From the APP:
Middle class in NJ: Where you grow up determines if you will be rich or poor
The chartered bus from Long Branch and Asbury Park made good time to New York City, dropping eighth graders at Samsung to see the latest smart phones, tablets and television sets that look like paintings.
The students played the online game Fortnite. They viewed a prototype for an automated apartment. And when they returned to their schools, set in some of the lowest-income neighborhoods at the Jersey Shore, they were in awe.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said David Carpio, 12, a student at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in an Asbury Park neighborhood whose residents have grown up to have an average household income of just $29,000 a year.
Carpio and his classmates are part of an attempt to reverse a troubling trend. The generation of Americans now in their 30s is less likely than the overwhelming majority of the Baby Boomer generation to do better than their parents, a new study by Harvard University finds.
And the financial outcome of children raised in the ’80s and ’90s is tied to the neighborhood where they grew up.
Harvard calls it “The Opportunity Atlas.” Instead of looking at poverty or wealth, researchers for the first time have gathered data that track Americans’ upward economic mobility, crunched the numbers and produced a map of the American dream, or, in some cases, nightmare.
…
Harvard partnered with the Asbury Park Press and the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey to look at the chances people in the Garden State will grow up to do better than their parents.
The economic detour, experts say, was set in motion by a shift in the economy from manufacturing to information, putting a premium on highly skilled, highly educated workers.
It has put more pressure on a patchwork of New Jersey organizations trying to tackle what Harvard has identified as keys to upward mobility: stable families; a strong social network; good schools; and low poverty rates.
Geographic area is proxy for socioeconomic status.
Everything you need to know about NJ public sector. Perfect time to shut down the SDA.
N.J. agency that’s been called a patronage pit has ‘no more money’
A state agency that’s come under fire for the hiring practices of its leader has all but run out of money.
Lizette Delgado-Polanco, Gov. Phil Murphy’s pick to head of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, told state lawmakers Wednesday the agency that’s charged with building and maintaining schools in the Garden State’s poorest areas only has enough funds left to put toward emergency repairs and pay its staff of about 200 employees.
Delgado-Polanco urged them to reauthorize funding for the authority to keep it afloat. At the same time, she’s fending off criticism that she turned the agency into a patronage pit by hiring people with ties to her to fill high-paying positions.
“Right now, there is no money,” Delgado-Polanco said in Trenton at a legislative state budget hearing. “We are out of money.”
The SDA managed about $12 billion at one point, she said. Currently, it has $60 million, leaving nothing left to build new schools or go beyond emergency repairs at existing schools. Layoffs, meanwhile, could hit the agency, already been in the spotlight over its workforce.
The School Construction Corp was abolished due to scandal and corruption, only to be replaced by the School Development Agency, which is mired in scandal and corruption.
Shut it down, lay off everyone, nobody will even notice.
Talk about flipping the script, this is incredibly surprising – the link from yesterday:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these-are-the-states-where-tax-bills-have-shrunk-the-most-2019-04-10?mod=mw_theo_homepage
Regarding above taxes…..as was mentioned in previous posts….the AMT was dramatically scaled back. So folks earning near and above $200k household income had never been getting ANY deduction for ANY property tax or state income tax.
So the removal of the AMT actually gave them $10,000 in deductions they had not previously seen.
grim, 6:53
“The School Construction Corp was abolished due to scandal and corruption, only to be replaced by the School Development Agency, which is mired in scandal and corruption.”
I’m sure Governor McSnaggletoof is ‘on it’. Hang on to what’s left of your wallets.
He’s on it.
Bernie Sanders turns capitalist?
“Reminded by the Times reporter that he is now someone of considerable means, Sanders retorted: “I wrote a best-selling book. If you write a best-selling book, you can be a millionaire, too.”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/politics/bernie-sanders-taxes-millionaire/index.html
Booker is a millionaire too.
So why aren’t you sending this message to your supporters?
1987 Condo says:
April 11, 2019 at 8:00 am
Bernie Sanders turns capitalist?
“Reminded by the Times reporter that he is now someone of considerable means, Sanders retorted: “I wrote a best-selling book. If you write a best-selling book, you can be a millionaire, too.”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/politics/bernie-sanders-taxes-millionaire/index.html
I owed a lot less in taxes this year then in the past few years.
