GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS
Improving the Function and Transparency of Government
GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS
When it comes to Unemployment Insurance, Motor Vehicles, NJ Transit, or other state agencies, our residents too often encounter government agencies that fail when they are needed most. The Garden State Initiative works to innovate the function of government agencies to best serve our citizens while promoting transparency to the public.
STAY IN THE LOOP WITH NEW JERSEY GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS
44th
Road Conditions
50th for road condition and cost effectiveness (Source: Reason Foundation).
#2
Public School Ranking
Public School ranking: #2 in academic performance, spending 3rd most at $20,021.
$28,643
Pension Liabilities
Unfunded pension liabilities in New Jersey sit at $28,643 per capita, 46th in the U.S. (Source: ALEC)
F
Financial Health Rating
New Jersey is rated F for fiscal management and public debt (Source: Truth in Accounting).
FEATURED POST
PODCAST: Overtaxing and Overspending: Budget Outlook with South Jersey Assemblyman Antwan McClellan
April 19, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President 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. Our guest on this episode of GSI’s new Budget Series is Deputy Minority…
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THE LATEST WORK ON GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS
New Jersey Needs More Budget Transparency
November 8, 2024
For state government to truly serve the people, there must be more transparency in New Jersey’s budget process. More than…
PODCAST: How Open are Public Records in New Jersey?
May 24, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast. On May 1, 2024, Garden State Initiative’s Annual Policy Forum at the Hyatt Regency…
PODCAST: NJ Assemblywoman Matsikoudis on Budget Expectations, Tax Policies, and Solutions for New Jersey’s Economic Challenges
May 10, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea of the Garden State Initiative. In this series, GSI traveled to the State…
PODCAST: Overtaxing and Overspending: Budget Outlook with South Jersey Assemblyman Antwan McClellan
April 19, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President of the Garden State Initiative. In this series, GSI traveled to…
PODCAST: New Jersey Senate GOP Leaders Criticize Budget Proposal
April 5, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President of the Garden State Initiative. As part of a special…
PODCAST: Sen. Michael Testa on the Impact of the Proposed Budget on South Jersey
March 8, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President of the Garden State Initiative. In this series, GSI traveled…
PODCAST: New Jersey’s Fiscal Cliff: Explained, with Professor Thad Calabrese
March 1, 2024
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President of the Garden State Initiative. In this episode, Thad D. Calabrese…
RELEASE: Garden State Initiative Report: New Jersey on the Brink of a Fiscal Cliff
February 22, 2024
Leading think tank releases “New Jersey’s Fiscal Cliff Explained” and offers a six-point policy recommendation to lead the state back…
Garden State Initiative Report: New Jersey on the Brink of a Fiscal Cliff
February 22, 2024
Leading think tank releases “New Jersey’s Fiscal Cliff Explained” and offers a six-point policy recommendation to lead the state back…
PODCAST: Trenton Watch: What’s in Store for ’24 with Senator Vince Polistina
December 28, 2023
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – featuring guest host Audrey Lane, Policy Director of the Garden State Initiative. In…
GSI’s EGEA: Combination of Declining Revenues & Rising Unemployment Spell Trouble for New Jersey
November 17, 2023
Governor Murphy and the State Legislature need to confront the reality of declining revenue and propose solutions to reduce spending…
PODCAST: Fighting the Budget Wars in Trenton (with Brian Bergen)
November 10, 2023
Welcome to the GSI Briefing podcast – hosted by Regina Egea, President of the Garden State Initiative. In this episode,…
GSI’s EGEA: The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia coincident indexes report is, “is another indication that New Jersey’s economic outlook is bleak.”
October 25, 2023
Garden State Initiative’s president, Regina M. Egea, issued the following statement on the The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia September…
GSI’s EGEA: September ‘23 Jobs Report
October 19, 2023
Garden State Initiative’s president, Regina M. Egea, issued the following statement on the September ‘23 Jobs Report: “Today’s report forecasts…
The Importance of Education Funding Efficiency in New Jersey
August 3, 2023
New Jersey's school funding formula allocates three types of aid to school districts annually: equalization aid, categorical aid, and grants…
New Jersey’s EV Drivers are Getting a Free Ride
July 11, 2023
As the state’s annual budget process is now in the rearview mirror, some attention is due to an emerging issue…
GSI’s Egea: “Let’s call this budget what it is: A fiscal calamity”
June 30, 2023
Garden State Initiative’s president, Regina M. Egea, issued the following statement on the passage of New Jersey’s Fiscal Year 2024…
A Tax Deduction for Union Dues but Not NJ Charities?
