorenzo, president, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey; and Philip Kirschner, president, New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

Mission Statement
The New Jersey Organization for a Better State (NEW JOBS) is a nonpartisan organization that promotes a probusiness climate in New Jersey by endorsing and supporting legislative candidates who actively support economic growth and private-sector job creation and retention.

Enough Is Enough!
Nine Good Reasons Why You Should Support NEW JOBS
Antibusiness forces have taken control of much of state government. They have significantly raised the costs of doing business. They have made it clear that they do not value our ability to expand our businesses, create new jobs, and generate higher state revenues. Here are ten reasons why you should contribute to NEW JOBS and help us this fall to elect a probusiness state Legislature with legislators of both parties.

1. They Kicked Us When We Were Down
They imposed higher taxes and fees on us in the middle of a recession. We have lost tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, including more than 62,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs.

2. They Raised Taxes Instead of Shrinking a Bloated State Bureaucracy
They could have responded to the state budget deficit by doing what we had to do in this downturn-cutting expenses. Instead of making real reductions in the size of a bloated state bureaucracy, they raised business taxes and cut state aid to schools and municipalities. Now employers' property taxes are soaring too.

3. They Demonized Employers and Hit Us with a $1 Billion Tax Hike
They responded to last year's budget shortfall by imposing a $1 billion tax hike on employers when we were already losing money in a down economy. They sold the tax increase as a way to close loopholes. But most of the burden has fallen on small tax-paying employers who can't afford an increase.

4. They Gave Labor Unions a Sweetheart Deal and Stiffed Nonunion Employers
They have given the state's largest labor unions a sweetheart deal worth billions of dollars in the construction of new schools and other public buildings. A new law authorizing project labor agreements (PLAs) shuts out qualified nonunion contractors and gives organized labor a virtual monopoly on public projects. PLAs also stiff New Jersey taxpayers by raising the cost of those projects.

5. They Want to Hike Our Taxes to Finance a Paid Family Leave Mandate
In recent years, billions of our tax dollars have been diverted from the state Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund to pay for unrelated budget items. Now they want to divert hundreds of millions more to finance a mandate requiring all employers to give their employees 26 weeks of paid family leave. Our UI taxes will almost certainly rise to pay for this unprecedented mandate.

6. Their Mandates Fuel Healthcare Inflation for All of Us
Our cost of providing healthcare coverage soared by an average of 15% last year, rising to more than $6,300 per employee. Healthcare mandates already account for about 20 percent of this bill. Now they want to enact a mental-health mandate that would hike our costs by another 5%.

7. They Doubled Our Environmental Fees
We have been forced to cut costs in this recession, but the NJ Department of Environmental Protection has doubled its permit fees to support a swollen bureaucracy. Those fees are now the highest in the nation.

8. They Want to Stop Almost All Growth with Their Big Red Map
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection has published a big red map that would severely restrict growth in two-thirds of the state. This would prevent many of us from expanding our businesses. It would also crimp job growth and make it hard for our employees to find housing.

9. They Harass Us and Raid Our Businesses
They have raided our businesses in Camden and farms in South Jersey in the name of environmental "enforcement." These publicity stunts are designed to take our money by generating huge financial penalties for paperwork violations that do no harm to the environment.

Support NEW JOBS..Invest in a better state..Protect the future of your business!

NEW JOBS ENDORSEMENTS
Primary 2003
After careful analysis of the legislative records of candidates for the New Jersey State Legislature, NEW JOBS has made the following endorsements for the June 3 primary election. This list only includes candidates we support who face primary challenges.

Candidates We Support in Democratic Primaries
District 19
Assembly: John Wisniewski
Assembly: Joseph Vas

District 31
Assembly: Joseph V. Doria, Jr.
Assembly: Elba Perez-Cinciarelli

Candidates We Support in Republican Primaries
District 12
Senate: John O. Bennett

District 23
Assembly: Connie Myers

District 24
Senate: Robert E. Littell
Assembly: Guy R. Gregg
Assembly: Alison Littell McHose

District 25
Assembly: Michael P. Carroll
Assembly: Richard A. Merkt

District 26
Senate: Robert J. Martin

District 36
Assembly: Paul DiGaetano

District 38
Senate: Rose M. Heck

Opponents of the business community are geared up to vote for anti-business candidates. We must match them vote for vote. We must educate our employees and show them how the issues we care about are connected to their economic well being. We must help them understand that where the candidates stand on economic growth issues is critical. Visit the NEW JOBS section online here for more information on the endorsed candidates. Find out more about the issues important to the business community in this election year.

Support probusiness candidates for the Legislature!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
Legal Issues in the Dismissing of Employees
This seminar will examine the court decisions and new laws on dismissing and disciplining workers. Employers will be given practical information in laymen's terms from some of the state's best legal authorities. Registration and continental breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin. The program will adjourn at 12:15. Registration fees are $105 per person for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. For more information, call Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239.

Friday, May 30
Briefing Breakfast with EPA Chief Christie Whitman
How will the Bush Administration's environmental policy impact New Jersey employers? Find out at this important briefing breakfast with Christie Whitman, the US Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place, Iselin. Cost is $49 per person for NJBIA members and $89 for nonmembers. For information, call Stacy Wichner at 609-393-7707, ext. 213.

FRIDAY, MAY 30, DEADLINE!
Awards for Excellence-Call for Nominations!
Are you proud of your track record in rewarding your employees, protecting the environment, serving your community or creating jobs? Then nominate yourself or another NJBIA member company for an NJBIA Award for Excellence. This year's nominations must be returned to NJBIA by May 30. To get your nomination form, contact Lisa Figatner at 609-393-7707, ext. 239, or lfigatner@njbia.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4New Good Neighbor Awards Luncheon
NJBIA's 43rd Annual New Good Neighbor Awards Luncheon will be held at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place in Iselin. Awards will be presented to New Jersey businesses for improving the business climate with outstanding construction or renovation projects. A reception will be held at 11:45 a.m., followed by lunch from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. For more information, contact Stacy Wichner at 609-393-7707, ext. 213.