- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of State of Affairs with Steve Adubato has been provided by The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

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[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC] - Hi everyone, Steve Adubato.

We kick off the program with our media partner, Anthony Russo.

Tony, can I call you Tony?

You are Anthony Russo officially, but Tony Russo is the President of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and publisher of Commerce Magazine, our media partner.

It's good to see you, Tony.

- Good to see you, Steve, thanks for having me on.

- You got this, we're taping this a few days before the state budget is supposed to be legally constitutionally established in New Jersey, June 30th.

Let's get this one out of the way.

We don't know what's gonna happen with the corporate tax being "sunset", let's not talk inside baseball.

What is the corporate tax A and B?

What the heck does it mean for it to sunset?

- Yeah, so thanks Steve.

So if a company is labeled a "C corporation", they would be subject to the corporate business tax commonly referred to as CBT.

New Jersey right now has one of the highest in the country at 11.5%.

A few years ago, they added a 2.5% surcharge that we understand is gonna sunset.

That would be a good thing 'cause that would drop us back down- - Meaning it goes away.

Sorry for interrupting.

Sunset means it goes away.

- Yeah.

Sunset means it goes away.

But just the two and half percent surcharge.

We still think nine percent's high when you compare it to Pennsylvania, some other states.

But at least it's a move in the right direction where some of our companies will get to save money.

And just to kind of put it into perspective, the state budget, the top three revenue generators gross income tax, sales tax, and right behind sales tax, the corporate business tax to the tune of about 4 billion a year.

So it's a significant number.

- Last time we had the governor, and we will have the governor again in the next few months.

The governor has made the argument, and many in his administration have made the argument that New Jersey is very business friendly and it is becoming even more business friendly.

You buy that?

- It's a complicated question.

You know, there are a lot of good things about New Jersey and there are things that still need improvement.

Regulatory, framework, taxes.

I think we could do better.

I really do.

I think we could be more competitive.

We could attract more companies.

Not to say that companies don't come in and start their businesses, but Steve, for every company that we see coming into New Jersey maybe there are two or three that leave for a lot of reasons.

So business decisions are complicated.

- Where are they going?

I'm sorry to interrupt.

Where are they going?

- It depends on the industry.

I mean a lot of them go to Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Delaware.

I think with the advent of technology and technology getting better, I mean, unless you have to physically be in a state, you could probably operate your business remote, right?

We've all experienced remote work since the pandemic.

So a lot of companies are looking at their bottom line dollar and looking at the cost of doing business.

And if you could do the cost of doing business somewhere where it's more cost effective, you know, that's a great business decision to make.

Right?

We hope, CINJ hopes that they stay here 'cause we enjoy having them as members.

But again, you know, to answer your question, I think it could be better and I think there could be more that can be done to help businesses stay here and grow here.

- Right.

You mentioned regulatory issues.

Let's break that down and get more, dare I use the term "granular".

Give us one concrete example of a regulatory, a state regulatory issue or a situation that is of significant concern to the business community.

- Right.

So again, getting a little technical.

There's something called environmental justice which obviously is good intended.

You know, it's to help these communities where maybe these plants, these legacy plants, have been around.

But there are also located, and there's a lot of... and I'm gonna abbreviate to EJ, being environmental justice.

There are a lot of companies that if you're subject to the environmental justice rules, they just went final earlier this year, or actually recently.

A lot of companies have trepidations in the sense of how much time is it gonna take if I have to build a new plant here or if I have to modify a permit.

So I always go back to the intent, is always good, and I think our companies support the intent of it.

And that's community outreach.

That's community education, lowering emissions if you can, reduce some pollution.

But you know, again, when a business makes a decision, time is a factor, it costs money.

So if there's no certainty as far as how long it's gonna take to get a permit, that could be an issue or get your permit modified.

You know, and again, the department has been very good in trying to understand our issues and working with us.

And I'm sure we're gonna- - You mean Department of Environmental Protection?

- Yeah, I'm sorry, Steve.

Yeah.

Department of Environmental Protection.

So that's just one example, and there's a lot going on with electrification.

I know the Governor's Energy Master Plan.

- Yeah.

- You know, a lot of our companies are worried quite frankly, what's the, you know, what's the future gonna hold in terms of whether you have boilers and other equipment that's gonna be electrified.

I mean, there's a lot going on the regulatory side.

I mean, that's my background.

I used to work at DEP, but when I think of it, it's been a year since I've seen this kind of activity with the flood hazard rules.

And if you don't know what they are, it's gonna change development again.

Rightfully so, 'cause a lot of areas of the state flood.

