New Jersey’s $59 billion government needs to get bigger, progressives say

🔴 Progressive report says NJ’s dwindling state workforce is hurting residents.

🔴 Gov. Murphy’s final budget tops $59B — with more than $1B in new taxes.

🔴 GOP critic slams proposal to hire thousands more state workers, calling it “crazy.”

The Garden State is poised to spend $59 billion this fiscal year to pay public employees and fund programs.

Gov. Phil Murphy's final budget includes over $1 billion in new taxes. But a progressive think tank says it's not enough.

New Jersey needs more state workers and residents will suffer without a bolstered public workforce, according to a new report from New Jersey Policy Perspective.

The report finds that New Jersey currently has 55,000 state employees. That's 19,000 fewer than it had nearly 20 years ago in 2006.

It's a reduction in the state workforce of around 26% despite the population swelling by more than 860,000 residents to 9.5 million people today.

New Jersey think tank says ‘Big Government’ is a myth

According to NJPP, those cuts prove that "Big Government" in New Jersey is a myth.

The think tank claims that a "gutted" state government has led to longer wait times at government offices and the Motor Vehicle Commission. Fewer public servants, like teachers and trash collectors, have also resulted in larger class sizes and delays in trash pickup, the report says.

It also says poor cost analysis has led to increased costs for bridges and roads.

NJPP advocates for more tax enforcement staff to collect more in taxes from residents and businesses. This would pay for the state workforce rebuild, the report says.

Republican backlash to hiring proposal

However, the suggestion to hire more state workers doesn't sit well with state Sen. Declan O'Scanlon. He says the idea is shortsighted.

"Policy Perspective would increase our workforce and increase pay and dramatically increase our almost $60 billion budget. Are they crazy?" O'Scanlon said.

The Republican budget officer said Trenton worked hard during the Christie administration to cut state government inefficiencies.

That included cutting the state workforce through attrition. O'Scanlon said they found that fewer state employees didn't lead to worse services, and that hiring more workers won't necessarily make things better or more efficient.

Warning of government bloat from Chris Christie

It's a point that former Gov. Chris Christie hammered home in his last State of the State address.

Christie said when he took office in 2010, New Jersey's government was on the brink of financial ruin. It faced a $2 billion deficit from outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine’s administration.

"We inherited a budget that was bloated, out of balance and riddled with gimmicks," Christie said. "Too many employees doing too little and costing too much."

"If we revert to the policies of the past, it is a short road back to disaster," the former governor warned in 2018.

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