At some point people are going to have to start fighting back. Demand that public officials can no longer drive people into grinding poverty.
If public officials continue to tax and tax. start a recall. Get them out of office and replace with people that swear to cut spending and taxes.
I lived in a town in CA. (80’s), that found in the first meeting of the City Council taxes were to be raised. Two weeks later everyone of them were recalled. The special election ended that s*** immediately.
I realize it was a small town, but it can be done.
Recall Governor Moonbeam.
I think you’d find in NJ that just about everybody has a family member and/or friend on the public payroll in some way or other; some private taxpayers have just voted with their feet after a fruitless struggle that has dragged on for decades.
Well done for your town!