Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category

Economic Freedom Still a State’s Great Strength

Paul V. Tyahla Executive Director Summer is the peak moving season in the United States, and families across the nation are spending this month cleaning up, packing up, and setting up in their new homes. People move for reasons as varied as job opportunities, housing availability, love interests and...
August 29th, 2011 | Commentary | Read More

Federal Healthcare Law Only Adds Urgency to Need for Medicaid Reform

Federal Healthcare Law Only Adds Urgency to  Need for Medicaid Reform
Paul V. Tyahla Executive Director New Jersey has an unfortunate tradition of failing to address long-term public policy issues before they become full blown crises. Our public employee pension and benefit obligations and property taxes are prime examples. Federal health care reform will provide another...
May 25th, 2011 | Commentary | Read More

“Jersey Shore” Arrives on the Banks

by Mark ‘Jay’ Williams When the Star-Ledger reported that MTV party girl Snooki was paid $32,000 to speak at Rutgers University, many students and their parents were outraged that their hard-earned money would end up funding the “Jersey Shore” star’s spray tans. Regrettably, the mainstream...
April 11th, 2011 | Commentary | Read More

Roll Closing Credits on New Jersey’s Film Subsidy

Roll Closing Credits on New Jersey’s Film Subsidy
This year’s Academy Awards drew of 37.6 million viewers. Whether or not Americans came away feeling their favorite movie won, or that their favorite celebrity looked fabulous, it is doubtful anyone turned off their television and thought, “New Jersey’s workers should help pay these people’s tax...
March 3rd, 2011 | Commentary, Featured | Read More

Public Sector Union Protests About Politics, Not the Middle Class

Last Friday, more than 3,000 government workers stood on the steps of the State House to demand perpetuation of the status quo, or some close approximation. This Friday, police and fire union members plan to do the same. Billed as rallies to demonstrate solidarity with their public worker brethren in...
March 1st, 2011 | Commentary | Read More

Substitution Effect: When Security Guards are enough for Public Safety

Substitution Effect: When Security Guards are  enough for Public Safety
Mark ‘Jay’ Williams Economics Fellow, Common Sense Institute of New Jersey In July, the New Jersey Privatization Task Force, charged by Governor Christie, identified a set of privatization tools and strategies that would save the state an estimated $210 million annually. The task force did identify...
February 10th, 2011 | Commentary, Featured | Read More

Ready for ‘mission creep’—let the Community Colleges offer Applied Science Bachelor degrees

Ready for ‘mission creep’—let the Community Colleges offer Applied Science Bachelor degrees
by Mark ‘Jay’ Williams In at least 17 states, legislatures have initiated a type of mission creep that New Jersey should consider – allowing community colleges to offer applied (or occupational) bachelor’s degrees. In the last ten years, our community colleges have played a growing and...
January 10th, 2011 | Commentary | Read More