“New Jersey became the state with the worst-funded public pension system in the U.S. in 2015, followed closely by Kentucky and Illinois.”
Source: New Jersey Tops Illinois as State With Worst-Off Pension System
Archive for the ‘New Jersey’ Category
How to fund education in a free society
15
Sep
Another commission. Puleez! The only solution to “school funding” is to make each government school a 501(c) 3 tax exempt nonprofit funded by tuition, grants, endowment income and other non-coercive means. No more commissions, no income tax, no school property tax, no more politicians running schools, no more federal government mandates, no more state mandates…and finally teachers in control of curriculum and other educational matters and accountable to parents for the quality of their teaching. As far as the educational needs of low income students throughout the state, families would create co-ops to educate their kids.
If you support the above proposals, you are a “revolutionary” who wants to create a free society. Otherwise, you are a tinkerer of the status coercive quo.
“As the Senate President Steve Sweeney has the power to get his school-funding reforms enacted into law; instead he’s proposing setting up yet another committee…”
Source: Steve Sweeney could pass his school-funding reforms; instead he’s creating a commission
One more reason to abolish the income tax
03
Sep
“The change will reap tens of millions of dollars for New Jersey, but But low- and middle-income New Jerseyan working in Philadelphia.”
Source: Christie ending income tax pact with Pa., which will cost some N.J. residents more
Speaker Prieto and Senate President Sweeney, read this!
31
Aug
How regulations–including the minimum wage– harm low income individuals, especially minorities.
Source: Economic Conspiracy?
Some good news about the New Jersey economy
19
Aug
“A major publication has listed Americas 5,000 fastest-growing companies that are ready to hire, and 177 N.J. businesses made the list.”
Source: 177 Fastest-Growing New Jersey Companies That Are Ready To Hire
New Jersey is number 1. Taxes and regulations are taking their toll. People are voting with their feet. ,
19
Aug
“For the third consecutive year, Oregon holds on to the No. 1 spot as “Top Moving Destination,” as Americans continue to pack up and head West and South.”
Source: 2015 National Movers Study | United Van Lines’ 39th Annual Movers Study
Tax cuts are good, replenishing the TTF is good and spending cuts are good
26
Jul
Tax cuts do not have to be “paid for.” All tax cuts are good because they are steps toward economic freedom–and with economic freedom comes greater prosperity. Gov. Christie is not showing any leadership. Why he is obsessed with a sales tax cut is incomprehensible. Eventually, all taxes should be cut. In the meantime, there is a proposal on the table that reduces several onerous taxes. Get on board governor.
“In another great example of how things work in Trenton, it’s time for legislators to act on the only thing that remotely makes sense and override Christie.”
Source: Least bad option is only real choice now on gas tax battle | Moran
Why is Chris Christie apparently balking at the latest compromise?
24
Jul
Governor Christie should get on board with the latest proposal to fund the Transportation Trust Fund and provide much needed tax relief to the people of New Jersey. Is this a “perfect” compromise? No. But we need funds to fix our roads and bridges, lower taxes and lower spending and fewer regulations. The governor should work on the last two goals ASAP. Instead of focusing on Trump’s presidential campaign, he should do what he was elected to do–govern. If he is preoccupied with the presidential campaign, he should resign.
“Senate and Assembly Democratic leaders announced a new compromise Friday for raising the gas tax.”
Source: 7 things you need to know about latest gas tax plan to end N.J. road work shutdown
New Jersey pols, their consultants and the Turkey connection
19
Jul
Yes, and a top Menendez advisor and a top Christie advisor too. What are the people who guide the political lives of the state’s top elected officials doing in a firm that works for an Islamist strongman like President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey? Once upon a time, there were campaign managers who came up through the ranks alongside the politicians whose careers they helped to manage.
In Great Britain, they call them election “agents” and this is how they once operated in this country too — wedded to the ups and downs of a particular political personality, often finding a job in the bureaucracy in between campaigns. From these manager/agents came the first campaign consultants. Regional or statewide at first, but with the centralizing power of the national committees and national money there soon came to be the “national” consultant — recommended by one of the party committees or put in place by them.
We recall a list, circa 1994, that the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) gave out, with the names of those “recommended” media consultants and pollsters on it. There were about a dozen names in all. But as more money washed into DC and was funneled into campaigns, that changed. Consultants proliferated and firms became larger. Following the money, a few either merged with or morphed into public relations and lobbying (government relations) operations. Why not?
Corporations paid big for access to politicians and there is nobody politicians love more than the person who got them elected. It was only a matter of time that things went global. And that is how three New Jersey political operatives became members of an international firm representing the interests of the Turkish government. This firm itself is a subsidiary of an even larger international firm that handles the image-making for Russian President Vladimir Putin, receiving credit for, among other accomplishments, getting Putin’s face on the cover of Time magazine — as the “Person of the Year” for 2007. The three are Mo Butler, United States Senator Cory Booker’s campaign consultant, former chief of staff, and “longtime advisor”; Michael Soliman, United States Senator and former Chairman of the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations Robert Menendez’s political advisor and former State Director; and Michael DuHaime, Governor Chris Christie’s campaign consultant and someone who has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns. Two Democrats and a Republican. Their firm is called Mercury Public Affairs.
Began in 1999 as a decidedly Republican shop with connections to the RNC and politicians like John McCain and Mitt Romney, around 2013 it embarked on a mission to “diversify” — meaning making the firm “more bipartisan and full-service.” Mike DuHaime joined the firm in 2009, first as a “managing director” but swiftly rising to partner. Michael Soliman joined Mercury in 2013 and became a partner this year. Mo Butler joined as a “managing director” earlier this year. Mercury Public Affairs has 10 partners and 160 employees. Omnicom purchased Mercury in 2003. Mercury Public Affairs has 18 offices worldwide — including London; Mexico City; Washington, DC; New York; and Westfield, New Jersey. The New Jersey offices (a satellite operates out of Trenton) of Mercury are the haunt of Messrs. DuHaime, Soliman, Butler, and other connected operatives like “seasoned lobbyist” Connor Fennessy, newspaperman Darryl Isherwood (former top political reporter for the Star-Ledger and editor of PolitickerNJ), and “Christie campaign vet” Mark Mowers. Mowers, who testified before the Legislature’s BridgeGate inquiry, has recently joined the Trump campaign.
In January 2015, Michael Soliman registered with the United States Justice Department, pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as a person representing the Embassy of the State of Qatar. You must have read about Qatar in the news…Amnesty International has accused Qatar of being complicit in human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Yes, slavery. In fact, in March of this year, the United Nations gave Qatar one year “to end migrant worker slavery” or face an international investigation. Qatar is just one of freedom’s garden spots represented by Mercury. Remember the controversy in Uganda, when the President of that country decided that homosexuality was a crime that should be punishable by death? Well, the law he wanted passed was “moderated” in December 2013, substituting life imprisonment for the death penalty. In 2015, Mercury was brought on to provide public relations, lobbying, and media monitoring services with regards to the Office of the President and the Ugandan government
Source: Top Booker advisor’s firm guides Turkish authoritarian
New Jersey keeps getting on a bad list…and one that is off beat
15
Jul
“A new survey says N.J. has America’s most miserable town, but it’s also among the state’s 100 “kinkiest” communities. Below are both lists.”
Source: N.J. Has America’s Most Miserable Town — But It’s Among State’s 100 ‘Kinkiest,’ Surveys Say