Selling bonds for operating purposes must be avoided — not only because it has been deemed unconstitutional by the New Jersey Supreme Court — but much more importantly, because it is very bad public policy. By definition, the amount is a one-time revenue source. What...
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In the News
Let’s go beyond the conflict and talk
Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe, co-directors of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, offer their opinions as to why the May incident in Central Park, when a white woman ignited a race firestorm across the country after footage of her encounter with a...
Can Progressives Change New Jersey?
Frustrated with the stalemate in Washington, many progressives have set their sights on the 15 states where Democrats control both houses of the legislature and the governorship. New Jersey is one of those 15: Democrats have virtually veto-proof legislative...
Pandemic Travel Patterns Hint at Our Urban Future
Especially for people of color, the enforcement of new public health requirements on transit systems and other spaces presents an additional safety risk. For two weeks in March, Black people accounted for 35 of 40 NYPD arrests for breaking “social distancing”...
Undocumented Workers Contributed $1.2 Billion To Unemployment Funds, Report Says
Undocumented workers have contributed $1.2 billion dollars into federal and state unemployment insurance over the last 10 years. They just don't benefit from it. That's according to a new report by New Jersey Policy Perspective. "Not providing for folks that have lost...
Amid Skepticism, Minnesota Banks Respond to Calls for Change
Racial disparities in Minnesota were getting more focus before the police killing of George Floyd. Black entrepreneurs hope the increased awareness raised by national and worldwide protests will turn the heads of larger banks so communities of color will see more...
Kudlow says extra $600 for unemployment benefits will end in July
Bill Rodgers, chief economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers: “There is economic literature that shows when non-labor income (in this case UI Benefits) go up, the likelihood of searching for work goes down. The research also shows that when the...
Balancing the budget with bonds is a bad idea: Comments before NJ Senate Budget Committee
On June 11, Richard Keevey was invited to provide testimony to the NJ State Budget Committee on the upcoming budget decisions to be made. He noted that "This is, in my view, a critical time for the state -- we should not borrow large sums of money to balance the...
Former Labor Dept. chief economist on what Fed can do to address socioeconomic disparity
Bill Rodgers, Rutgers University professor of public policy and former chief economist at Department of Labor, joins ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss what the Federal Reserve can do to address racial inequality. CNBC.com, June 10, 2020
Fed’s Changing Jobs Doctrine Comes to Grips With Racial Inequity
The coronavirus pandemic and a wave of social unrest across the country have put a spotlight on the deep inequality between black and white America. A shift in focus at the U.S. central bank is, too. According to William Rodgers, a former Labor Department official who...