June 22, 2023
Talk about misplaced priorities! It was reported this week that Assemblymembers Anthony Verrelli (D-Hunterdon/Mercer) and Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) have introduced…
Trenton’s Health Benefits “Solutions” Fail NJ Taxpayers
June 5, 2023
A new report issued by the New Jersey State Treasury, researched by Aon, a management consulting firm, made the startling…
GSI’s Smith Talks Transit on “Power and Politics”
May 1, 2023
This past weekend, William J. Smith, GSI's Director of Communications & Media Relations was interviewed on News 12 New Jersey's…
A Billion Rea$ons to “Restructure” NJ Transit
April 25, 2023
Garden State residents were greeted with headlines last week that the state’s public transportation agency, NJ Transit, is looking at…
Phil Murphy’s proposed budget includes nearly 2,000 unfilled state jobs
April 5, 2023
People interested in working for the state of New Jersey may soon see more opportunities to do just that. The…
Study: New Jersey Ranks Low in Providing Value to Taxpayers
March 27, 2023
In defending New Jersey’s high taxes, Gov. Phil Murphy has often cited a “value proposition” of what state residents are…
The Real Cost to New Jersey of Being an Outlier: The Impact of Steep Corporate Tax Rates
March 13, 2023
Over the last quarter century, New Jersey’s high business taxes have led to an outmigration of businesses, loss of income…
Are Garden State motorists the piggy bank to bailout NJ Transit’s failure to adjust?
March 9, 2023
Early in his first term, Gov. Phil Murphy made the exasperated pledge to “to fix NJ Transit, if it kills…
New Jersey ranks at the rock bottom financially, according to a new study | Opinion
December 20, 2022
By Thomas J. Healey It’s easy for New Jersey taxpayers to feel positive about their government’s financial condition. First full…
This is why it’s time to revisit New Jersey’s clean energy options | Opinion
November 17, 2022
New Jersey families have been hard hit this year by inflation and it’s about to get worse as PSEG recently…
How much will NJ taxpayers and public workers get slammed by health plan hikes?
October 14, 2022
As health insurance sign-up season begins, everyone is bracing for hikes in their premiums. But one group already knows that…
Op-Ed: Missteps behind America’s energy security challenges | Opinion
July 28, 2022
The following op-ed appeared on NJ.com and in the Jersey Journal. By Regina M. Egea When the president made the…
A Promise Not Kept: New Jersey’s Failure to Support Veteran Owned Businesses
May 9, 2022
GSI, NJ Vets Chamber of Commerce report demonstrates failure of state to enforce set asides in procurement, offers policy changes…
NJ Energy Policies Disrespect Our Families by Leaving Us in the Dark and Cold – GSI
March 21, 2022
By Regina M. Egea, President, GSI New Jersey families are paying electricity rates 16% above the U.S. average. Energy is…
Inflation & War Demand a Suspension of New Jersey’s Gas Tax – GSI
March 9, 2022
By William J. Smith, GSI StaffAs the world continues to be horrified by images of the Russian military invasion of…
A Means to Close New Jersey’s Electric Vehicle Gap
February 8, 2022
We’ve all heard that electric vehicles (EV) are the wave of the future. A recent Pew Trusts study shows that…
NorthJersey.com: New Jersey’s pension fund is crossing the tipping point | Opinion
December 15, 2021
By Andrew Biggs and Thomas J. Healey As members of the New Jersey Legislature consider a proposal to add themselves…
PODCAST: NJ Pension Fund Crossing the Tipping Point: Looming Impact of More Retirees than Workers
December 14, 2021
In this episode of The GSI Briefing , Regina Egea is joined by Andrew Biggs, Ph.D. of the American Enterprise…
NorthJersey.com: NJ public pensions face fiscal peril as new police and fire retirees grow, report says
December 14, 2021
By Dustin Racioppi New Jersey’s pension system for public employees costs more than most other states while offering "generous" benefits that…
NJ Pension Fund Crossing the Tipping Point: Looming impact of more retirees than employees
December 14, 2021
Comprehensive Analysis Showcases Public Impacts and Outlines Policy SolutionsAging demographics of public workforce accelerating financial pressureCurrent NJ pension system is…
GSI Report: NJ Pension Fund Crossing the Tipping Point: Looming impact of more retirees than employees
December 14, 2021
