Category: Friday Facts and Figures

Friday Facts and Figures: August 28, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 190,613 | Deaths: 14,141
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

$5.63 Billion

On Tuesday, Governor Murphy hit the reset button on budget season with his second budget address of the year. The remarks, given before a socially distanced crowd at the Rutgers University football stadium, outlined the governor’s plan to fund state government for nine months, starting October 1 (for context, state lawmakers extended Fiscal Year 2020 by three months to better assess the impact of COVID-19 on the state’s finances). The big question going into the address was how Governor Murphy would propose closing the state’s $5.63 billion revenue shortfall. The answer: a combination of spending cuts, borrowing, and roughly $1 billion in new revenue — including the elusive millionaires’ tax and an extension of the corporate business tax surcharge. In this informal rapid reaction moderated by yours truly, NJPP analysts Sheila Reynertson, Vineeta Kapahi, and Brittany Holom discuss what they like in the budget proposal, what surprised them, and what’s missing. Come for the analysis, stay for the Bon Jovi gifs (seriously). [NJPP / Louis Di Paolo]

Fair Share

In response to Governor Murphy’s budget proposal, the ROI-NJ team asked NJPP President Brandon McKoy, at what point will the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations be paying their “fair share?” Brandon’s answer, which ROI-NJ ran in full, is a must read. Brandon masterfully debunks every business lobby talking point on taxes, millionaire tax flight, and so much more. He also does an incredible job outlining how racial justice is inextricably linked to tax justice — and that you can’t have one without the other. Here’s a small sample, but again, I recommend you read the entire interview in full: “We know, in America, that wealth drives opportunity, it drives health, it drives security, etc. And we know, in America, the opportunity to develop wealth has been reserved for a select few because of explicit policies. The opportunity to get a home, the opportunity to get an education, the opportunity to take advantage of various programs like the GI Bill were closed to non-white Americans for a long time. So, the idea of, ‘Are we done?’ is crazy.” [ROI-NJ / Tom Bergeron]

$1,000

The biggest surprise in Governor Murphy’s budget: a $1,000 baby bond for every child born in families earning less than $131,000 a year. The proposal, meant to help close the racial wealth gap, is a scaled down version of a federal bill sponsored by Senator Cory Booker and would be the first state policy of its kind. The way it works is simple. The state would deposit $1,000 in an account for qualifying children, which would then be given to the child — with interest — when they turn 18. Dr. Darrick Hamilton, a leading economist on racial inequality and the keynote speaker at NJPP’s Celebration of Progress event on September 10, had this to say about the proposal: “The source of inequality generally is that some young adults have capital and others do not. The difference between a renter and a homeowner is a down payment. This is saying: Irrespective to the family you are born into, that you have a birthright to capital when you become an adult.” As it stands, white families in the U.S. have seven times more wealth than Black families due to decades of discriminatory and racist state and federal policies. [The New York Times / Tracey Tully]

$4.9 Billion

Governor Murphy’s budget not only protects key investments in the building blocks of our economy — in public education, tuition assistance, tax credits for working families, and much more — but it also makes the scheduled $4.9 billion pension payment. This was a big question mark going into the governor’s address, but he is standing firm behind it, saying, “If the pension payment in the budget is $4.9 billion, then the minimum amount that I’m prepared to make in the final deal is $4.9 billion. Period. There’s no negotiating room.” This is a smart move, as the state’s pension fund is severely underfunded as a direct result of previous administrations skipping payments when it was politically convenient. The less the state pays into the pension fund now, the more we’ll have to pay in the future. [NJ.com / Samantha Marcus]

First

In non-budget news, Fabiana Pierre-Louis is poised to become the first Black woman on New Jersey’s Supreme Court. On Thursday, the Senate voted 39-0 to confirm Pierre-Lewis, a former federal prosecutor and daughter of Haitian immigrants. Nominated by Governor Murphy in June, Pierre-Lewis will be just the third Black justice on the Supreme Court — and the first in a decade. At 39 years-old, she will also be the court’s youngest member. [NJ.com / Brent Johnson]

Time to Celebrate!

It should go without saying that 2020 has been a tough year for many, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot to celebrate! Join your favorite wonks at NJPP, our distinguished honorees, and keynote speaker Dr. Darrick Hamilton for Celebration of Progress on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00PM. This is a free event and will include New Jersey-themed trivia. Register here! [NJPP / Celebration of Progress]

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: August 21, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 188,527 | Deaths: 14,086
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

0

State lawmakers have less than five weeks to pass a budget for next year, yet there are zero public hearings scheduled thus far. This is a large departure from the normal budget process, which gives advocates, policy experts, and the general public an opportunity to weigh in on the state’s annual spending bill. Similarly, the legislature has yet to clarify whether department heads, the state Treasurer, or the Office of Legislative Services will be brought in to testify on departmental spending priorities or the state’s revenue collections and fiscal outlook. That’s why the For The Many NJ coalition sent an open letter to Governor Murphy and legislative leaders on Wednesday calling for a transparent and inclusive budget process. The letter calls next year’s state budget “one of the most consequential budgets in New Jersey’s history” given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state revenue and the subsequent possibility of dramatic cuts to public services and programs. Right now, the only publicly scheduled budget event is Governor Murphy’s budget address, which is scheduled for Tuesday at noon. [NJ Spotlight / John Reitmeyer]

