Will New Jersey ever be affordable?

From the Asbury Park Press:

Property tax reformers bypass impact of sprawl on economy

Everyone in New Jersey agrees that property taxes are too high, but what most people don’t realize is that the damage goes far beyond our wallets.

Skyrocketing real estate prices, never-ending traffic, an escalating loss of open space, pollution and nearly everything that makes it difficult to live in New Jersey is made worse by our infamous tax system.

For years, bad land use decisions have been unwittingly fueled by New Jersey’s overdependence on property taxes to pay for local services. Yet curiously, none of the reform proposals under consideration even addresses this issue, although the dire effects of sprawl on the economy are painfully clear.
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Real estate prices are so high that a growing number of our workers don’t even live in the state. According to U.S. Census data, some 76,000 people commute to northern and central New Jersey each day from lower-cost Pennsylvania.

If growth patterns in New Jersey continue, the Garden State will be the first in the nation to be built out in the next 20 to 50 years, according to data analysis conducted by New Jersey Future, a nonprofit that has monitored development here for the last 20 years.

It is obvious that problems like these are difficult to solve. But if Gov. Corzine and the Legislature are bold and creative, there is no question that New Jersey can begin to reduce sprawl, a move that is critical if the Garden State hopes to remain competitive in the global economy.

At the heart of the matter is a simple math problem: the average cost of educating a child in New Jersey is $12,981, while the median property tax bill is $5,352, according to Census data. Although our property taxes are the highest in the nation, they can’t even begin to cover the cost of educating one child. And state aid for education fails to make up for this shortfall.

The result? Most Garden State towns make the economically rational choice to zone out housing for families with children. What’s favored instead is high-end or senior housing and commercial properties, because this kind of development brings in higher tax revenue and fewer demands for local services. This is why New Jersey has so many McMansions and malls, and not nearly enough homes that working families can afford.
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If New Jersey hopes to ensure lasting economic prosperity, our lawmakers must make the tough decisions necessary to maintain our quality of life as well as reduce property tax burdens. Supporting smarter development choices through long-term tax reform would help all New Jerseyans, not just a targeted few.