Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) issued the following statement on Friday in response to Gov. Christie’s veto of her “Airbnb” bill (A-4587), which would have imposed the same taxes and fees that hotels and motels must pay to the state on residences used as temporary lodging:
“This bill was about tax fairness and leveling the playing field among hospitality providers in the state. Hotels and motels must pay taxes on the rooms they occupy. Rooms booked through Airbnb are exempt. This gives Airbnb an unfair advantage over the competition, and denies municipalities important tax revenue.
“The popularity of online marketplaces like Airbnb is only rising, which means more strain will be put on municipal resources with no additional support. That’s not fair to our municipalities, which don’t have the luxury of denying services to visitors and tourists.
“I read the governor’s veto. This is not about the merits of the bill. This is about the governor padding his Republican credentials, and rehashing his “no new taxes” mantra regardless of the impact.”