New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has pledged to change New Jersey�s reputation for high taxes. Judging by a report released Wednesday by the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, the state has a long way to go.

New Jersey residents were the highest-taxed in the country in 2009, giving 12.2 percent of their income to state and local taxes.

Wednesday�s report covers former Gov. Jon Corzine�s last full year in office, and it was New Jersey�s third consecutive year with the dubious honor.

The Tax Foundation, a tax research group with a conservative bent, calculates the ranking by dividing the total amount of taxes paid by residents by the state�s total income.

(Source: NJ.com)