Who Are NJ Business Leaders Voting For? [AUDIO]

Lighten up on federal regulations, improve U.S. trade and offer stimulus packages that really matter. Those are some of the main things New Jersey business leaders want to see the next U.S. President do - no matter who's elected.

Steve Juliano, Director of Sales and Marketing with Farmingdale-based Roof Maintenance Systems, says although their sales have been strong in this economy, he's very concerned about what he's seeing happen to some of his largest customers in the Pharmaceutical industry. Juliano says some of his major customers are starting to combine, shrink their work forces and leave New Jersey. He says some of them are even leaving the country altogether and the trend doesn't appear to be slowing.

Juliano says he'd like to see the next President help businesses to expand and increase their product lines.

Gary Pollack, Sales Manager with Iselin-based Gold Mobile, a software service provider, wants to see the Federal Government take a hands-off approach to business. Pollack believes the government needs to leave businesses alone so that it can grow.

Pollack is also not a big fan of federal economic initiatives that have favored road repair and construction projects. He says once those projects are complete, those jobs will be lost. He believes the government needs to research and invest more in technology.

Frank Robinson, First Vice President at the New Jersey Business and Industry Association in the Government Affairs Department, an organization that represents 22,000 businesses in the state, had only positive things to say about the direction the State of New Jersey is going economically. Robinson says finally businesses feel they have a friend in Trenton. He says not only in the Governor but in the Legislature because he says they're finally recognizing the need for less regulation and more tax breaks. Robinson says "In the current budge the Democrats and the Governor agreed to over $300,000 dollars worth of tax cuts for businesses at all levels. Big businesses and little businesses and it's a continuation of a policy that they had in the last budget."

Howbeit, it's an entirely different matter of the federal level. Robinson says on the Federal level there are still difficulties in terms of regulations. "They (businesses) are over regulated by things like the Environmental Protection agency. Even the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce there are way too many federal regulations that need to be looked at."