Media
Predatory Lending: The Public Loan Sharks of the Lending Industry
Some years back, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jimmy Breslin wrote a book entitled, “How the Good Guys Finally Won,” which took to task members of the Nixon administration during Watergate.
The subject is different, but the title of this blog captures the spirit of the moment: The Good Guys (that’s you, the citizens of New Jersey) finally have a victory against some of the most despicable companies in operation throughout most of the United States. These are predatory lenders who participate in what is often called “payday loans.”
Just what is predatory lending? Allow debt.org to answer: “Predatory lending is any lending practice that imposes unfair or abusive loan terms on a borrower. It is also any practice that convinces a borrower to accept unfair terms through deceptive, coercive, exploitative or unscrupulous actions for a loan that a borrower doesn’t need, doesn’t want or can’t afford.”
Assembly Dems Bill to Toughen Penalty for Strangulation in Domestic Violence Cases Advances
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Reed Gusciora, Troy Singleton, Joseph Lagana, Pamela Lampitt, Liz Muoio, Marlene Caride, Grace Spencer, Gabriela Mosquera and Cleopatra Tucker to raise the penalty for the crime of strangulation in domestic violence cases was advanced by an Assembly panel on Monday.
While strangulation cases are not limited to domestic violence situations, studies show a high incidence of strangulation in domestic violence cases. According to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, a program of the National Family Justice Center Alliance, strangulation is one of the best predictors for the subsequent homicide of victims of domestic violence. In fact, one study showed that "the odds of becoming an attempted homicide increased by about seven-fold for women who had been strangled by their partner."
NJ Assembly panel advances bill to reduce property taxes, designate state songs
Legislation to reduce New Jersey's notoriously high property taxes was voted out of the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on Monday during the panel's first meeting with Assemblyman Troy Singleton as chairman.
Singleton, D-7th of Palmyra, took over leadership of the committee at the start of the new two-year session, and he used his first meeting to post bills aimed at lightening the state's heavy property tax burden by returning millions of dollars in funds collected from energy companies and utilities, called energy tax receipts, to municipalities, as well as another measure intended to help towns and other local governments save money by using electronic procurement for some biddings, purchases and property sales.
Lawmakers Push to Return Utility Tax Funds to Hard-Pressed Municipalities
When New Jersey plunged into the depths of the last recession nearly a decade ago, funds the state collects for municipal governments from taxes on utility company equipment within their borders were instead kept in Trenton to help balance the state budget.
That diversion of funds helped prevent massive cuts in aid for hospitals, schools, and safety-net programs for the poor.
Policy Summit Examines Solutions To NJ’s Infrastructure Challenges
This past Saturday at the Rutgers University Student Activities Center, the New Jersey Chapter of the New Leaders Council (NLC-New Jersey), held its 2nd Annual Policy Summit focused on “Improving New Jersey’s Infrastructure.
The keynote speaker for the event was former New Jersey
Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox, who was making his 1st public appearance since leaving the position. Fox talked about the implications of the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund potentially running out of money at the end of June and real reform at the Port Authority to help New Jersey’s infrastructure. “Crisis presents opportunity,” said Fox.
Property tax relief bill passes N.J. Assembly committee
A bill to restore hundreds of millions of dollars paid by utilities to local governments in New Jersey for property tax relief advanced through a state legislative committee on Monday.
The legislation, (A302), would restore $331 million in cuts to energy tax receipts and Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid over five years. But there's a catch: the money must be used to offset local tax levies.
Singleton & Conaway Bill to Provide Property Tax Relief to Municipalities Advanced by Assembly Panel
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Troy Singleton and Herb Conaway, Jr., M.D. to provide significant property tax relief to taxpayers and municipalities by restoring funding that had been cut from the state's Energy Tax Receipts program was advanced by an Assembly panel on Monday.
"This is one of many aid programs that has been reduced since the Christie administration took over, placing an additional burden on municipalities and, consequently, taxpayers," said Singleton (D-Burlington). "When you factor in cuts to property tax relief, the average property tax bill in New Jersey has increased nearly 31 percent since 2009. That's an enormous burden that needs to be mitigated."
Coughlin, Lampitt, Singleton, Benson, Vainieri Huttle & Mosquera Bill to Add Cyber-Harassment to Domestic Violence Statutes Clears Assembly Panel
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Craig Coughlin, Pamela Lampitt, Troy Singleton, Daniel Benson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Gabriela Mosquera to bolster protections against cyber-harassment for domestic violence victims in New Jersey cleared its first legislative hurdle on Monday.
The bill (A-1946), sponsored by Coughlin, Lampitt, Singleton, Benson, Vainieri Huttle and Mosquera, would add cyber-harassment to the list of crimes considered domestic violence under the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991."
In doing so, the bill would allow temporary and permanent restraining orders on the grounds that the person seeking the order is a victim of cyber-harassment.
Jasey, Caputo, Singleton, Lampitt & Moriarty Bill to Explore Full-Day Kindergarten Options Statewide Clears Assembly Panel
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Mila Jasey, Ralph Caputo, Troy Singleton, Pamela Lampitt and Paul Moriarty to study the merits of implementing full-day kindergarten in New Jersey schools was approved Monday by an Assembly committee.
The bill (A-1016) would establish a 22-member task force to study and evaluate issues associated with the establishment and implementation of full-day kindergarten.
"A full day of kindergarten instruction has been shown to help students not just academically, but socially," said Jasey (D-Essex/Morris). "These early years are critical. Full-day kindergarten has the potential to lower grade retention and dropout rates for students later in life. We owe it to our students to study the merits and feasibility of implementing full-day kindergarten in our schools."
Drug overdoses now kill twice as many NJ residents as car crashes
As Jersey’s ongoing heroin and prescription drug epidemic continues, drug overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death in the Garden state.
The state Medical Examiner’s Office reports in 2014 there were 1,305 drug-related deaths, and New Jersey State Police data indicates there were 556 fatalities on Garden state roads.
The Medical Examiner’s Office does not have official numbers for 2015 year, but the data suggests there were about 1,300, while 554 people perished in motor vehicle related crashes, which includes drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.