Political Spending and Influence
In politics, money is power. The NJEA automatically takes in over $120 million in property tax dollars and teachers dues every year. According to the state’s elections watchdog, the NJEA is by far the leader in reported political spending, but due to reporting loopholes and clever disguise, what is reported is only a fraction of what the NJEA really spends. The SPCNJ estimates that the modern NJEA – with its Executive Office dominated by political operatives – spends about $65 million a year on politics at the state and local level. This makes the NJEA the dominant political force in the state – as it has been for decades. Over the years, the NJEA’s unmatched political clout has allowed it to rig the political system for its benefit and fight attempts at reform, all to the detriment of New Jersey citizens.