$1.77 Billion

While low-paid workers and their families struggle to make ends meet due to the economic fallout from COVID-19, New Jersey’s billionaires and biggest corporations have seen their wealth and profits soar. According to a new report by Americans for Tax Fairness, For The Many NJ, and Make the Road New Jersey, billionaires in New Jersey have accumulated $1.77 billion in wealth since the pandemic hit. Over the same time period, more than 1.4 million New Jersey workers filed for unemployment, more than 600,000 immigrant families have gone without any pandemic relief, and 40 percent of renters are behind on rent. This report serves as good of a reminder as any that state tax and budget policies can advance economic and racial equity — and that requires a tax code where millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations pay their fair share. [NJ 101.5 / David Matthau]

96

Earlier this week, 96 economists and public policy experts urged Governor Murphy and legislative leaders to avoid counterproductive cuts in next year’s budget, and instead raise taxes on the state’s wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations. The letter, co-authored by Alan S. Blinder, professor of economics at Princeton University and former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve, and Yana van der Meulen Rodgers of Rutgers University, states: “Large cuts would erode the health and social infrastructure needed to continue combating COVID-19, increase inequality, and exacerbate the economic downturn.” The economists cite NJPP’s income tax reform proposal as a reasonable path forward, as it would increase the income tax rates paid on earnings over $250,000. When this many economists warn against damaging budget cuts, you listen! [Bloomberg / Stacie Sherman]

$15 Million

Breaking news from this morning: A new bill by Senator Vin Gopal would end New Jersey’s yacht tax breaks, which cost the state more than $15 million every year. For context: In 2015, New Jersey lawmakers halved the sales tax rate on boating vessel purchases, while also capping the total sales tax paid on boats at $20,000. This sales tax cap means that the bigger the boat, the bigger the tax break. NJPP was a vocal opponent of the bill five years ago, calling it a huge tax cut for the state’s wealthiest individuals. Just last month, NJPP joined Make the Road New Jersey, the Hudson County Progressive Alliance, and members of For The Many NJ at a marina in Jersey City to urge lawmakers to repeal the law. Click the link for a short NJPP blog from 2015 explaining the absurdity of the yacht tax break. [NJPP / Jon Whiten]

ICYMI

Celebration of Progress is less than a month away! Join the NJPP team, our distinguished honorees, and keynote speaker Darrick Hamilton, Ph.D. for a virtual award reception on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00PM. This is a free event and will include New Jersey-themed trivia. Register here! [NJPP / Celebration of Progress]

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: August 14, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 186,594 | Deaths: 14,054
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

Unanimous

In a unanimous decision, the state Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that New Jersey can borrow up to $9.9 billion to balance the state budget and offset revenue losses caused by COVID-19. While the state constitution requires lawmakers to pass a balanced budget every year, it also allows for borrowing in response to extreme emergencies. In the court’s decision, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote, “Because the collapse in revenue brought on by the pandemic affects the state’s ability to provide for direct aid and other government services, the emergency exception permits the state to borrow in order to meet them.” While borrowing, especially at this level, should always be viewed with skepticism, state lawmakers have few other options, especially without significantly more aid from the federal government. NJPP applauded the court’s decision, with Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Reynertson stating that borrowing “will set the stage for a stronger and faster pandemic recovery.” [NJ.com / Samantha Marcus]

Remote

Big education news this week: Governor Murphy announced that certain school districts will be allowed to offer all-remote learning this fall. Under the new guidelines, school districts will be able to start classes remotely if they explain why they could not meet the state’s health and safety standards to open in person. Districts that start remotely will also have to provide a plan for meeting those standards and give a date when they will resume in person learning. This decision follows weeks of protests and collective action by teachers and school staff in support of keeping school buildings closed. On Tuesday, the New Jersey Education Association, Association of School Administrators, and Principals and and Supervisors Association called on the state to direct all public schools to open remotely this fall. [NorthJersey.com / Ashley Balcerzak, Hannan Adely, and Alexis Shanes]

100,000

A new NJPP report finds that reopening schools — whether in person or virtually — will cost school districts more than educating students in a typical school year. Schools may not be able to shoulder these increased costs, however, as the COVID-19 crisis comes on the heels of more than a decade of underfunding public education. As it stands, more than 100,000 New Jersey students attend school in districts that are underfunded by more than $5,000 per pupil (for reference, the average budget cost per student was $16,599 in the 2018-19 school year). And due to decades of racially discriminatory and exclusionary housing policies, Black and Latinx students are disproportionately represented in underfunded districts across the state. The report concludes with a recommendation for the state to raise new revenue — by ensuring the state’s wealthiest residents pay their fair share in taxes — to fully fund public education and help districts absorb new costs associated with reopening during the pandemic. [NJPP / Bruce D. Baker and Mark Weber]