I don’t have any supporters…Although my son actually voted for me for President in 2016..he sent me a pic of the write in ballot….I got 1 vote!!
Opening article:
Being poor has its advantages too. You are provided with a huge motivation to better yourself. Better off children are at a disadvantage, they don’t get this motivation boost…
Rep Omar refers to 9/11 as some people did something!! Shocking all around!! And the moron plays right into the hands of the bigots who say she is not an American. And after that comment she is not!
This is a fascinating statement, Pumpkin. I suppose I can appreciate you searching for a siliver lining in poverty, but given the choice between $15,000/yr income and $75,000/yr income. Precisely 0% will choose the $15k. So no, there are no “advantages” in being poor.
Being poor has its advantages too. You are provided with a huge motivation to better yourself. Better off children are at a disadvantage, they don’t get this motivation boost…
“I’m guessing the H&R Block data is based on their own customers, which would self-select for middle class and below incomes?”
Exactly. No high earners use H&R Block.
Lib, so I guess the tax reform helped out the folks the Democrats wanted to help, they should note that.
Also, can’t believe the DNC is going to knock down Bernie again. Bernie’s right. How are you going to b1tch about his net worth when Hilary was worth how many millions? Would much rather see the money made from a book than from contributions to a foundation. Whatever. They will lose again. The only thing Biden has going for him is he’s white and a male. Heck Biden’s net worth is 900K which just goes to show you what a loser he is. Didn’t he make like 250K a year for 8 years as veep? Pathetic! I’m worth nearly three times that and I have a mega cancer survivor that’s trying his best to wipe me out.
That’s true condo. But you would help them more by giving them job opportunities rather than Newport and Steel Reserve money.
1987condo,
I think we need to see the data broken out by income in grim’s favorite format (quartiles or quintiles?) to make better assumptions at how and why they benefited from the new tax rules.
1987 my wife and I are high earners and it helped us out. No mortgage as the place we own is paid for. Property taxes are small. We stash a lot away in our 401ks. I have been using the same tax guy for years. I owed this year as I always do but it was half of what I owed for the last 5 or 6 years.
Misery is a beautiful motivator. It can unleash incredible potential. I’m not stating that being poor is a good thing, but it does produce some advantages for said individual over their richer counterparts if they have the fight in them.
There is a reason the richest people in our country mostly all started with nothing. They beat the sh!t out of the people that started way ahead of them with family inheritances. I have to think not being born rich has something to do with it.
Not sure if I qualified as a “high earner” before I “FIRED”, but last 15 years my household income was between $180k and $240k (sales) with a rather pedestrian return, no fancy business or other impacts.
Most of those years I paid AMT and that meant I did not get ANY property tax deduction nor state income tax deduction. It is possible that what is noted in the H&R article, referring to the AMT, did account for a savings.
Jobless claims come in at 169,000?
Lowest number since 1969.
Wow.
Hey Bernie, time to spread that wealth around a bit. No author needs to make a million dollars, right? $50,000 sounds fair…send the rest in to the IRS for disposal.
Julian Assange arrested, yanked out of embassy.
Great way to bring Obama’s pardon of dick-tucker Manning back into the news.
Jobless claims come in at 169,000?
Lowest number since 1969.
Family members at a gathering recently were talking about the impossible traffic during rush hour and how it was never this bad. I think employment and the economy is really that strong. After Oblama was out of the way, it was a surge of opportunity.
My children enjoy “good schools” because we parents check that homework is compled each night, check grades on tests, and mentor/tutor/motivate as needed. In short, we are actively engaged in our children’s path to success.
The “good schools” don’t exist in a vacuum, it’s the parents driving the process.
“what Harvard has identified as keys to upward mobility: stable families; a strong social network; good schools; and low poverty rates.”
More blanket stupidity, being poor but having decent parenting should give you ability to make it society. Being poor with zero or near abandonment parenting makes it virtually impossible. Time to rewatch the Wire. Realize it was TV but there are many scenes that haunt you. The scene with abandoned children in a squatters den being taken care of by another child, well it is completely heartbreaking. I hear some stories from pro athletes and it is mind blowing that they made it to top. There is poor..then there is poor with abandonment.
Ninja,
You nail it. That’s why the parents that care about their kids tend to live in the same area. They don’t want the negative characteristics of children with parents that don’t care rubbing off on and ruining the education of their own.
