Category: Economic Justice

Incomes and standards of living do not improve for all during times of economic expansion. This article [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”] by Neil Irwin shows that who benefits from economic expansion has changed drastically over the last fifty years.

New Jersey Policy Perspective Issue Brief: Despite National Economic Recovery, Povery in New Jersey Continues to Rise. [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link:]

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As we enter into the last week of this NJ Legislature Session,  your voice is needed to move some things along:

Call the Governor’s office, (609) 777-2500 and ask him to sign two pieces of legislation:

• Reducing ammunition magazine rounds to from 15 to 10 rounds,  and

• Sign the tax lien bill, a priority of our Anti-Poverty Network coalition.  The bill does the following:

1. Helps towns generate revenue when the tax liens are redeemed by the current owners. Fines and interest will be collected by the town NOT investors.
2. If liens are not redeemed, the town that owns the property can sell or put into its land bank for redevelopment.

Gives the town the flexibility to forgive fines and interest for a lower income homeowner.

The UULMNJ and the Economic Justice Task Force need your help to ensure that the Realty Transfer Tax is protected.

As UU’s we believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. That is why the Economic Justice Task Force and the UULMNJ stand with other nonprofits and faith-based groups to advocate for affordable housing, and therefore opposing the repeal of the Realty Transfer Tax.

Background on the Realty Transfer Tax from The Housing Community Development Network of NJ:

•  Realty transfer fees were established in 1968 to offset the cost of tracking real estate transactions. With the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1985, use of the transfer fee was broadened to include generating fees to help create housing opportunities in viable neighborhoods for households of low and moderate income.
• Sellers pay the fee when they transfer the deed of the house to the new owners. The money is then split between the state and the county.
• 35 other states have similar fees.
• The fees are the 7th largest source of tax revenue for the State. Officials have projected that they will produce $287 million in the current State budget and $325 million in next year’s spending plan.
• A portion remains with the county that collects the fee for the County Public Health Priority Fund and pays for the funding of public health services.
• A portion goes in the General Fund of the State.
• A portion goes into the NJ Affordable Housing Trust Fund – a non-lapsing revolving fund that, in the past, subsidized the construction & rehabilitation of affordable housing.  Funds are targeted to each region of the State based on that region’s percentage of the State’s low and moderate income need.
• Funds currently support the Council on Affordable Housing, Affordable Housing Administration, shelter assistance, Prevention of Homelessness Program, State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) & NJ’s share to get federal HOME funds.
• Last year, NJ Affordable Housing Trust Fund generated $48 million with over $42 million going to SRAP; which helps fund homes for 4,018 families including 812 project based units.
• $25 million goes toward the state’s dune and beach replenishment program, with the federal government providing another $75 million.

To be sure, New Jerseyans (especially the most economically disadvantaged among us) cannot afford to lose out on the essential services funded, in part, by the revenue generated from the Realty Transfer Tax.

Please click here to send a letter to your State Legislators encouraging them to oppose the repeal of the Realty Transfer Tax.

Thank you for your support!

The Fair Share Housing Center needs our help to encourage Governor Christie to sign the Sandy Bill of Rights into law.  Please join them in this important step toward ensuring that New Jerseyans affected by Superstorm Sandy do not face unnecessary obstacles on the road to recovery.

On March 27, the New Jersey State Legislature reached bipartisan agreement, and the Sandy Bill of Rights passed unanimously in both houses.  This significant legislation bestows the following rights on New Jerseyans applying for Sandy recovery funds:

• The right to a plain language explanation of the application process for any recovery funds
• The right to know why an application is rejected and to appeal that rejection with a specified timeframe
• The right to know current status of an application and position on any wait list
• The right to access information in English, Spanish, and any other language spoken by impacted communities
• The right to a review of racial and ethnic disparities in funding and corrections of any problems
• The right to have funds distributed by amount of damage and not based on political or other considerations
• The right to transparent information online about how funds are being distributed

Please click here to send a letter to Governor Christie urging him to sign this important piece of legislation into law.

To read the bill in its entirety, click here.

Budget Time is an excellent time to visit your NJ legislators to advocate for Economic Justice.  The Anti-Poverty Network, of which UULMNJ is a member, has an excellent white paper [tt_vector icon=”fa-file-pdf-o”], with talking points about Housing, Hunger and Economic Empowerment.

The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey has organized a Federal Lobby Day for April 30th 12:00 pm to 4:00pm in Washington D.C.  They will make the appropriate appointments for you.  You can register at LobbyDayDC.

