Choosing the state's next CEO.

Byline: Dennis P. Carmody

Oct. 16--Doug Keim is disgusted with politicians.

"The people that are running for governor now, they're jokes," said Keim, founder and owner of Doug Keim Creative Cycles, a Wall business that makes custom motorcycles.

"When I started my business, I was proud to be a businessman," Keim said. "But the politicians, they don't care. All they want is their little two cents on everything I do."

Keim and many business owners are frustrated with the state of government today, arguing that politicians have made it harder to run a business in New Jersey. They are looking at next month's gubernatorial election between Republican Doug Forrester and Democrat Jon Corzine with interest but not necessarily with optimism.

"A kindler, gentler New Jersey would go a long way," said Joan Verplanck, president of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. "It's easier for businesses to swallow taxes if they're not being called thieving liars at the same time."

Many of her members believe New Jersey has become a less desirable place to do business in recent years, stung by what they say were populist arguments used by former Gov. James E. McGreevey that cast them as villains.

The numbers back them up.

Economy.com in West Chester, Pa., rates the state just behind Massachusetts and California…