Even with the administration making its second reduction in the current-year revenue projections, its estimates may still be too high.

While the widely-celebrated rate drop in the unemployment rate is indeed a piece of good news, a number of dark clouds continue to hover over New Jersey’s recovery.

The lack of interest in the details on the tax cut raises the question: Is the decision whether or not to cut taxes more political than fiscal?

The Christie administration has reduced its current-year revenue projections for the second time in three months, despite gubernatorial assurances for most of the past year that the targets would be met, or even exceeded.

In April, Gov. Christie challenged the legislature to enact an income tax cut based on property taxes as part of the FY 2014 budget. Since then, one essential set of facts has been missing: details on the cost of the cut, and how the governor plans to pay for it.

Over 400,000 low-paid workers would benefit from a ballot measure that would raise New Jersey’s minimum wage by one dollar to $8.25 per hour and index the minimum wage to rise automatically with the cost of living, according to a new report released today by New Jersey Policy Perspective. The report finds that this wage increase would generate more than $174 million in new economic growth and support the creation of the equivalent of over 1,500 new full-time jobs as businesses expand to meet increased consumer demand.

According to Department of Labor and Workforce Development information recently provided to legislators, New Jersey has seen a net employment change of 109,400 total jobs gained. But an overwhelming majority of those jobs are in sectors with annual average wages below the statewide average of $57,549.

The short-term notes known as TRANs must be paid before the end of the fiscal year; the state has always made the repayment by the end of June. For the first time, state officials may have opened the door to carrying these loans forward into the next fiscal year.

I was recently told I should forget about the schools and instead focus on jobs so that all those students I care so much about could find work. Problem is, “schools vs. jobs” is a false dichotomy. In fact, despite those who think we waste too much money and time on schools and school children, from a business perspective, the education of our children is the best of all investments.

The benefits of Medicaid expansion are only opportunities – they will not be achieved without sufficient resources. Our main concern is that no funds were allocated in the governor’s budget for outreach, marketing, and contracts with community-based organizations to reach the uninsured and help them fill out the application.