Latest Employment Numbers Cast Dark Shadow on State’s Job-Creation Claims
1/19/2012

One of the few references to jobs in Gov. Christie's State of the State address earlier this week was a claim that his administration's policies had succeeded in creating 60,000 new private sector jobs in New Jersey.

However, monthly unemployment numbers released today by the state cast a dark shadow on the governor's claim.

The report shows that even as New Jersey gained a small number of jobs in 2011, the state still lags the rest of the nation in the recovery, with an unemployment rate of 9.0 percent, compared to a falling national rate of 8.5 percent.

Statistic...

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Republicans should try Community FoodBank food stamp challenge
12/6/2011

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, a miracle in our midst, has issued a challenge: Try to feed yourself on $31.50 a week, the average weekly allotment that recipients receive.

It's a timely challenge, because Republicans have targeted the food stamp program for deep cuts even as stagnant wages and job losses swell the ranks of those who depend on it. The budget passed by the Republican controlled House, and supported by all the GOP Congressman from New Jersey, would slash $127 billion from this program over the next decade, a cut of about 20 percent.

So maybe those folks s...

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Editorial: Program at Trenton's Monument School takes smart approach to combat childhood obesity
11/28/2011

The Monument School in North Trenton is taking simple and practical steps to confront the problems of childhood obesity.

It's a particularly troublesome problem in New Jersey, which has the highest obesity rate in the nation for children ages 3 to 5.

And it's an even more disturbing situation in Trenton, where the obesity rate for kids in public schools is more than twice the state average. Nearly one in two youngsters is overweight or obese.

The effort is funded through the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids - Trenton, which has received a $300,000 grant from t...

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