In The News
NJ agriculture secretary: Farmers would benefit from change to estate tax
Add New Jersey's secretary of agriculture to the list of officials endorsing a change to the state's estate tax. Secretary Douglas Fisher spoke Monday in favor of changing the unpopular tax while testifying before the Assembly Budget Committee as part of the panel's ongoing review of Gov. Chris Christie's proposed $34.8 billion budget.
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE STATE’S EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR KIDS FROM LEAD?
Screening programs are in place, but follow-up is sloppy; meanwhile. tens of millions may have been diverted from funds meant for lead abatement
Assemblyman: A.C. families are depending on N.J. leaders to reach a deal
The current plight of Atlantic City has ripple effects that go far beyond the shores of the Southern New Jersey coastal community.
DOT commissioner: Transportation Trust Fund will run out of cash in August
New Jersey's acting transportation chief told state lawmakers that his department would likely run out of money to pay for new and ongoing transportation projects in early August if Gov. Chris Christie and the Legislature fail to reach a resolution to renew the ailing Transportation Trust Fund.
DCA DRAWS FIRE AGAIN FOR BEING TOO SLOW IN DISTRIBUTING SANDY FUNDS
Department of Community Affairs’ website indicates more than $1 billion remains to be disbursed to displaced Sandy victims
How N.J.'s largest corporations dodge paying U.S. taxes
Opinion
Some corporations are simply not good citizens. Not only do they engage in aggressive tax-avoidance schemes — lobbying and infusing political campaigns with cash to curry favor — they work hard and spend big to create them, as well. As a result, the costs of the nation's infrastructure, technology, research facilities, higher education, homeland security and defense fall to others — namely the rest of us — while the corporations continue to benefit from what they do not help to support.
Stile: State Supreme Court announcement comes wrapped in a white flag
It took Governor Christie a little more than a minute Monday to go on the public relations offensive over his latest nomination to the Supreme Court.
“I want to talk to the people of this state about what this signifies,” Christie said as he introduced Walter F. Timpone, 65, a veteran Democratic Party lawyer and political insider, at a State House news conference. “We’re getting our jobs done.”
Ranks of N.J. wealthy growing, not shrinking, budget officials say
The ranks of New Jersey wealthy taxpayers are growing, not shrinking, according to the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, which was pulled into the fight over the estate tax Wednesday.
Income statistics in OLS' budget analysis contradict some claims that New Jersey is losing its wealthiest residents (despite actually losing its wealthiest resident).
State Treasurer Calls Increase in Taxes Inevitable without Benefits Reforms
Spending on public-employee benefits may not be the biggest single item in the state budget, but it’s definitely one of the most controversial.
The growing amount of money the state plans to dedicate to healthcare and pension benefits for state workers during the next fiscal year was hotly debated throughout a daylong Assembly Budget Committee hearing held in Trenton yesterday.