Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Audrey Lane, president of the Garden State Initiative.

In this episode, we’re joined by Charles Steindel Ph.D, who recently authored a report for GSI titled “New Jersey’s Film Tax Subsidy: Is it Worth it?”, which argues that the state’s much-ballyhooed film tax credit subsidies will never generate the economic growth sufficient to cover their cost.

Dr. Steindel is a contributor of analysis on economic issues and government data reports for GSI and most recently served as a Resident Scholar of the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College. He was previously Chief Economist of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and, previously, a Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Janet Yellen, former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank, and current Secretary of the Treasury, said “Charles Steindel is a pro. He guided the Federal Reserve for decades on the interpretation of U.S. economic statistics.”

Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Audrey Lane, president of the Garden State Initiative.

In this episode, we dive deep into the pressing issue of New Jersey’s underfunded teacher pension system. Joining us are Danielle Zanzalari, an Assistant Professor of Economics at Seton Hall University, and E.J. McMahon, Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Together, they present a groundbreaking report, “ABP: A Smarter Retirement Plan for New Jersey Teachers (and Taxpayers),” which proposes a radical solution: introducing a Defined Benefit Model (DBM) as an alternative to the existing Defined Contribution Model (DCM).

Zanzalari and McMahon argue that the current system is failing teachers and taxpayers alike. By offering teachers more choice in their retirement planning, the DBM can address the teacher shortage, improve pension fund solvency, and alleviate New Jersey’s fiscal woes.

Learn more about the benefits of the DBM, the challenges of the current system, and the potential impact on both teachers and taxpayers. Tune in to this insightful discussion and discover how New Jersey can create a more sustainable and equitable retirement future for its educators.

Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea of the Garden State Initiative.

In this series, GSI traveled to the State House in Trenton for one-on-one interviews with legislators, business leaders, and members of the press to discuss Governor Murphy’s latest budget proposal and GSI’s recent report, New Jersey’s Fiscal Cliff Explained.

In this episode, Regina Egea speaks with NJ Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio regarding Governor Murphy’s most recent state budget proposal. DiMaio notes that the proposed $54 billion budget should be revised to better serve the needs and interests of the people of New Jersey, specifically criticizing that the budget won’t address property taxes.

DiMaio proposes solutions including revisiting tax brackets and cutting unnecessary spending, and highlights that the state should not increase spending, but look for fiscal efficiencies. With state revenue trending down and spending going up, DiMaio suggests cutting the $1.5 billion increase that was added in the final days of the last budget process.