And so if you happen to be in a flood plain, you gotta adjust for that.

Again, that means money, that means time.

So, it'll keep our businesses very busy in the near future just to comply with all the different initiatives coming out of Trenton.

- Let me just play devil's advocate here.

But those environmental laws, those issues, those laws or those regulations regarding flooding, those initiatives the governor talking about going green and there are certain deadlines that has created in his clean energy plan.

And we've done a whole range of programming on that.

People who are pro and advocates of it, and those who are concerned about it, particularly look at our interview with Senator Tony Bucco, who has real concerns about the Governor's Clean Energy Initiative.

With that being said, there's gotta be a balance between wanting to attract business, but also having a clean environment, going green, being concerned about flooding.

Is it the regulations or the way the agencies manage the permits you need for the regulations, which is really about inefficiency and red tape really.

- Look, it's a combination of both, right?

It's how the regulations are gonna be implemented but it's also... We can't put our state in an economic disadvantage unless our neighbors are doing it too, right?

So whether it's climate change, and again, and I wanna stress this, all the members that I talk to all want to do the right thing obviously.

They live here, they raise their families here, they want clean air, they want clean water.

It's how you get there, right?

That's always the issue.

And it's how much is it gonna cost in terms of administrative requirements and studies and permit modifications.

And that's where we gotta strike the balance in terms of efficiencies and in bringing down maybe permit fees and things making it easier to comply and the companies will do that.

I think that's really the issue, is what the cost of compliance is.

- Before I let you go, real quick, Commerce Magazine recognized companies that care.

What kind of companies and why is it so important that they show they care in the community.

By the way, many of whom are underwriters of our work.

Go ahead.

- Well, I appreciate that, Steve.

We're proud of the fact that we kind of coined the term "companies that care" about nine years ago.

And each year we ask our companies, "Tell us about the good things you've done for your community and your, you know, local charities."

And we collect those stories and we have an independent panel of judges, you know, pick winners and we celebrate them through the magazine, but also celebrate them through a breakfast reception.

And we just had that a couple weeks ago.

And it goes from realtors to environmental companies to utilities.

So nice thing about CIANJ is we represent all the sectors.

So it's really good to get them all in a room and kind of hear what each other are doing and they learn from each other and we're proud of that.

We've done that now nine years in a row.

- As Tony Russo, President of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and publisher of Commerce Magazine, one of our media partners.

Tony, thank you so much, my friend.

- Thank you, Steve.

Thank you.

- You got it.

Stay with us.

We'll be right back.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We're now joined by Mary Coogan, President and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey, our longtime colleagues involved in our Reimagine Childcare initiative.

Mary, how're you doing?

- I'm great.

How are you?

- I'm doing great.

Now, let's clarify that you are succeeding an iconic leader in Ceilia Zalkind, who was the leader there at Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

And people could check out so many interviews we did with Ceil.

Congratulations on the new job.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

It's tough shoes to fill.

- Yeah.

Tell everyone what Advocates for Children of New Jersey is.

- So we are a statewide child advocacy organization.

We're a multi-issue.

Our mission is to do what we can in terms of improving laws, programming and policies that will ensure that every child has the ability to grow up safe, healthy and educated.

- And along those lines, while we'll talk about childcare in a moment, the National KIDS COUNT program, the process of determining where our children are when it comes to economic wellbeing, education, health and family and community.

Where are we, in New Jersey, particularly compared to the rest of the country?

- So the Annie Casey Foundation, as you indicated, collects data from every state, and then, within four domains, ranks the states against each other.

So New Jersey has done very well, and we are number seven.

- What does that mean?

Number seven across the board?

- No.

So we are overall number seven, meaning there's only six states that are doing better in all four domains than us combined, but, individually...

So for example, in economic wellbeing, we came in at 29th, and I think that is because there are a significant number of children in New Jersey who are living with a high housing, a high-housing cost burden.

There's children who are living in households where parents do not have secure employment.

Which brings us to the childcare issue because many people have not been able to maintain their jobs because of a lack of childcare or not having steady childcare that they can afford.

In education, New Jersey is doing exceptional.

We were rated number two, but, from my perspective, we shouldn't be complacent because fourth graders are not proficient in reading and eighth graders are not proficient in math, which could be a result of virtual learning during COVID but something that really needs to be watched the data is-- - Mary, hold on.

When it comes to education, did the KIDS COUNT analysis take learning loss into account in connection with COVID?

- No, they just looked at the test scores.

- Okay.

Go ahead.

- So these were the first test scores that were done after the pandemic.