That’s why school choice is a joke. It will result in the destruction of all schools. Why would you want to do such a thing? Like Harvard has identified….stable families. That’s the key ingredient to “white privilege.” Create a stable family focused on education/hard work and like magic things will improve for that family.
Bystander,
Agree. I think the Wire showed that there is nothing you can do to help most of the poor. There is not much hope for them and it’s all due to parenting. As you refer to it correctly, they were abandoned and there is nothing we can do to save them unless a politician decides to get some balls and do the right thing by making a law for parenting. If you bring a child into this world, you are responsible for taking care of them and raising them. It’s heartbreaking, but it will never happen. I don’t know how these individuals live with themselves, esp the ones that keep pumping out babies with different dads. Criminal, will a politician please step up and end this madness?! You don’t have the right to have a baby if you are not willing to make the sacrifices it takes to raise one.
Biggest criminals in our country….deadbeat parents. Yet not one politician has the balls to end this because they know it’s political suicide. So instead let’s blame the rich for the poor’s misery…..
“There is poor..then there is poor with abandonment.”
Volunteer for CASA if this stuff bothers you. Just make sure you have the stomach for it. Gator did this for a number of years. It’s not the Wire. It’s way worse.
https://www.casaofnj.org/
The politicians answer to this…. make schools responsible for fixing this mess. Brilliant!
What can a teacher do under these circumstances? Yet, over and over again, we act like the public schools in the ghetto can make up for legions of children being abandoned by their parents. Failing schools….lmfao….what a joke. Those schools and their teachers never had a chance because politicians refuse to go after the parents. Career politicians with no balls instead come up with lame ideas like “school choice.” Yes, that’s the answer.
Human nature, it never f’en fails. It’s pathetic.
“–Those applying come from a broad swath of state agencies, school districts and local government entities across the state — from the Office of the Governor to state hospitals, local prisons and state colleges. But the majority of those asking to be exempt from the law appear to come from public school districts, especially those close to the Pennsylvania border, where less expensive housing and lower property taxes are just a few miles away.”
https://www.nj.com/news/2019/04/nj-law-says-public-employees-must-live-in-the-state-heres-how-2310-workers-got-a-pass.html
Why is anyone exempt? It’s the law. Why are we paying for these hearings? SMH…
“Most of those who want to ask for an exemption need to take a day off work and make a trip to Trenton for one of the Employee Residence Review Committee monthly hearings in a meeting room with sweeping views of the city on the 13th floor of the Department of Labor building.
“The judgement room,” one of the applicants said ominously before March’s meeting as a group of about 40 nervous public workers waited to walk in.
Inside, a panel of four appointees, headed by Ianni, the human resources director for the state Department of the Treasury, sat at a table. One by one, public workers were called up to make their case for why they don’t want to live in New Jersey.”
Just do what NYC does with FDNY, you can live outside city of Nee York ( in 6 surrounding counties) but you still pay the 4% NYC income tax.
Let the folks live where they want but take an extra deduction in lieu of the New Jersey State tax
It’s a silly law. A lot of people who work in counties nearby PA would love to live in PA. In fact, collective bargaining could result in lower costs because members overall would be willing to accept a lower salary for a reduced cost of living in PA. This law is basically written as “I’m suffering, therefore, you must suffer as well”.
That single change against Assange is thin, that why the put Manning in-front of anther grand jury to try and get more indictments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/europe/julian-assange-wikileaks-ecuador-embassy.html
From today’s header author……
From: Diamond, Michael
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019 11:59 AM
To:
Subject: RE: FYI – you are famous …..
Heh. I’ll take it. Thanks
From:
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019 11:37 AM
To: Diamond, Michael
Subject: FYI – you are famous …..
https://njrereport.com/
My god, what happened to the Democratic party? What a joke. They are really scratching for votes now.
“Reparations for Slavery, Shelved for Decades, Is on the Table for 2020 Election
Candidates’ backing of proposal for research shifted after Sen. Kamala Harris discussed it with radio host Charlamagne tha God”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/reparations-for-slavery-shelved-for-decades-is-on-the-table-for-2020-election-11554989520?mod=hp_lead_pos7
The sad part, you can give all the reparations you want, and they will still end up like Mike Tyson(400 million and he is still broke). These people just don’t get how important a family is to their future. You can give someone all the money in the world, but if they haven’t been taught about money management and sacrifice, they will lose it all every single time.
