State, local government jobs jumped since 2000, In NJ the private sector stayed flat

Star Ledger ^ | 06.25.06 | STEVE CHAMBERS AND ROBERT GEBELOFF

[Coleus]

New Jersey added 59,400 state and local-government jobs in the first half of this decade, even as private-sector employment was flat, a Star-Ledger analysis has found. The 11 percent increase in government jobs -- driven largely by ballooning education payrolls -- outpaced population growth and came at a time of rising anger over skyrocketing property taxes.

"It's an incredible number that leaves private businessmen and taxpayers scratching their heads and saying, 'How is this possible?'" said Philip Kirschner, president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. "The economy is the same for all of us, so where are the public entities getting the money? We all know the answer to that question."

It is a basic rule of economics that private-sector jobs pay the bills that government jobs produce, which explains why New Jersey is suffering from huge budget gaps and soaring property taxes, experts said. In 2005, there were almost 580,000 state and local-government jobs. "It's probably the best indicator of why we have a property tax problem," said James Hughes, a Rutgers University dean who often writes about the regional economy. "It relates to the expenditure side of the equation."

The issue of taxation -- and voter anger -- will be center stage this week in Trenton, as lawmakers and Gov. Jon Corzine wrestle over the best way to balance the budget. It also will be the subject of a summer session targeting rising property taxes. Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) and Minority Leader Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) have both said there must be a focus on cutting budgets, and neither said he was surprised to hear the public-sector growth statistics, which are reported by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

[Coleus]

one of the many reasons why NJ has some of the highest, if not the highest, property taxes in the USA.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"The 11 percent increase in government jobs -- driven largely by ballooning education payrolls -- outpaced population growth and came at a time of rising anger over skyrocketing property taxes."

[AlaskaErik]

The issue of taxation -- and voter anger -- will be center stage this week in Trenton, as lawmakers and Gov. Jon Corzine wrestle over the best way to balance the budget.

And come November the idiot sheeple of the PRNJ will dutifully vote straight-line for Rats.

[BigTom85]

Few friends of mine moved to NJ a few yrs back.. From what they tell us, taxes are KILLING them! I cringed when they told me how much they pay in property tax for a half acre of land with a modest house on it.

[BigTom85]

The final vote was Corzine 54%, Forrester 43%.... definetly not 'straight-line'.... but they still got beat by a good amount. The large dirty toilet bowl cities of NJ (Newark, Jersey City, Camden) destory the entire state.

[tcostell]

I really think we should try to put an effort together to get some honest reporting of the issue out of the local media in New Jersey. The original plan was to increase the sales tax from 6% to 7% but the MSM calls that a one penny increase.

The concept of cutting spending is totally off the table.

It's surreal.