Author Archive
New Jersey Policy Perspective’s Shoddy Research Misses The Mark On Extra COVID Funding For Schools
Posted OnAugust 18, 2020 byNew Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) has published a report, “School Funding in New Jersey: Preparing Now for the 2020-21 School Year,” co-authored by Bruce Baker and, once again, Mark Weber, Ph.D., (a.k.a Jersey Jazzman). SPCNJ embarked on writing this blog with the aim of finding some grounds for agreement with NJPP because the need for…Read More
SHINING A LIGHT ON NEW DIRECTION’S DARK MONEY REVEALS SOME DARK TRUTHS ABOUT NEW JERSEY POLITICS
Posted OnSeptember 17, 2019 by“Dark money” group New Direction New Jersey (NDNJ) is no longer quite so dark. Some nine months after promising to disclose its donors, NDNJ finally did last week. But only after the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey (SPCNJ), POLITICO and the Bergen Record dug up the major sources of its funding. And only after…Read More
SHODDY RESEARCH DOES NOT HELP THE CAUSE OF NEW JERSEY’S TEACHERS
Posted OnSeptember 13, 2019 byNew Jersey public schools are among the best in the nation and our teachers are the primary reason for that. They should be compensated fairly. But teachers are ill-served by flawed research. Mark Weber, Ph.D., of New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) has come out with a report detailing a “wage gap” between New Jersey teachers…Read More
FY2023 state pension payment: $6.6 billion. Where do we get the extra $2.8 billion?
Posted OnSeptember 9, 2019 byThe Star-Ledger’s Samantha Marcus does some excellent work this morning in an article on New Jersey’s exploding pension costs. Marcus rightly points out that due to the ramp up to full funding (this year’s $3.8 billion payment is only 70% of the full payment), New Jersey will have to pay $6.6 billion in FY2023. That’s…Read More
Represent New Jersey seems to have a curious blind spot
Posted OnSeptember 6, 2019 byDavid Goodman of Represent New Jersey penned an op-ed in NJSpotlight saying his group opposes Americans for Prosperity’s seeking an injunction against the new disclosure law aimed at exposing “dark money” funding of political operations. There are good arguments on both sides of the issue, but in the main, SPCNJ believes that there is too…Read More
The facts about “Chapter 78 relief”: New Jersey taxpayers will pay more
Posted OnSeptember 5, 2019 byNJ.com reports that Speaker Coughlin has crafted a bill that gives teachers so-called “Chapter 78 relief.” This issue has been one of the NJEA’s top political priorities. Here are the salient facts: The current plan is a “platinum-plus” level plan, which means that 97% of the cost of the plan’s benefits are paid by taxpayers…Read More
GSI is spot-on when it comes to New Jersey’s underperforming economy.
Posted OnSeptember 5, 2019 byIn a Star-Ledger op-ed, Regina Egea of the Garden State Initiative (GSI) is absolutely correct that New Jersey’s economic reality does not match Governor Murphy’s happy talk. SPCNJ is coming out with a new research report that details the long-term underperformance of New Jersey’s economy (in terms of personal income, state GDP and job growth)…Read More
Letter from the President and Founder of SPCNJ, Mike Lilley
Posted OnMay 20, 2019 byWelcome to the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey (SPCNJ). Thank you for visiting our site. The SPCNJ is based on research I completed for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in 2016-17 that resulted in the five-part “Legal Corruption” series. You can find these reports in the “AEI Series” section of the site. For decades the most…Read More