50 Percentage Points

Does the “county line” impact primary election results in New Jersey? Yes! According to a new report by NJPP Trustee and Rutgers University professor Julia Sass Rubin, candidates’ share of the vote varied by as much as 50 percentage points (!!!) based on whether or not they were on the county line. This must-read report reviews this year’s primary election results in ten congressional races where different candidates held the line in different counties, or where some counties did not use a county line ballot. As NJPP President Brandon McKoy said in the report release, “To have policies and budgets that reflect the needs of voters, we need free and fair elections in New Jersey. We cannot deny the influence of the line on elections.” [NJPP / Julia Sass Rubin]

ICYMI 1

Join us for the final event in the NJPP Progress 2020 virtual speaker series: The Future of Economic Security. This panel discussion will focus on bold policies that address the systemic inequities at the root of poverty, from expanding existing programs like the EITC and TANF to new policies like UBI, baby bonds, reparations, and more. Register now for this free event featuring Sara Cullinane, Executive Director of Make the Road New Jersey, Sebastian Johnson, writer and policy advocate, and Otis Rolley, Senior Vice President, U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation. [NJPP / Progress 2020]

ICYMI 2

It’s time to celebrate! Please join the NJPP team, our distinguished honorees, and keynote speaker Darrick Hamilton, Ph.D. for a virtual Celebration of Progress award reception on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00PM. We are beyond thrilled to have Hamilton keynote this event, as he is a leading economist on the causes of — and solutions to — growing racial and ethnic inequality. The event will also include some New Jersey-themed trivia, which you won’t want to miss. Click the link to register! [NJPP / Celebration of Progress]

Pets of NJPP

The pets are back! This time courtesy of NJPP’s new budget coalition coordinator, Adam Cohen. This is Adam’s co-working cat, Dander! Dander prefers dry food over wet food — and she loves attention. She makes a habit of laying on Adam’s computer mouse or keyboard when he tries to get work done or play video games. She also thinks that Adam’s neck is a great place to sleep. Adam disagrees. Meow!

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: August 7, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 183,701 | Deaths: 13,996
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

1.4 Million

Tropical storm Isais slammed New Jersey on Tuesday, leaving 1.4 million residents without power. As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 447,000 people remained in the dark, with many predicted not to have their power restored until the weekend. This is a result of the storm’s high winds, which knocked down thousands of trees — and power lines — across the state. “Every time we have a storm, the power goes out,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The damage and outages that this tropical storm has caused is a clear-cut example as to why we need to modernize and fix our grid.” [NJ.com / Ted Sherman]

124,000

With health insurance largely tied to employment, an estimated 124,000 New Jerseyans have lost access to their health care due to job loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. As NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Brittany Holom outlines here, these are residents who are not able to enroll in coverage under Medicaid, a spouse’s coverage, or the individual insurance market. Many more residents would be uninsured if New Jersey had not expanded Medicaid, as evidenced by the spike in NJ FamilyCare enrollment since March. From February to July 2020, total enrollment in NJ FamilyCare increased by 118,622 individuals, a jump of 7 percent. [NJPP / Brittany Holom]

$9.9 Billion

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Supreme Court heard arguments on Governor Murphy’s plan to borrow up to $9.9 billion to help balance the state’s budget. The hearing focused mainly on what constitutes an emergency where the state can borrow without voter approval, and whether there are limits on what the state could pay for with borrowed funds. As multiple judges noted during the hearing, the Constitution allows for the state to bond for “purposes of war, or to repel invasion, or to suppress insurrection or to meet an emergency caused by disaster or act of God.” While these cases normally take years to work their way through the courts, this case was fast-tracked so a ruling can be made before the state’s budget deadline of October 1. If the state is not allowed to borrow, the only options left for the state are severe cuts to state spending or raising significantly more revenue. [NJ Spotlight / Colleen O’Dea]

60 Percent

The COVID-19 crisis has caused not only unprecedented unemployment and revenue loss for states, but also record stock market gains for some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations. A new bill sponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, and Kirsten Gillibrand, known as the Make Billionaires Pay Act, would capture some of this wealth and put it toward paying for out-of-pocket health expenses for all residents of the United States for a year. Under the proposal, the federal government would impose a one-time 60 percent tax on wealth gains made by billionaires between March 18, 2020 and January 1, 2021. According to the bill sponsors, the proposal would tax $731 billion in wealth accumulated by 467 billionaires since March 18. [CNBC / Lauren Feiner]

ICYMI

“We need an anti-racist budget that invests in communities of color that have been ignored and harmed for far too long,” writes Brandon McKoy and members of the United Black Agenda in an op-ed in The Star-Ledger. While the state’s legislative leaders have voiced their support for Black Lives Matter, Brandon notes that these statements ring hollow if they are not reflected in the state budget. [NJ.com / Brandon McKoy, Elise Boddie, Richard Smith, et al.]

Save the Date!

