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Affordability. The main issue in affordability in general is the cost of housing. That is driven by simple supply and demand. We must build more housing and we need to engage with surrounding states, in particular New York. Otherwise, the cost of our housing will continue to be bid up by people who can commute to jobs in New York.
The other issue is the cost of government. We have 564 municipalities which has generated a lot of redundancy in services that are provided by these governments. Services can be consolidated without compromising local identities.
Power and other infrastructure must also be addressed in order to increase availability of goods and to make it easier to deliver those goods economically.
The elimination of the "County Line" was an important first step. We have a very competitive gubernatorial primary to show for it. But in a six-way election, the winner needs only 17% of the vote. So 83% may have voted for someone else! We need to know who is the preference of a majority.
But the real problem is that 38% of registered voters are not invited to the primaries because they are open only to party members. The closed primaries should be eliminated and replaced by a single primary election where all voters are eligible to vote and all candidates are free to compete. The four highest vote-getters would then run-off in the general election which would be conducted under Ranked-Choice Voting rules. This is how it works in Alaska and it is highly effective.
We also need to reform the budgeting process in New Jersey. The entire budget process must be conducted in the open. A $68B budget must not, as it is today, be rolled out for a vote on three days notice.
As we address affordability issues, we also need to fix our infrastructure. This will provide jobs and make NJ more attractive to businesses. We need to have a Statewide minimum wage, indexed to inflation. This will put more disposable income into the economy and reduce the number of people who require public assistance. The economy should then be left to flourish.
Every child in New Jersey is required to have the opportunity to have a high quality public education. The state must be able to set and enforce standards that ensure that requirement is fulfilled fairly in all parts of the state. Funding must be on a student by student basis. By law, the funding plan should be subject to review periodically.
People who come here legally and those who were brought here as children deserve the full protections afforded in the Constitution. Further, the US should consider policies of other countries that allow us to prioritize those skills that will build the strength and prosperity of our economy.
People who come here and commit crimes should enjoy due process and if found guilty, they should be removed.
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