Comprehensive Analysis Showcases Public Impacts and Outlines Policy Solutions Aging demographics of public workforce accelerating financial pressure Current NJ pension…
NJ.com: The cost of public transit in New Jersey is being paid by those with the least access to it
November 15, 2021
By Jonathan Peters and Richard FlanaganAs the authors of Garden State Initiative’s new report, “The Road to Equitable Transportation Policy…
NJ Spotlight News: Opinion: Why NJ’s not yet ready for roads teeming with electric vehicles
November 8, 2021
By Regina M. Egea and Sal RisalvatoIn 2020 New Jersey’s Electric Vehicle Act set an ambitious goal of getting 330,000…
Press of Atlantic City: South Jersey deserves fair share of transportation
November 3, 2021
By Regina Egea and Christina RennaFor many years, South Jersey residents have complained that while paying their fair share of…
PODCAST: The Road to Equitable Transportation Policy in New Jersey
October 27, 2021
In this episode of The GSI Briefing, Regina Egea is joined by Dr. Jonathan Peters, who along with his colleagues, Drs.…
The Road to Equitable Transportation Policy in New Jersey: An Assessment of Cost Burdens, Gaps in Mobility and Recommendations for Reform
October 25, 2021
Report Examines Disparities in State Transportation Policy & Emerging Challenges Click here to read the report In a new research…
NJ’s Antiquated Teacher Pension Plans Fail Educators and Taxpayers – GSI
September 13, 2021
By GSI StaffWhile Trenton and teachers’ union officials continue to be married to underfunded and archaic defined-benefit pensions, 14 states…
NJ’s Government is Squandering Industry Settlements Meant to Help the Addicted – GSI
September 8, 2021
By William J. Smith, GSI StaffThrough a series of legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and marketers, New Jersey will soon…
Following California’s Energy Policies Could Leave New Jersey in the Dark – GSI
September 1, 2021
By William J. Smith, GSI Staff Sometimes the consequences of your decisions catch up to you. Even when you’re in…
PODCAST: NJ’s Energy Master Plan: What It Will Cost You
August 18, 2021
In this episode of the The GSI Briefing, GSI’s president Regina Egea was joined by Rick Mroz, former president of…
NJ Spotlight: Nonpartisan group wants administration to put price on clean-energy transition ASAP
August 5, 2021
By Tom Johnson, Energy & Environmental Issues ReporterA nonpartisan research group has called on the Murphy administration to put a…
New Jersey’s Energy Future: At What Cost to You?
August 4, 2021
Report Examines NJ’s Energy Master Plan, the Unanswered Questions on Impact to Residents, and Calls for Pause Until Cost Analysis…
The “Same Old Thing” is Not Acceptable for NJ Commuters – GSI
July 8, 2021
By William J. Smith, GSI Staff“The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of…
NJ Spotlight: Now is our chance to transform New Jersey and the future of our cities
June 21, 2021
By Regina M. EgeaA strong and stable economic future for New Jersey as a whole, as well as specifically our…
NJ Spotlight: Cost of NJ’s green-energy plan remains unknown
May 6, 2021
By Tom JohnsonThe state is hiring an outside consultant to analyze what its transition to clean energy will cost ratepayers,…
NJ.com: Our tolls are paying for NJ Transit’s failures
April 26, 2021
By Regina M. EgeaA dysfunctional Motor Vehicle Commission operation since last July. An unnecessary gas tax last August. Double-digit toll…
GSI’s Egea Talks Energy on NJCPA’s IssuesWatch Podcast
April 13, 2021
From the New Jersey Society of CPAs IssuesWatch Podcast, hosted by Jeff Kaszerman, vice president of government relations: The vast…
Bond Buyer: Murphy’s full pension payment revives debate over New Jersey overhaul
February 25, 2021
By Paul BurtonGov. Phil Murphy’s call for New Jersey to make its first full pension contribution in 25 years is…
APP.com: How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts
February 8, 2021
By Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, and Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublicaOne town’s police contract guaranteed a…
GSI Briefing: Transit and Transportation Priorities Post-COVID
February 1, 2021
The restructuring of traditional office arrangements and the widespread adoption of home offices are together challenging our region's transportation authorities…
NJ.com: COVID changed how we work. Experts say commuting in N.J. must now change, too.
