In the end, this budget is a dog. The revenue numbers are suspect. The promise of a 10 percent tax cut is false. And the political narrative of a “New Jersey comeback” is just so much fiction.

NJTV’s New Jersey Capitol Report had NJPP president Deborah Howlett on as a guest February 10 to discuss Gov. Christie’s proposed 10-percent income tax cut. “If the point is to stimulate the economy, a 10-percent income tax cut isn’t going to cut the mustard,” she said.

The recession blew a $2.5 billion hole in the state budget that has never been filled. Now, the governor wants to dig that hole even deeper with an irresponsible gimmick that only benefits the wealthiest 1 percent. Proposing an income tax cut might be good politics, but it’s bad policy for most New Jerseyans.

New Jersey would receive at least $171 million in funding for clean energy projects between 2012 and 2018 if the state were to stay in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), according to a report released this week by Environment New Jersey.

As Gov. Chris Christie prepares to unveil the specifics of his proposed 10-percent income tax cut at next week’s budget address, he’s working under a key tenet of conservative economics: that high tax rates harm economic growth. There’s just one problem, according to a new report: that tenet doesn’t match up with reality.

New Jersey will receive an estimated $838 million from the $26 billion national settlement among the states and five major lenders that was announced this week, according to figures released by the state attorney general. But the deal won’t likely help many struggling homeowners in any substantial way.

While legislative leaders’ efforts to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $8.50 an hour have taken a backseat in recent weeks to the governor’s proposed income tax cut, similar legislation in New York is gaining the backing of some high-profile business advocates.

New Jersey Policy Perspective strongly supports A2171, which establishes a consumer-friendly health insurance exchange in New Jersey. There is a tremendous need to enact this legislation as soon as possible because the current health insurance system is broken and the problem of the uninsured and underinsured is only getting worse.

While Gov. Christie says his proposed across-the-board 10 percent income tax cut will bring substantive tax relief to all New Jerseyans, most of the state’s households are burdened more by property taxes than by income taxes.

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee met Monday to analyze Gov. Christie’s proposal to cut personal income taxes 10 percent across-the-board, a cut that would cost New Jersey more than $1.3 billion in lost revenue by the time it is fully phased in.