This has been a tough year for many of us, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty to celebrate! Please join the NJPP team and our distinguished honorees for a virtual Celebration of Progress award reception on Thursday, September 6 at 6:00PM. This year’s honorees are: Ray Castro, former Health Policy Director at NJPP; Jeannine LaRue, advocate and lobbyist at KZG; Jun Choi, former NJPP Board Chair; and Bob Greenstein, Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Click the link to register! [NJPP / Celebration of Progress]

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: July 31, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 180,970 | Deaths: 13,934
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

Share Your Story

NJPP is researching the true cost of the War on Drugs in New Jersey. If the drug war has impacted you, your family, or your community, please consider sharing your story with us so we can capture the voices behind the numbers. All interviews can be confidential, and we value compensating people for the time they contribute to this work. Click the link for more info. [NJPP / Jenna Mellor]

$200 Million

We did it! On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly and Senate passed legislation to establish a state-level Health Insurance Assessment (HIA). This will raise more than $200 million in annual revenue for the state to protect and expand on the coverage gains made under the Affordable Care Act. A state-level HIA will allow New Jersey to boost enrollment in the state’s new health care exchange later this year, with ample funds to make health coverage more affordable for low- and moderate-income families. This bill faced aggressive opposition over the last few weeks, including a $1 million ad campaign by business lobbyists, but you helped prove the power of the people over corporate special interests! On behalf of NJPP, thank you for contacting your legislators in support of affordable health care. We cannot overstate how important this bill is to lowering the number of people who are uninsured and reducing racial disparities in access to care. [NJ Spotlight / Lilo Stainton]

Professional Licenses

On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly passed legislation to allow all residents, regardless of their immigration status, to apply for professional and occupational licenses. This is a huge win for immigrant families, as New Jersey requires occupational licenses for more professions than any other state in the nation. This bill, which was approved by the Senate last week, eliminates a huge discriminatory barrier faced by undocumented immigrants. New Jersey’s working families and the broader economy will be much stronger when all residents can pursue the careers for which they have trained. This bill will also help fill workforce shortages in fields such as health care and education, which are critical to New Jersey’s recovery from the current pandemic. “Our immigrant community has been indispensable throughout this crisis,” said bill sponsor Assemblyman Gary Schaer. “By lifting this obstacle we can utilize the abilities of every single resident.” [NorthJersey.com / Monsy Alvarado]

5

A handful of states — including New Jersey — are considering big expansions to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), one of the most effective tax policies at lifting low-paid workers and their families out of poverty. New Jersey lawmakers are considering a package of five bills to expand eligibility for the EITC and boost the benefit level. One of these bills, S2194, would extend the tax credit to workers who file taxes using an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). This would allow undocumented workers and their families to benefit from the program, which they already pay into. As NJPP President Brandon McKoy told Bloomberg Tax, this proposal is a big opportunity to provide relief to undocumented immigrants and mixed-status households who have been excluded from federal pandemic relief legislation. [Bloomberg Tax / Michael Bologna, Laura Mahoney, and Tripp Baltz]

ICYMI

New Jersey is experiencing an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases, in part due to outbreaks along the Jersey Shore. This is a stark reminder that the pandemic has yet to be contained, and we should all continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and avoid indoor gatherings. [The New York Times / Tracey Tully]

Pets of NJPP

We have another reader-submitted Pet of NJPP, this time courtesy of Wesley McWhite of the Hyacinth Foundation! Say hello to Wesley’s co-working pup, Winchester, and his pal, Panda! Winchester is a 10-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier who loves to nap (especially with Panda) and rarely barks. He is a big hit with small dogs, who he lets run, jump, and play all over him. For more information on the Hyacinth Foundation and their work on HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, and health policy, you can reach Wesley at wmcwhite@hyacinth.org.

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: July 24, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 177,887 | Deaths: 13,810
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

$300 Million

New Jersey is one step closer to expanding access to health care and making coverage more affordable, thanks to a new bill that passed through the Senate Commerce and Assembly Financial Institutions Committees on Thursday afternoon. The proposal would establish a Health Insurance Assessment (HIA), which is projected to generate more than $300 million annually to fund different health care initiatives across the state. As NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Brittany Holom explains in this op-ed, the proposal would capture an expiring fee that insurance companies currently pay to the federal government, providing the state with ample resources to meet New Jersey’s unique health care needs — all at no new cost to insurers. Business lobbyists made a big push to kill the bill, so we sincerely appreciate all of you who took action and reached out to committee members in support of affordable health care. [NJ Spotlight / Brittany Holom]

40,000

Unemployment insurance (UI) claims in New Jersey are back on the rise, just as federal unemployment relief from the CARES Act is set to expire. Weekly UI claims peaked in early April and have steadily declined since. They are now slowly rising, surpassing 40,000 weekly claims earlier this month for the first time since May. This uptick in job loss could not have happened at a worse time, as the federal government’s supplemental unemployment benefit of $600 per week will expire at the end of the month. According to NJPP Research Director Nicole Rodriguez, “If this relief is not extended, it will be much harder for families to meet their basic needs, exacerbating poverty and worsening racial inequality.” [NJPP / Nicole Rodriguez]