Lorraine Wearly
Economic Justice Task Force Chair

 

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Last week we sent you an email with information about New Jersey public hearings regarding the allocation of the next round of Sandy Relief Aid ($1.46 billion).  If you were unable to make it to the first two hearings, there’s good news: due to inclement weather, the third hearing (originally scheduled for Thursday, February 13) has been rescheduled.

Date: Friday, February 21 from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Place:  Brookdale Community College, Robert J. Collins Arena and Recreation & Events Center, 65 Newman Springs Road, Middletown, NJ 07738

Please Note:  If you have already registered to speak at the originally scheduled hearing, you DO NOT need to re-register.  However, if you are interested in speaking and have not yet registered, you must do so here: Register Here

Again, we encourage anyone who can attend to do so, even if you do not wish to testify.

 

What Are “Ban the Box” Laws?

Under a Ban the Box law, criminal background checks are delayed until later in the hiring process, encouraging employers to focus on the current skills and qualifications of a candidate, rather than on past mistakes. Ban the Box laws have been in effect since 1998, and have been adopted by 38 jurisdictions throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia and five states: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Mexico.

Ban The Box laws do not prevent employers from conducting background checks. They do not require an employer to hire an unqualified applicant. They do not eliminate an employer’s discretion to hire only people suitable for the position. They do not override any existing laws placing restrictions on eligibility for particular positions. They simply ask employers to consider an individual’s full application, providing a realistic opportunity for a person who has changed his or her life.

Read more here: “Ban the Box” Fact Sheet [tt_vector icon=”fa-file-pdf-o”]

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Dear UULMNJ Liaisons and friend,

If you have been paying attention to the news, the award of Sandy Relief Funds have by most accounts have been mismanaged and skewed.  The new round of funds are becoming available without much change in the allocation plans.  We need to speak up now.  Public hearings are this week.  If you would like to testify, see below.  Registration is required to speak at the hearings.  UULMNJ will be submitting testimony and we have several volunteers attending each hearing.

NJ State Public Hearings on Sandy Aid
The State of New Jersey has scheduled three public hearings to solicit comments on the State’s plan to allocate $1.46 billion in aid. 

The three public hearings are:

Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Performing Arts Center
101 Vera King Farris Dr., Galloway, NJ 08205

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Campus Center
141 Summit St., Newark, NJ 07103

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Brookdale Community College, Robert J. Collins Arena
765 Newman Springs Rd., Middletown, NJ 07738

If you would like to speak at one of the hearings, you must register online in advance. There are limited spaces so register ASAP. Those interested in speaking will be given up to three minutes. Register here.

You may also submit written comments at the public hearings, by email to sandy.publiccomment@dca.state.nj.us or by mail to:

Gabrielle Gallagher
NJ Department of Community Affairs
101 South Broad Street, PO Box 800
Trenton, NJ 08625

All comments must be received by 5 pm March 5, 2014 to be considered.
A downloadable flyer with more information is available here. 

That important points of the UULMNJ testimony as well as talking points are available here for your use.  If you testify, identify your congregation as well so that they realize this is a statewide coalition, not just one organization,   The more who can attend these meeting around the state the better.  If you are available, please attend even if you don’t wish to testify.  Numbers are important to impress upon our state how critical this is to the public.    If you can make it, please let us know.

 

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Action Alert   •   Tuition Equity

The UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey is asking you to act now.  The NJ Tuition Equity bill, Assembly Bill #A4225, will probably be coming up for a vote as soon as this Thursday, December 19, 2013.  This proposed legislation, which provides instate tuition for undocumented youth in New Jersey and access to financial aid, is a matter of simple fairness and justice.  The students for whom it makes a difference are New Jerseyans: they live here, they have been educated here, and overwhelmingly they intend to stay here and build careers and families.  They are our neighbors and friends, our fellow New Jerseyans.  You can help by sending a letter to your NJ Assembly representative today, asking him or her to support Bill #A4225.  By clicking the link below, you will be prompted to enter your zip code in order to identify your state legislators.  After providing some basic information, you will automatically be able to sign and send a letter electronically directly to your legislator.

These young people are ours.  They are growing up here, and they belong to all of us.  They are part of our schools, part of our communities, and part of our state.  Help them receive the opportunity they deserve by clicking the link below.

Write-Now

Sincerely,

Rev. Craig Hirshberg