NJ SEED

NJ SEED notes with sadness the recent passing of Ambassador William Hughes.

Bill Hughes was first elected to Congress in 1974 and for 20 years represented the state’s 2^ndCongressional District.He retired from Congress in 1995 and was subsequently appointed Ambassador to Panama where he served until 1998. A long-time friend of both labor and business, Ambassador Hughes was a recipient of NJ SEED’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill Hughes was a distinguished public servant. May he rest eternal.

How Will NJ Fund Transportation Projects if Input from Gas Tax Dwindles?

November 12, 2019 | njspotlight.com 

If New Jersey achieves its goal of electrifying its transportation system, it poses one new great challenge for policymakers. How do you replace the billions of dollars annually raised by a gas tax to fund road improvements and mass transit projects?

NJ SEED: It’s an old story, government seeks to control or prohibit the use of a certain product and is distressed because of the resultant loss of tax revenues the product produced, i.e. tobacco. For consequences of such actions look no further than California where electric vehicles are all but mandated at a time with electric utilities shut off power. Unfortunately too many well intentioned politicians fail to consider the law of unintended consequences.

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Seeking Voter Approval of Ban on New Fossil-Fueled Power Plants in NJ

November 7, 2019 | njspotlight.com 

It falls short of being a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure, but prominent state legislators are pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban new power plants fired by either natural gas, coal or oil.
The bipartisan proposal (SCR-197) was introduced this summer, but its backers are hoping to put the question before voters statewide no later than 2021, timing that might be too late to block a handful of power plant projects pending in New Jersey.

NJ SEED: Absolute restrictions and prohibitions are generally not wise public policy. Notwithstanding environmentalists’ passion to cripple the economy, legislating an absolute ban on power generated from facilities using fossil fuels is unwise at best.

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The List: What to Expect During Lame-Duck Legislative Session

November 8, 2019 | njspotlight.com 

With Election Day receding in the mirror, Assembly speaker assesses what might happen during the closing days of this term

NJ SEED: The Lame-Duck Session of the NJ Legislature. As they used to say of the 7^thrace at Monmouth Park – Anything Can Happen. It is the time when NJ taxpayers are most often struck by “Jersey Lighting”. Speaker Coughlin predicts a busy few weeks between now and January. NJ SEED members need to keep an especially watchful eye on the legislature.

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NJDOL Expands Career Accelerator STEM Internship Program

November 8, 2019 | insidernj.com 

In recognition of National STEM Day on Friday, Nov. 8, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced the expansion of its Career Accelerator Internship Program.
This streamlined program offers financial assistance in STEM occupations – and opens doors to careers in many of the Garden State’s key industry sectors by increasing funding incentives to businesses.

NJ SEED commends the Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development for it STEM initiative. Support for training programs in the areas of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as addressing the inadequate number of teachers skilled to educate in these subject area is a vital and appropriate program for government to be perusing in support of workforce development. 

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