Tens of Millions

Tens of millions of jobless workers will go weeks without federal unemployment assistance — even if relief from the CARES Act is eventually extended — as Congress waited too long to act. That’s because state unemployment offices across the country will need weeks to reprogram their systems to account for any extension or changes to federal relief programs, including the $600 supplemental unemployment payments. “In some states, it could take quite a bit of time, and it could cause severe delays,” said Arindrajit Dube, a professor of economics at UMass Amherst. “This is the kind of thing you don’t try to change in the middle of a pandemic.” Great job, Congress. [Politico / Rebecca Rainey and Katherine Landergan]

23 Percent

Without additional federal relief, millions of families across the nation will suffer. In New Jersey, more than 1 in 5 renters — 23 percent — are behind on rent, 16 percent adults living with children do not have enough to eat, and almost 1 million workers have lost their jobs. As this new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) highlights, these hardships are not felt evenly across society, as Black, Latinx, and immigrant households have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic. CBPP recommends that the next federal stimulus package should include provisions to: boost food assistance for all SNAP recipients, increase funding for housing assistance, provide relief for immigrant families, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, promote childcare, and extend benefits for unemployed workers. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities / Sharon Parrott, Arloc Sherman, et al.]

ICYMI

Yesterday, NJPP President Brandon McKoy joined Governor Phil Murphy, Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride, Senator Joe Vitale, and Assemblyman John McKeon in a Facebook Live roundtable discussion on the benefits of a state-level Health Insurance Assessment (HIA). Tune in to hear Brandon discuss how an HIA will expand health coverage and promote racial equity in the Garden State. [Facebook Live / Governor Phil Murphy]

Pets of NJPP

The pets are back! Thank you to Sarah Fishtein (an avid reader of Friday Facts and Figures since day 1) for sharing a photo of her senior citizen pup, Percy! Percy is 14-years-old and mostly deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from romping around in the woods. He once ate an entire bag of Halloween candy, wrappers and all, and he’s known to sneeze repeatedly when he sees his favorite humans. Woof!

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: July 17, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 176,501 | Deaths: 13,691
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

$9.9 Billion

On Thursday evening, Governor Murphy signed the COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act into law, allowing New Jersey to borrow up to $9.9 billion to address revenue shortfalls brought on by the pandemic. While state borrowing should always be viewed with skepticism, borrowing at this level is necessary for New Jersey to keep the state running and provide relief to the families and small businesses who need it most. The bill gives final bonding authority to a four-member select committee of lawmakers; Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin announced they will serve on the panel alongside Senate and Assembly budget committee chairs Senator Paul Sarlo and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin. As the bill was debated on the Senate floor, some lawmakers pleaded for diversity in the panel to ensure Black and Latinx legislators could play a role in the new committee. This proposed change was voted down. “You can’t talk about Black Lives Matter, and change names from freeholder to this and that, and yet not stand up when it’s time to stand up for diversity,” said Senator Nia Gill. [NJ Spotlight / John Reitmeyer]

$15 Million

On Tuesday, families harmed by the pandemic and advocates in the For The Many coalition gathered at a marina in Jersey City to highlight Christie-era tax breaks for wealthy families that cost the state billions of dollars in revenue every year. Demonstrators pointed to a 2015 tax break on yacht purchases, which is estimated to cost the state $15 million annually in foregone revenue. This is a prime example of how the state tax code prioritizes the interests of wealthy households over those of low-paid workers and their families. “It’s almost 130 days that our communities have been without relief; no money for rent; no income, no money for food, no health care,” said Make the Road NJ organizer Deya Aldana. “And when we call Trenton, what do we hear? There’s no money. We have to make cuts; billions and billions of dollars in cuts. How can this be true. Look behind us. We see all of these boats. Look at all the boats behind us. We are a wealthy state. We are a state of millionaires and billionaires, and we are a state rich with the power of working class people.” [NJTV News / David Cruz]

130

Immigrant families in New Jersey have gone more than 130 days without any state or federal pandemic relief. Members of Make the Road New Jersey camped outside of the statehouse last night to urge lawmakers to provide relief for all families — regardless of their immigration status. “It has been very unjust for our community,” said Edison Hernandez, who is camping outside of the New Jersey Statehouse with his 15 year-old son. “We pay taxes, we deserve to have recovery for all.” Make the Road is calling for a weekly stipend for undocumented workers who have lost their jobs but don’t qualify for unemployment benefits. According to an NJPP report published in June, undocumented workers have paid more than $1.2 billion into federal and state unemployment insurance funds over the last decade. [WNYC / Karen Yi]

54,100

One way the state could make the tax code fairer — especially for immigrant families who pay taxes but are excluded from most social safety net programs — is by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). By increasing the program’s eligibility to immigrant workers who file taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), state lawmakers could improve the economic security and wellbeing of families who have fallen on tough times. According to a new report by NJPP Policy Analyst Vineeta Kapahi, extending the EITC to ITIN filers would benefit an estimated 54,100 households in the state, assuming current participation rates. This would add an estimated $54.5 million to the state economy, benefitting workers and businesses alike as families have more money to spend in their communities. For those not familiar with the EITC, it is a refundable tax credit for low- and moderately-paid households that can be claimed when you file your tax returns. [NJPP / Vineeta Kapahi]

