In the face of budget surpluses and soaring energy prices, it would seem that consoling consumers in this manner is more than just a patriotic duty for legislators–but this is wrong in multiple ways.
Topic
Michael Lahr
NJ needs a Sweeney budget center at Rowan
The policy center’s advisory board, which Sweeney will chair, already includes a stellar roster of economics and fiscal policy talent, including Thomas J. Healey, senior fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and former assistant secretary of the U.S....
New Jersey State Policy Lab: Adjustments to Municipal and County Population Counts in New Jersey for 2020
According to the latest Census count, NJ’s population peaked above 9 million for the first time in 2020. Census estimates were off by a whopping 4.3 percent.
New Jersey State Policy Lab: What’s Up with Gasoline Prices?
Some of this rise should have been expected. Gas taxes, the relative value of the dollar, lower than usual supply, and higher than usual demand are some of the key factors.
A Multi-Decennial Census Data Set for NJ, 2010 and 2020 (and More): A New Jersey State Policy Lab Offering
This census-based product will appeal to municipal governments within the State of New Jersey because it is provided in an easily read format (Microsoft Excel) but also provides historical reference and shows change across New Jersey’s counties and municipalities since the last decennial census.
New Jersey State Policy Lab: An Early 2022 Inflation Update for New Jersey
Because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we should expect substantially more inflation over the next year in the form of energy prices.
New Jersey Policy Lab: Has New Jersey’s Housing Market Peaked? A New Year’s Assessment
The available stock of both single-family and townhouses for sale has been progressively falling since July 2021 when it reached a pandemic peak. But even that peak was close to a third of numbers ten years prior.
New Jersey Policy Lab: A Primer on Housing Markets with a Bird’s Eye View on New Jersey
Expect telecommuting and surge of millennials forming families to push housing demands in NJ, especially in “good” school districts. Lahr notes a widening gap between housing starts and completions–due to supply chain challenges–and considers pandemic impacts on low-income households.
Philadelphia’s soda tax added jobs thanks to increased funding for child care, a new study says
The Rutgers study took a macroeconomic approach in an attempt to look at the ripple effects of the tax, and not just its impact on directly affected industries. Michael L. Lahr, a public policy professor at Rutgers and the study’s primary author, said he expected to...
Philadelphia’s Pre-K program, funded by Beverage Tax, helps the city’s children, families, and economy
The release of the study comes in the context of a larger national debate about increasing public funding for child care and pre-K programs.