Stuff in the ‘Political Spending and Influence’ Category
More Sobering Data on NJ Students’ Learning Loss and a “Wake Up Call” for NJ Parents
Posted On02/20/2025 byMore sobering analysis surrounding the recent “lackluster” performance by New Jersey students on national assessments and the attendant long-term decline in student achievement, as well as the welcome arrival of a new organization, Wake Up Call New Jersey, which seeks to alert New Jersey parents to this grim reality. It’s not a pretty picture but…Read More
More Empty Rhetoric from AG Platkin About Equal Justice for the “Well-Connected.” What About Gov. Murphy’s Pals Spiller and Gill?
Posted On02/07/2025 byWill New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin ever live up to his words? He repeatedly spouts high-sounding rhetoric about prosecuting political corruption and equal justice before the law but then sits silently while Gov. Murphy’s political pals, Sean Spiller and Brendan Gill, remain untouched. Platkin took to the pages of northjersey.com to tout his creation…Read More
NJ Globe Details Sean Spiller’s Political Career but Curiously Omits Facts About His Serious Legal Troubles
Posted On01/30/2025 byNew Jersey Globe reporter Joey Fox published a long and detailed summary of NJEA President/former-Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller’s political career as part of a series on the 2025 gubernatorial candidates, but Fox left several important facts out of the story — including facts about Spiller’s serious legal troubles that surely would be of interest to…Read More
Florida Public Schools Get Better Results — Especially for Disadvantaged Kids — for Less than Half the Price
Posted On01/07/2025 byA wake-up call for New Jersey: New Jersey public schools are not nearly as good as the NJEA and Gov. Murphy claim. Florida 4th graders have better academic achievement in both math and reading than New Jersey — especially for disadvantaged children — while spending less than half the money. The NJEA frequently claims that…Read More
As Predicted, NJ’s Fiscal Cliff Arrives. Will Gov. Murphy Do the Bidding of His Government Union Pals and Raise Taxes Again?
Posted On12/06/2024 byAs many, including Sunlight, have long warned, New Jersey is approaching a fiscal cliff. Gov. Murphy is now ordering departments freeze salaries and hiring and reduce budgets by 5%. Murphy claims that he has been a good fiscal steward, but remember that he has increased state spending by over 60% and the current state budget…Read More
Attorney General Platkin: We Must Care About the Rule of Law and Political Corruption ALL THE TIME. But What About Gov. Murphy’s Pals Sean Spiller and Brendan Gill?
Posted On12/03/2024 byMore strong, unequivocal words about the rule of law and political corruption from New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. According to the New Jersey Globe, Platkin had this to say about President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter: We can’t care about the rule of law some of the time. We can’t care about corruption…Read More
Strong Words About Politicians and Corruption from AG Platkin and Rep. Sherrill. Will They Apply to Spiller and Gill?
Posted On11/20/2024 byTwo of New Jersey’s leading public officials, Attorney General Matt Platkin and Rep./Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, had some strong words about New Jersey politicians and corruption. At a press conference, Platkin stated (as quoted by Politico): It’s time for people in positions of authority in this state to spend a little more time questioning…Read More
Once Again, Insider NJ’s Fred Snowflack Flacks for NJEA-Funded Mendacious Michael “Hundreds of Millions” Gottesman and NJPEC.
Posted On11/18/2024 byInsider NJ‘s Fred Snowflack continues to flack for Mendacious Michael “Hundreds of Millions” Gottesman and his NJ Public Education Coalition’s (NJPEC). Once again, Snowflack’s piece reads like a NJPEC press release, and once again he studiously avoids the fact that Gottesman and NJPEC are funded by the NJEA. We ask for the fourth time; why…Read More
Young Teachers Are Forced into a Lousy Pension System. There Is a Better Alternative.
Posted On11/08/2024 byAs our readers know, Sunlight has opined on New Jersey’s public pension crisis, particularly the woeful condition of the teachers’ pension plan, the Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). A recent report puts TPAF’s funded ratio at 39% (39 cents set aside for every dollar owed), the “most underfunded in the nation.” We would add…Read More
NJEA 3Q Filing: $7.25 Million Backing Sean Spiller; $550,000 for NJEA-Friendly School Board Candidates and GOTV
Posted On11/05/2024 bySunlight had the opportunity to view another quarterly IRS Form 8872 filing by the NJEA’s Super PAC, Garden State Forward for the July 1 – September 30 period, which was a very busy quarter for Garden State Forward. Here are the notable contributions: Working New Jersey: $7.25 million Education Truth Project: $200,000 (2024 total $300,000)…Read More