$300 Million

New Jersey has a big opportunity to make health care more affordable and expand coverage, writes NJPP Policy Analyst Brittany Holom in a new explainer. How? The state can pick up more than $300 million in annual revenue that the federal government is about to abandon by establishing a Health Insurance Assessment (HIA). As Brittany outlines, the HIA is a federal fee on health insurance companies that helps fund the Affordable Care Act. The fee is set to expire at the end of the year, however, giving states the opportunity to take on the assessment without raising insurers’ payments. This could help fund initiatives like health coverage for all kids, subsidies to low-income residents, or even a public plan on the ACA market. [NJPP / Brittany Holom]

ICYMI

Watch the latest Progress 2020 virtual event, Rethinking Corporate Tax Subsidies, where NJPP Trustee Julia Sass Rubin moderated a discussion on ways state economic development strategies can center equity, communities, and workers, not failed trickle-down ideology. Here’s a taste of what to expect: “Tax credits should be used in moderation. In the dash or pinch quantities, not the main meal,” said New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan. “For all of the investment we made in tax credits [over the last decade], we were 42nd in job creation and 49th in wage growth.” [NJPP / Progress 2020]

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: July 10, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 174,240 | Deaths: 13,501
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

> 1

An uptick in New Jersey’s COVID-19 transmission rate may set back the state’s recovery. New Jersey’s Rt, which measures the average number of people infected by each person who has COVID-19, has surpassed 1 for two days in a row this week. This is the first time the state’s Rt has exceeded 1 in ten weeks. Governor Murphy, who has frequently cited the state’s Rt in his COVID-19 briefings, suggested the uptick in transmission influenced his recent decision to require face masks in outdoor public spaces where social distancing is not possible. This should make it abundantly clear that New Jersey — and every other state in the nation — will not be able to fully “reopen” until we control the spread of COVID-19; economic health is inextricably linked to public health. [NJ Spotlight / Lilo Stainton]

460,000

In a new editorial, The Star-Ledger has come out in support of providing pandemic relief to undocumented immigrants in New Jersey. Approximately 460,000 undocumented immigrants call New Jersey home; they are our neighbors, family members, classmates, friends, co-workers, community leaders, and so much more. Yet, more than 100 days after the state’s stay-at-home order took effect, they have received no relief or assistance from the state or federal government, despite paying more than $600 million every year in state and local taxes. From the editorial: “[E]ach time we drive by lawn signs or billboards that mark the presence of a “hero,” we should remember that many of those heroes, these essential workers, are undocumented immigrants. They deserve more than lip service and platitudes. And they have been neglected long enough.” [The Star-Ledger / Editorial Board]

$5.2 Billion

New Jersey desperately needs new revenue to keep the state’s finances afloat and protect against devastating budget cuts. In the recently passed 3-month budget bill, New Jersey cut or deferred $5.2 billion in spending, and the state is facing an even steeper fiscal cliff as it prepares a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Luckily, Governor Murphy has stated that the state should look into every option available to avoid cuts, including new revenue. Here’s what he told Bloomberg TV earlier this week: “We’re going to have to put some revenue raisers on the table as we go to our next budget.” Regarding the possibility of borrowing money and pushing the federal government for more relief, the governor added, “this is not either/or, it’s and/both.” As I write this, Governor Murphy and Senate President Sweeney are announcing a deal to allow the state to borrow funds from the federal government (this is great news!!!). As this is a breaking story, we do not have all of the details on the proposal right now, so I promise to provide more info on this in next week’s Friday Facts.  [Bloomberg / Elise Young and David Westin]

$578 Million

The Task Force on EDA Tax Incentives released its final report this week, and it really hammers home that the state’s corporate tax breaks were a colossal waste of taxpayer money. As outlined in the report, at least $578 million in corporate subsidies were given to companies that did not deserve them; the task force recommends the state refer these cases to law enforcement and attempt to claw-back any tax breaks that were already awarded. Here’s what NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Reynertson had to say about the report and the future of economic development policy: “There is no good reason for New Jersey to offer limitless tax incentives to large and already successful corporations. It’s a glass half empty view of New Jersey’s economic potential that ironically robs the state of resources needed to promote a robust and healthy business climate.” [NJ.com / Ted Sherman]

ICYMI

Yesterday, NJPP hosted an all-star packed panel on ways New Jersey can advance racial equity through tax and budget policies. The virtual event, Building an Anti-Racist State Budget, featured Bill Rodgers of the Heldrich Center, Amol Sinha of the ACLU-NJ, and Adriana Abizadeh of the Kensington Corridor Trust (Adriana is also NJPP’s newest board member!). Watch a recording of the event here — I promise it’s really really good! [NJPP / Progress 2020]

Tuesday!