January 28, 2021
By Larry HiggsTransit agencies have to make changes to their service and operations to prepare for how the work week…
NJ Spotlight: Pension payments, maintaining a robust surplus, promised tax relief: NJ’s looming budget challenges
January 8, 2021
By John ReitmeyerComing off a year marked by credit-rating downgrades and major revenue losses triggered by the pandemic, managing the…
Wall Street Journal: The N.J. Teachers Who Get Paid Not to Teach
January 4, 2021
By Jon Riches and Justin MeyersShould New Jersey’s taxpayers—strained under one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country—be paying…
Trentonian: Of course we should merge transportation agencies … and everything else
December 28, 2020
By Jeff EdelsteinEvery so often - more often than Halley’s Comet, less often than the number of Hayley’s you’ll meet…
NJ Spotlight News: How spending on NJ’s transportation projects this year quietly went from $2B to $2.6B
November 23, 2020
By John ReitmeyerDespite revenue losses triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration has turbocharged spending on transportation projects…
Suspend the Gas Tax until New Jersey Delivers Infrastructure Improvements
July 21, 2020
GSI’s Egea: Suspend the Gas Tax until New Jersey Delivers Promised Infrastructure Improvements GSI’s president Regina Egea appeared with business…
ROI-NJ: GSI report – Gas Tax fails to deliver infrastructure improvements
July 15, 2020
By Emily Bader As New Jersey reopens and residents return back to work, many more are on the roads utilizing…
NJ.com: It’s time for NJ’s public employees to make some sacrifices
June 18, 2020
By Michele N. SiekerkaWith New Jersey in the throes of a historic economic crisis, it is abundantly clear that tough…
GSI calls on Gov. Murphy to Veto Toll Increases on Turnpike, Parkway & AC Expressway
May 27, 2020
Garden State Initiative’s president, Regina M. Egea, issued the following statement calling upon Governor Phil Murphy to veto the toll…
Bloomberg: Murphy to Beg, Borrow With Pledge of Billions for N.J. Pensions
May 22, 2020
By Elise Young & David VoreacosIn the aftermath of the new coronavirus, New Jersey’s finances have been a blur of…
Center Square NJ: Federal stimulus package reportedly includes $1.25 billion for New Jersey Transit
March 31, 2020
by Joe Chen(The Center Square) – The $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday reportedly…
NJ Spotlight: Toll-Hike Plan for Turnpike, Parkway Gets Mixed Reviews
March 19, 2020
by John ReitmeyerA plan to hike tolls on both the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike to help fund…
Politico: Coronavirus turmoil scrambles state budget talks, threatens pension gains
March 13, 2020
by Ryan HutchinsThe financial turmoil that has chased the coronavirus across the globe is threatening to upend state budget talks,…
GSI Analysis: Checking In on NJ’s Infrastructure Investments
February 19, 2020
At today’s Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) summit focused on New Jersey’s ports, GSI’s president Regina M.…
Press of Atlantic City: Residents shouldn’t overpay to make NJ clean energy leader
February 13, 2020
Gov. Phil Murphy outlined the state’s new Energy Master Plan at Stockton University recently, adding some policies and initiatives to…
ProPublica: What Happens When a Health Plan Has No Limits? An Acupuncturist Earns $677 a Session.
December 27, 2019
by Marshall AllenJudging by the marketing, it would seem that the teachers of New Jersey have collectively thrown out their…
NJ Spotlight: Sweeney Seeks Local Support for Public-Worker Benefit Reforms
November 21, 2019
Saying New Jersey has run “out of time” to address its major fiscal problems, Senate President Steve Sweeney urged local…
NJ.com: N.J.’s public worker pension system is the worst-funded in the nation. Again.
September 30, 2019
By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comNew Jersey’s pension fund for government workers remains the most severely underfunded in the…
GSI Analysis: 25% of NJ Public Employee Pensions paid to out of state residents, far Above U.S. Rate of 10%
August 26, 2019
by William J. Smith, GSI’s Director of Communications & Media RelationsAre New Jersey’s public employee retirees remaining in-state or leaving…
Report: New Jersey Ranks 50th in the Nation in Highway Performance and Cost-Effectiveness
August 22, 2019
GSI is once again ahead of the curve. Just two weeks after we released a report on $2 billion in…
NJTV News: Unhappy with the state of Jersey’s roads? Then get a load of this
August 13, 2019
Asking New Jersey drivers what they think of the condition of the state’s roads is likely to produce a response…
ROI-NJ: Getting the most from N.J. infrastructure investments
August 8, 2019
By Regina M. Egea, Garden State InitiativeThere is broad agreement that infrastructure is the lifeblood of New Jersey’s economy. In…
NJ.com: There’s a cheaper way to fix roads in N.J. We’re just doing it wrong, study says.
