By William J. Smith, GSI Staff A year ago, state leaders across the nation were anxiously anticipating that the fiscal sky was falling and, barring a massive federal bailout, draconian budget cuts and tax increases were all but certain due…

By William J. Smith, GSI StaffA new report from Pew Trusts illustrates the severity of New Jersey’s employment crisis.Among workers in their prime earning years, ages 25-54, the Garden State experienced the 4th highest drop in employment in the nation…

By GSI StaffWhile Trenton and teachers’ union officials continue to be married to underfunded and archaic defined-benefit pensions, 14 states have created alternative retirement plans for teachers. Several states have default retirement plans similar to a 401(k), in which teachers…

By William J. Smith, GSI StaffThrough a series of legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and marketers, New Jersey will soon have hundreds of millions of dollars at its disposal to attack our opioid addiction and overdose crisis. Earlier this year,…

By William J. Smith, GSI Staff Sometimes the consequences of your decisions catch up to you. Even when you’re in government where there seems to be little accountability. Case in point: California’s recent decision to authorize the construction of 5…

By William J. Smith, GSI StaffWith Iowa’s phased-in implementation of tax reform completed this year, New Jersey sits atop the nation with the highest business tax in the country at 11.5%. No other state even reaches double-digits. This burden has…

By Regina M. Egea, President, Garden State InitiativeEconomic growth is never driven nor undermined by just one policy decision.  Clear-eyed analyses of what underlies our current performance needs to guide any policy choice. View fullsize Click to enlarge New Jersey’s…