We don't want retail on Rt 23, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Who ever heard of putting retail on a major roadway. Am I missing something? We get the traffic and some one else gets the tax dollars.

The numbers cited above would appear to support the data that online business is finally beginning to make a real dent in retail. A litany of retailers out of business in recent years: Borders, Circuit City, 6th Ave Electronics, Fortunoff to name a few, with Best Buy, JC Penny and Sears near death at this point. Local businesses finding it harder than ever to compete. As for Bobtwo's comment, most big box stores and car dealerships are now required by company policy to be located on major roadways, which typically means state highways. They don't want town center type properties not enough traffic.

As for vacancy rate, NJ is alarmingly losing its pharmaceutical base, which is the backbone of this state's high-paying jobs. Bayer consolidation and Roche relocation are only two examples. As NJ becomes less and less competitve due to higher taxes and unskilled labor immigration, the jobs will continue to escape to NC and other lower-cost states with skilled labor forces. The only solution is to stop propping up NJ's cities with every last tax dollar and to stop squeezing the middle to upper class with all of the bills for every last social ill. The many billions of dollars spent on reviving NJ's cities has been an almost utter waste across the board...and yet it remains NJ's biggest expense. With the Feds now following the NJ model of throwing good money after bad, we are bearing the brunt of it on all sides.

There should also be a concern for large office space leaving, like Bayer, GAF, ISP, Drakes, State Farm. Valley National, Toys "R" Us and BP can't provide ratables alone.

It's ALL about the TAXES...

The vacancy rate also is affected by the flooding issue. Pequannock along 23 looks like it has taken a severe hit. So bad , I suspect that the next thing they will do is to set up speed traps and red light traps to raise revenue.

NJ addded 66,400 jobs in 2012

The largest gain came in professional and business services, which added 22,700 jobs, followed by education and health services, where 16,400 jobs were added. The manufacturing sector shed 2,100 jobs and construction lost 2,000 jobs.

The department also reported that the state gained 2,600 jobs in January, adding 3,000 private-sector jobs and losing 400 public jobs. Unemployment fell to 9.5 percent from 9.6 percent.

morley@northjersey.com

N.J. loses $70B in wealth during five years as residents depart
“This study makes it crystal clear that New Jersey’s tax policies are resulting in a significant decline in the state’s wealth,” said Dennis Bone, chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and president of Verizon New Jersey.

Taxes are the number 1 reason for the flight of residents and buisness's from Wayne. We need Corporate & Retail ratables in the Township to ease the tax burden that the residents are currently paying. Wayne Township also has more than its share of tax-exempt properties and thats still growing. This and the number of tax appeals are something this Township has to deal with now, not years from now when its too late. They need to control spending, freeze hiring etc. Especially at the BOE. Soon it will be too late. Wayne needs to change with the times and maybe its time our Township leaders are changed too!