August 8, 2019
Nothing in New Jersey is cheap, from the mortgage to taxes and many things in between.The price to build roads…
NJBiz.com: Garden State Initiative projects $2B savings in roads and bridges
August 8, 2019
Garden State Initiative released a report Wednesday identifying $2 billion in savings that can be reinvested for tangible improvements to New Jersey…
GSI Research: Adding It All Up: The Path to Saving $2 Billion on the Cost of New Jersey’s Roads and Bridges
August 7, 2019
Garden State Initiative (GSI) today released Adding It All Up: The Path to Saving $2 Billion on the Cost of New…
Adding It All Up: The Path to Saving $2 Billion on the Cost of New Jersey’s Roads and Bridges
August 7, 2019
Click above to view the report The third in a series of reports focusing on the true size…
NJ.com: Why should N.J. taxpayers pay 50 percent more for public workers’ benefits, pensions?
August 5, 2019
By Regina EgeaWhile we’ve been hearing a lot about the U.S. debt ceiling lately, reporters and politicians know how difficult…
ROI-NJ: GSI analysis: Big gap in benefit cost in public, private sectors in N.J.
July 26, 2019
Garden State Initiative on Thursday analyzed the latest employee compensation data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and found major differences in…
Analysis: The Stark Gap in Benefit Costs in Public and Private Sectors in NJ and US
July 25, 2019
Click to access report The Garden State Initiative today released “The Stark Gap Between Public and Private Employee Benefits”, an analysis…
APP.com: State benefits hurt middle class
April 8, 2019
The debate over what to do about the fiscal crisis with the public employee pension and health costs is front…
NJ Spotlight: Is NJ’s $1.2B School Transportation System Ripe for Savings?
February 21, 2019
SCHOOL DISTRICTS SPEND MORE EACH YEAR FERRYING PUPILS THAN ON SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. A NEW REPORT SUGGESTS BIG…
Adding It All Up: New Jersey’s Opportunity to Reduce $200 Million in School Transportation Costs
February 20, 2019
Click above to view the report The second in a multi-part series focusing on the true size of New…
GSI Research: Adding It All Up: NJ’s Opportunity to Reduce $200 Million in School Transportation Costs
February 20, 2019
The second in a multi-part series focusing on the true size of New Jersey’s expansive government, how much is being…
NJ Spotlight: Sweeney Seizes the Mic, Holds His Own Town Halls, But Where’s Murphy?
February 19, 2019
Hitting the town-hall circuit to pitch the latest big policy initiative is a time-honored tradition in New Jersey, and in…
APP.com: NJ’s $117 billion spending problem, writ large: Bergmann
February 1, 2019
Opinion Editor Randy Bergmann of the Asbury Park Press (APP.com) writes on the Adding It All Up report issued by Garden State Initiative this…
GSI’s Egea: You don’t have to outrun the bear — just the other guy
January 2, 2019
The following opinion piece was published on ROI-NJ.com on January 2, 2019. For New Jersey’s economy to win compared with…
Report Card: New Jersey Earns D- for Failure to Address Pension Crisis
December 18, 2018
From GSI Staff: As students around the country are taking their final exams before winter break, the state of New…
Press of Atlantic City: As Sweeney talks pension reform, rating-agency report confirms threat to state
December 7, 2018
New Jersey’s finances are a mess. Despite years of massive taxation, officials can barely pay the interest on its $48…
APP.com: Opinion: N.J. pensions: State must deal with budget’s third rail
December 5, 2018
In August, the Economic Policy Workgroup, established by state Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, with extensive participation from Republican and Democratic…
NJ Spotlight: S&P Notes Progress but Ranks NJ’s Among Worst Funded Pension Systems
November 1, 2018
New Jersey still has one of the nation’s worst-funded public-employee pension plans despite recent efforts to improve conditions using larger…
APP.com: Opinion: Without benefits reform, Murphy economic goals unachievable
October 19, 2018
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently revealed his economic development master plan with a 2025 horizon. He is focused on…
Report: NJ Worst of the Nation’s Sinkhole States
October 10, 2018
From GSI Staff: The State of New Jersey continues to win titles that no one wants. This time ranking 50th…
Press of Atlantic City: $496M Health Benefits Savings is Overdue Cut In NJ Wasteful Spending
October 5, 2018
Gov. Phil Murphy announced last month that his administration had reached a deal on government employee and retiree health benefits…