The Forum About South Jersey ‘Fair Share’ Recap – Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs

Is South Jersey Getting its ‘Fair Share’ of Public Goods?: Is South Jersey Getting its ‘Fair Share’ of Public Goods?

WRI Faculty Fellow Shauna Shames presents and makes her new report available to the public.
Presentation of a WRI Faculty Fellow’s Report: Presentation of a WRI Faculty Fellow’s Report

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Shauna Shames, PhD, shares her findings on the distribution of public goods across New Jersey.
South Jersyans Gather at Rutgers University– Camden: South Jersyans Gather at Rutgers University– Camden

Over 70 people from across the region attended the event.
Community Members Speak to their Experiences: Community Members Speak to their Experiences

From small towns to urban hubs, attendees lent knowledge of their lived experience to the discussion. (Pictured: Mayor Joseph Stemberger, Elmer, NJ; and Councilman Frank Gilliam, Atlantic City, NJ)
A Regional Panel of Experts: A Regional Panel of Experts

After presenting their research, Professor Shames and Graduate Assistant Spencer T. Clayton responded to questions from attendees alongside representatives from the public and private sectors.
Cross-Discipline Attendees: Cross-Discipline Attendees

A mix of elected officials, students, and concerned citizens from across the region attended, representing local organizations, schools, governments, and other public and private institutions. (Pictured: Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones, WRI Advisory Board Member)
WRI Executive Director Facilitates Discussion: WRI Executive Director Facilitates Discussion

Gwendolyn Harris Ph.D, guides the room in thinking about the implications of Professor Shames’ report.
Practical Research for South Jersey: Practical Research for South Jersey

WRI made sure attendees had ample opportunity to engage directly with the researchers and panelists on issues of immediate importance.

On December 6th, 2016 WRI Faculty Fellow Shauna Shames, in collaboration with Graduate Assistant and Ph.D candidate Spencer T. Clayton presented findings from their report. Over 70 people attended the Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs’ Forum About South Jersey to learn more about the allocation of public goods in New Jersey.

It has long been speculated that South Jersey, in comparison to the Central and Northern regions of the State, does not receive a representative share of public funding when one considers population size and taxable property value. Professor Shames’ and Clayton’s study controlled for both these factors and determined that South Jersey does, in fact, receive disproportionately less, “…public goods, either as state aid, state assumption of project costs within the county, or general public benefits like transportation infrastructure, education, and good public health,” than the rest of the state.

Forum attendees listened attentively to the presenters’ key findings as well as a response panel of experts which included: Collen Maguire, Executive Director, Pascale Sykes Foundation; Albert Kelly, Mayor of Bridgeton, NJ, CEO, Gateway Community Action Partnership, Inc.; and Christine Caruso, Deputy Director-Division of Local Government Services, Department of Community Affairs, State of New Jersey. The panelist provided feedback on the report’s findings and addressed how funding disparities influence their decision making.

The full report, presentation, and the data-set compiled by the researchers are available on WRI’s website and a collection of articles covering Professor Shames’ findings can be found online as well.