Join us at our next Progress 2020 virtual event, Rethinking Corporate Tax Subsidies, this upcoming Tuesday, July 14 at 12:00 PM! This panel will explore state economic development strategies that center equity, communities, and workers, not failed trickle-down ideology. Panelists include CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Tim Sullivan, Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First, Sheila Reynertson of NJPP, and Julia Sass Rubin of Rutgers University (Julia is also a new NJPP board member!). Register here: [NJPP / Progress 2020]

Pets of NJPP

We have another reader-submitted Pet of NJPP! Today’s pup was just adopted and has yet to be named (if you have any ideas, please send them over). He will be a Montclair mover and shaker, well, a shaker anyway as Bassets are pretty low and slow. Please keep the pet pictures coming!

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: July 3, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 172,356 | Deaths: 13,251
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

$4 Billion

Earlier this week, New Jersey lawmakers passed a three-month budget that makes $4 billion in cuts to public services and programs for seniors, children, local governments, and much more. Also included in the budget: a big giveaway to a billionaire golf club owner. Deep in the spending bill — which was fast-tracked through the legislature, giving the advocates, the press, and lawmakers alike little time to actually read it before it was voted on — is a one-paragraph clause that provides an opening for private development in state parks. This is the latest effort to allow Paul Fireman, the billionaire founder of Reebok and owner of Liberty National, to expand his private golf club onto 22-acres of public land at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. As NJPP President Brandon McKoy told The New York Times, this is a direct result of an opaque and largely secretive budget making process: “It’s a shocking amount of lack of transparency. It’s a joke of a process. Legislators didn’t know what was in it. Staff members didn’t know what was in it.” [The New York Times / Tracey Tully]

$2 Billion

Lawmakers balanced the three-month budget not only with broad and deep spending cuts, but also by deferring more than $2 billion in funding obligations. When lawmakers reconvene to draft a budget for the rest of the fiscal year, they will have to figure out how to fund a $951 million contribution to the public pension system, a $468 million payment to K-12 school districts, $355 million in municipal payments, and special-education aid totaling $250 million. This should underscore the need for new revenue, as lawmakers have few options beyond borrowing or more budget cuts, the latter of which should be avoided. The state could start by ending Christie-era tax breaks for wealthy families and big corporations, reforming the income tax code so the wealthiest households pay their fair share, and extending the corporate business tax surcharge. [NJ Spotlight / John Reitmeyer]

$3.2 Billion

As millions protest against white supremacy and police brutality, activists and elected officials across the country are reconsidering the role of law enforcement in our communities. As Ashley Balcerzak outlines in this deep dive on police spending, New Jersey definitely has room to divert funding away from law enforcement and into expanded social services, education, overdose prevention efforts, and affordable housing — programs proven to reduce crime and promote economic security. In total, New Jersey spends approximately $3.2 billion on salaries for more than 27,000 officers and sheriff’s deputies. Meanwhile, the state only has approximately 10,000 social workers, 23,000 counselors, and 11,000 mental health and substance abuse experts. On a per capita basis, New Jersey has “more police officers and almost half the number of social workers compared with national numbers.” While expanded social services come at a cost, NJPP’s Brandon McKoy highlights that there are also costs to inaction: “Poverty is very expensive; bad health is very expensive; poor education and poor environments are very expensive. But all we do is talk about how ‘expensive’ it is to tackle these things, and that’s an unbalanced and inaccurate picture.” [NorthJersey.com / Ashley Balcerzak]

12

New Jersey’s paid family leave and temporary disability insurance (TDI) programs just got a lot stronger! Starting July 1, New Jersey workers can take more time off to care for a new child or sick family member. The benefit levels of these programs has also increased. These changes were recommended in a 2017 report by NJPP that found too few workers were using the family leave insurance and TDI programs, and even when they did, the benefit levels and time off were not sufficient. Workers can now take up to 12 weeks off, up from six, and workers can collect 85 percent of their weekly pay. “The increased time and duration is really important for those new mothers and fathers, because there’s a lot of research that is really revealing the importance of parents being able to spend a significant amount of time with their new babies in those early months, in terms of their long-term health and development,” said Yarrow Willman-Cole, workplace justice director for New Jersey Citizen Action. [NJ.com / Samantha Marcus]

1

Only one state — New Jersey — designs primary election ballots to favor candidates endorsed by the local Democratic and Republican parties, according to a new NJPP report. Here’s how it works, as explained by Julia Sass Rubin, professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and author of the report: “New Jersey primary ballots violate the rules of good ballot design and confuse and mislead voters. Rather than organizing our primary ballots around the office being sought and clearly indicating which candidates are running for each position, most counties organize the primary ballots around a slate of party-endorsed candidates. As a result, New Jersey’s primary ballots give the party-endorsed candidates an almost insurmountable advantage and enable party insiders rather than the voters to pick the winners in primary contests.” [NJ Spotlight / Colleen O’Dea]

Thursday!

