<p>drizzit- NJ has a large % of retirees but like many of the older NE States we are seeing a net migration out of the State. It is an expensive place to live but with two major cities NYC and Philadelphia there were a lot of high paying jobs. NJ also was very strong in pharmaceutical companies and the good jobs that went along.
NJ and Ct. always jockey for highest average income but we also jockey for lowest return of tax money sent from the Federal government.
If NJ got closer to 1-1 in money from the feds and it went to higher ed. our colleges would be just as inexpensive as Va., NC, SC etc. The Federal government funds a lot of those States spending.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t even know the price of instate tuition for UMCP, but I do know that instate tuition in NC is eye opening! I know that when we visited a school in the UNC system they announced that instate tuition with R&B cost 12,000!!! If I lived in NC, I would look no further than instate tuition at one of their public Us.</p>
<p>I was very impressed with the NC system. They are also very transparent with fiscal date- funding etc.</p>
<p>In 2005 NJ sent $86,112 to the US government in taxes (in millions) and received $58,617 back while NC sent $52,547 and received $59,162 back.</p>
<p>NJ got 61 cents for every dollar while NC got $1.08.</p>
<p>NJ should cut government pay and BENEFITS including retirement 20% to start. They should merge towns so that there is not a new town and new government very two miles. They should fire 15% of all government workers. Then you start to cut.</p>
<p>Sure TOMM but some of that is based on Federal Highway $$ and based on miles of federal Highway to Maintain. NJ is pretty small and fewer miles of Federal highway to maintain. To just lump it like that is a bit deceptive.</p>
<p>I suspect NC gets some farm support that NJ does not qualify for as well. It is not like NC can pump all this into education</p>
<p>I would disagree with OP, that, “In most states the state has to appropriate $$$ to pay for the bonding.” </p>
<p>I would say that some states has to appropriate $$$. And in other states, there is a bonding authority that dedicates a revenue source to pay the bonds.</p>
<p>Glad, I don’t have to pay for airport expansion. Airport users do.</p>
<p>In NJ, it seems higher up saren’t concerned about the high costs (remember to include the ever escalating fees when citing tuition costs). Their solution is to push the less expensive community college option, as if the education is comparable.</p>
<p>barrons- sorry took so long to get back to you. I agree salaries, benefits and the number of employees need to be cut. I do not agree with an across the board everyone is cut 20% but I believe there should be a cap on the high end of about $130,000. I was shocked when I read about police and fire chiefs that make well above that. I have a similar title and have more staff reporting to me than every police or fire chief in the State and some make over 100% more than I do. I do not buy that you can not get school supers. or law enforcement chiefs if you cap the pay. The real problem is NJ has 400,000 workers at the local level and 80,000 at the State level that needs to be cut. I am not sure an entry level job paying 35-40k needs to be cut 20% but a police chief in a town of 50,000 does not deserve to be paid $215k nor does a school administrator need to get $300k.</p>
<p>Yes, and the number of independent jurisdictions and schoold ditricts is just crazy. Towns of 1,000 with their own police force and city government. Many of these could be consolidated.</p>
<p>Well, my son just transferred from the University of Delaware to Rutgers, and it is costing us more in room, board and fees for him to be in-state!</p>