And that's what I'm saying.

I think they reflect the learning loss, again, probably across the nation.

But ranking number two, you don't wanna give the impression that everything is great because there are definitely issues.

I mean, we have staffing crisis in schools, there's many schools that don't have aids, many children did not get services that maybe their individual education plan required.

Kids are suffering in terms of anxiety, mental health issues, you name it.

You've read about it, and you've reported on it.

It exists in New Jersey.

It just means we're doing better than other states.

- Got it.

How about this?

Let's talk about, this is interesting, the state pocket guide.

In the state pocket guide, which is an important resource, school breakfast numbers are down.

What is this issue and why is it so important, Mary?

- So the pocket guide is actually, if I can just hold it up a minute, that's our publication.

This is ACNJ.

- I'm sorry, let's put up the website for ACNJ so people can find out more.

Go ahead, Mary.

- Okay.

So we took data.

We get funded by the Casey Foundation to gather data from state agencies and departments to provide a snapshot of how children are doing.

This year, we decided to just report the most recent data because we're just starting to see data and the impact of COVID.

So to your point with school breakfast, there was a huge campaign, ACNJ was one of the leaders, many organizations participated in.

And the idea was to make sure kids were getting breakfast after the bell, meaning in the classroom, so that they were not hungry, and they were ready to learn.

So you mentioned school lunch, certain household income levels determine eligibility for school lunch and school breakfast.

But to your point, I think it's 59% of the kids who are getting school lunch are also getting school breakfast, which means there's a huge number of children who are not getting breakfast in the classroom as was occurring prior to COVID.

And that's not a good place to be.

Now, it could be a data reporting issue, but we need to- - Let's shift gears for a second, Mary.

Let's talk about Reimagine Childcare, this initiative we've been involved in for several years creating greater public awareness around accessible, affordable, quality childcare.

Where do you believe we are to today and what progress needs to be made in the next year?

- So I wanna acknowledge the state investment.

I think, umm...

I heard the commissioner, you interviewed the commissioner the other day, and she talked about that.

And there's been a great investment.

But we are still seeing a childcare crisis in large part because of a staffing issue.

- That's right.

- So minimum wage has gone up gradually in New Jersey, and so childcare centers, small businesses, are paying minimum wage, and they are competing against other industries that can pay more.

And so where they might be paying 17, $18 an hour, which is higher than minimum wage, somebody could go to a retail establishment and make 20 something dollars an hour.

I think they have not been able to keep staff.

So people might be switching jobs or leaving jobs.

And so this does not provide the stability that families need to put their children into an environment where they know their child's gonna be well taken care of on a regular basis.

And it disrupts a parent's work situation.

- There are a whole range of childcare-related issues.

We'll continue to talk with Mary Coogan, the relatively new President and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

Mary we look forward to those conversations because there's so much work to be done.

Thank you, Mary.

- Thank you.

- You got it.

I'm Steve Adubato, we'll be right back.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We are honored to be joined by Tia Ryans, founding Executive director of F.O.R.T.E.

I'm saying forte.

It's an Italian expression.

F-O-R-T-E House.

Forcing Out Recidivism Through Education, and a 2023 Russ Berrie Making a Difference winner.

Tia, good to see you.

- It's good to see you too, Steve.

Thank you so much for having me on today.

- You got it.

And what is the appropriate pronunciation?

- It is F.O.R.T.E.

House, but I was excited to learn that in Italian it means strong, so I'll take, yeah, I'll take forte, too.

- F.O.R.T.E.

House.

I love it.

You know, Tia, I met you at the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards, which I've been honored to emcee from the beginning.

And your story, your story, your experience.

Talk a little bit about the challenges you faced earlier in your career and how you got to be where you are now making such a difference.

- Absolutely.

I did have a lot of challenges.

F.O.R.T.E.

House actually came out of a class project my first semester at Rutgers University when I was attending an NJ STEP class.

This class is specifically designed for formerly incarcerated college students, so that it's easier for us to transition from college inside correctional facilities to more traditional college campuses.

And of course, as a formerly incarcerated individual, I needed that socialization component to help me navigate, successfully navigate, college.

And it was during that process where we were tasked with creating a housing model.

And because not only myself, but also my peers, were faced with the collateral consequence of not being able to find housing, or find decent housing or safe housing.

I was excited to make it a tangible, real life thing.

Like there were so many people like us who needed housing, and no one else wanted to join the project, because they're focused on being successful, relearning their selves, adjusting to the cultural shock that follows an extended stay at correctional facilities, and just getting on their feet.