It’s laughable. Dem’s idea of helping poor African Americans get out of poverty…shower them with money. That will work. Really can’t make this stuff up. They truly believe money is the reason for their predicament, not the choices they made.
Education is an excellent way to ensure people get a leg up.
Cept’ Republicunts like em’ stupid. Easier to manage.
Sports broke is not “broke”. Tyson can use his name and image to make millions per year. Mike Tyson’s rise from his circumstances is nothing short of miraculous. Never knew father, grew up Brooklyn ghetto, step dad abandons family at age 2, provided alcohol as infant, sexually assaulted at 7, doing coke by 11 , has lisp, arrested multiple times and officially orphaned at 16 (but really abandoned street kid whole life). Not defending his actions but geez, who comes out of that ok? I don’t think he was a good example of a failure. Reparations are votes strategy. 80k votes lost Hilary 3 key states. Stacy Abrams gave them hope for significant black turnout.
I think you are mispronouncing Democrats. Google “Chicago” for clarification.
Education is an excellent way to ensure people get a leg up.
Cept’ Republicunts like em’ stupid. Easier to manage.
^^^or were you thinking of a different brand of poor and stupid?
Democrats would vanish off the face of the earth tomorrow without a permanent underclass, that’s why they are actively recruiting in Central America. Even Mexicans are too smart for them these days.
“2021 BMW M3/M4
The seventh-generation 3-series (G20) is here [see “This Is Not Your Father’s BMW,” tap here], which means the next M3 and M4 will arrive soon. Slated for simultaneous unveilings in mid-2020 followed by a market launch for the 2021 model year, both the G20’s M3 and M4 derivatives should benefit from more reengineering that may bring the magic back to the 3-series. In keeping with tradition, BMW will thoroughly retune and stiffen the M3/M4 chassis, meaning that the steering may get even more engaging. But that will be just the start.
Details are scant at this point, but we know that the next M3 and M4 will be differentiated from the base 3- and 4-series at least as much as the current M cars are. Expect to see spoilers, diffusers, flared fenders, gaping air intakes, bulging hoods, and wheels and tires sized 19 inches and up. As with the current generation, the M3 and M4 will offer exclusive color and trim choices, and the instrument cluster will be programmed to visually reflect BMW’s racing heritage.
The S58 3.0-liter straight-six that powers the new X3 M and X4 M will slot into the M3 and M4. Loosely based on the B58 that goes into the M340i, the S version has a larger bore and shorter stroke. This twin-turbocharged engine will come in two strengths: Base M3/M4 models will have 473 horsepower, as in the X3 M/X4 M. Competition models—which we expect to be available from the get-go—will make a heartier 503 horsepower, matching the output of the Mercedes-AMG C63 S’s V-8.
The S58 will redline at a lofty—for a turbocharged engine—7300 rpm, and we expect it will crank out the same 442 pound-feet of torque that it makes in the X3 M and X4 M. This time around, though, we believe that BMW may offer all-wheel drive as an option, which should reduce zero-to-60-mph times to somewhere in the low threes. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic likely will stick around, and even though there’s no manual in the regular 3-series for sale in these United States, we fully expect BMW to keep the three-pedal six-speed as the standard transmission for this generation M3 and M4.
The M4 convertible will switch from a retractable hardtop to a power-operated softtop. It’s a change we wholeheartedly support, as it will drastically reduce weight and complexity, add trunk space, and probably look better, too. Priced from around $70,000, the M3 and M4 will continue to face tough competition from the likes of the Audi RS5, the Lexus RC F, and the Mercedes-AMG C63, all of which have taken the basic M3 concept and made it their own.”
Lincoln doing their thing! I’d actually buy a Lincoln now.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a26289571/2020-lincoln-aviator-build-price-spec/
Volvo rip off.
https://youtu.be/sa9v2f4ioXQ
Ah Chi-town. I’ve done my tour there. No better city in the spring and summer.
Pretty sure that it’s changed along with the prevailing demographics. Remember Chicago is home to lot’s of people who came from the smaller towns in places like Indiana, Iowa, etc. Those are essentially “my people” but of course politics can run more conservative in those places as it always has. Chicago used to be able to leverage the ‘Working Man” so yeah, I agree they are spining a bit trying to find the next ‘mark’, but really isn’t Trump just making most of these Midwesterners lives harder with his tariffs and various BS??