Join us on Thursday, July 9 at 5:00 PM for the next event in NJPP’s Progress 2020 virtual speaker series: Building an Anti-Racist Budget. This discussion will feature Bill Rodgers, Chief Economist at the Heldrich Center and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, Adriana Abizadeh, Executive Director of the Kensington Corridor Trust, and Amol Sinha, Executive Director of the ACLU-NJ. NJPP President Brandon McKoy will moderate this must-see panel. Register here: [NJPP / Progress 2020]

Pets of NJPP

We have our first reader-submitted Pet of NJPP! Meet Tuna, Rachael O’Brien’s co-working cat. She is an agitator, intellect, feminist, and 5:00 AM alarm clock. While Tuna has more sass in one paw than any of us could ever hope to have, she has an impeccably high level of emotional intelligence — Rachael has yet to find a better emotional support. Tuna’s favorite sports are hide-and-seek and extreme napping (this really resonates with me). Meow!

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

Friday Facts and Figures: June 26, 2020

Posted on by Louis DiPaolo

Friday Facts and Figures is a brief digital newsletter focusing on data points from NJPP reports, research, and policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
Sign up here.

COVID-19 Cases: 170,196 | Deaths: 13,018
[New Jersey Department of Health / COVID-19 Dashboard]

$7.7 Billion

Cuts, cuts, and more cuts. That’s how state lawmakers plan on balancing New Jersey’s budget in their new three-month spending bill, which was introduced Thursday morning and then immediately passed by the Assembly Budget Committee later in the day. The $7.7 billion proposal, which will fund state government through the end of September, will buy state lawmakers more time to craft a budget for the remainder of next year (remember, New Jersey is the only state that extended its budget deadline due to the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic). In a statement, NJPP President Brandon McKoy slammed the budget, stating that it was written in secrecy with zero public hearings, giving reporters, advocates, and lawmakers little time to read the bill before it was voted out of committee. It also lacks any new sources of revenue, such as the millionaires’ tax, which would have helped prevent cuts to public programs. [NJ.com / Samantha Marcus]

$1.4 Million

The state budget proposed by the Murphy administration (which is closely mirrored by the Legislature’s proposal referenced above) would cut more than $1.4 million from initiatives that directly support racial equity, including anti-bias training for law enforcement and programs to end racial disparities in pay. The Rev. Charles Boyer of Salvation and Social Justice described the cuts as “tone deaf to the moment,” given the ongoing national protests against police brutality and systemic racism. This should serve as a stark reminder that state budgets are a racial justice issue, and that elected leaders must put their money where their mouth is if they truly support equity. It’s also worth mentioning that New Jersey’s budget does not have to solely rely on cuts. Lawmakers could have ended Christie-era tax breaks for the state’s wealthiest families — who are overwhelmingly white — but chose not to. [NorthJersey.com / Stacey Barchenger]

$460 Million

Government stimulus is an effective tool at alleviating poverty and minimizing the harm of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to two new studies by researchers at Columbia University and the University of Chicago. Since the pandemic hit, federal aid has increased safety net spending by $460 million across the country. This relief has prevented sharp spikes in poverty that researchers predicted given the unprecedented job loss brought on by the pandemic. By some measures, poverty is actually down and incomes are up for the nation’s lowest paid families. This is strong evidence for the federal government to continue aid that is set to expire — and for state lawmakers to find ways to spend more, not less, on relief for families in need. [The New York Times / Jason DeParle]

13

Speaking of federal funding, the Trump administration plans to end its support for 13 federally funded coronavirus testing sites at the end of the month, including two drive-through testing centers in New Jersey. This decision comes days after the President’s call to “slow the testing down” as a way to lower the number of positive COVID-19 cases. While the number of new positive cases continues to decline in New Jersey, the U.S. is setting new daily records for new cases seemingly every day. Expanded testing was also a key pillar of Governor Murphy’s plan to slowly reopen the state’s businesses, so time will tell if this decision will harm the state’s reopening plans going forward. [NBC News / Geoff Bennett]

595,000

The Trump administration has joined several Republican-controlled states in a new attempt to have the U.S. Supreme Court invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Approximately 595,000 New Jerseyans would lose their health care if the ACA were repealed, and another 181,000 residents would lose their tax credits to help subsidize their coverage. If this lawsuit is successful, it could end protections for those with pre-existing conditions, the expansion of Medicaid, and subsidies that help make insurance affordable for low-paid families. [NJ.com / Jonathan D. Salant]

Tune in Monday

On Monday, NJPP will release a new report on New Jersey’s primary ballot design and how it has shaped election outcomes for more than two decades. The report, authored by Rutgers professor Julia Sass Rubin, compares New Jersey’s primary ballots with those in every other state and finds that they allow party insiders to pick primary election winners. This is a report release you won’t want to miss. Tune in on Monday at 10:30am using this link! [NJPP / Facebook Live]

Plants of NJPP

We ran out of NJPP pets to highlight, so here’s a picture of David Nelson’s plants! Apologies to those who look forward to the pet pictures every week. If you have a pet that you’d like to have featured, please email me a photo and some fun facts to include in the write up!

Have a fact or figure for us? Tweet it to @NJPolicy. 

«« Previous Posts∞Older Posts »»