And I just took it on by myself, head on, and it took me some years, it took about five years for me to actually open a physical location, but we did.

- So let's do this.

I was being somewhat, I shouldn't have been flip by, in using forte, because it is F.O.R.T.E.

House, but there is something to be said for forte meaning strong in Italian, because you are incredibly strong in all seriousness, because there are a couple things about your background you haven't mentioned.

From the ages of five to 14, you were sexually abused by your stepfather, prompting you to run away very often from home.

How many different group homes?

- I actually don't remember.

There were quite a few.

I did go through the revolving door of going home, running away, ending up in the youth detention center, because I would get arrested for running away, and then going to a group home before I eventually went back home, or temporary foster care.

And so I don't remember the number.

I know that it's at least five before I started becoming too old to go to group home.

- And seven schools?

- Eight, actually.

Eight high schools, yeah.

- Well, there's a point I'm getting to.

You, unless my math is wrong, or my information is wrong, throughout this time, all these challenges, you maintained at Orange High School, a 3.8 grade point average?

- Yes.

That was my graduating GPA.

- Well, talk about strong.

How?

- I'll be honest.

I learned at a young age to compartmentalize, if that's the more appropriate word we're gonna use today.

And I had my home life, where I was scared, I was vulnerable, I was victimized.

And then my escape life, which was I did every after school activity, I focused on those type of things to navigate, well, to really escape.

School extracurricular activities, all those things kept my mind busy, kept my emotions in check, and I just kind of separated, and I grew up doing the same exact thing in high school, middle school, and I was able to separate.

So I mean, you can call it strong, but in a sense, it was just escape mirroring.

- But when you were incarcerated, you were also continuing your education.

- Yes.

- How?

And why?

- So I'm a first generation college graduate.

It was never talked about to pursue post-secondary education in my household.

It wasn't talked down, but it wasn't talked about.

It wasn't encouraged.

And when I heard other people talking about higher education, I thought, well, this is something that I could use to be a better person, to have a better life, to do things that I didn't imagine, to... And I'm happy I did, because that's where I got the confidence that you see today.

That is where I was, I became knowledgeable about different systems that I felt, you know, were a part of my life that maybe I didn't understand.

And different institutions that were intertwined in those systems.

It was another way to not only, I wouldn't say I'd use it as escape this time.

I'll use it as, I use it as a way to grow, to evolve as the person I am, so.

- And that was Rutgers.

- That was Rutgers University, Newark.

Yes.

- Big, yeah.

Big part of your world, right?

- A huge part to this day.

- Yeah.

The other big part of your world, and I'm curious about this, in terms of the impact on F.O.R.T.E.

House, winning the Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference with some others, there's a cash award connected to this.

What does it mean to you professionally and personally?

- I'll be honest, my first thought was, "Oh my God, how many people can I help with that?"

Right?

So professionally, it just, I wanted to immediately reinvest it into F.O.R.T.E.

House, and I actually did.

So I was like, "Can you make two different checks?"

(Steve laughs) And I did.

They wrote me two checks, and I was like, "I need to give F.O.R.T.E.

House," I wanted to do...

So I donated half of it to F.O.R.T.E.

House.

- I didn't know that.

- I did.

(Tia laughs) I donated half.

- How did you get so giving?

- You know what?

I, it took a lot of work, a lot of self-reflection, because when you go through a lot of systems, whether it's group home, foster care, the carceral system at a young age, you're impressionable and you're angry about that.

And because I had an extended, you know, stay at a correctional facility, I had a lot of time to be angry, and then to realize I couldn't do anything about it, but to grow.

And I asked myself, I remember asking myself, "Well, who would I be if I had not gone through "all of these situations?"

And at my core, I'm just a nice, you know, I wanna be nice and giving and selfless, respectable.

And by me not being those things, by me being angry, or by me being sad, or by me, I was being controlled by things outside of me that weren't who I was at my core self.

So it was about 30 years old, I was finally released, and I was excited when I had this revelation that I had my own autonomy, right?

I was in charge of myself.

I was not being controlled.

I was not being terrorized, victimized, or anything.

And I decided that was when I wanted to be who I set out to be at my core, who I was meant to be.

And I'm ambitious, and I'm resilient, and I'm intelligent, and I'm selfless, and I'm giving, and all those things.

And that's who I am.

- One more thing you missed.

You're all those things and more.

You're strong.

Forte, F-O-R-T-E, in Italian or any way you wanna interpret it, it's F.O.R.T.E.

House, but forte is strong.

You're an incredibly strong woman and leader, and you're making a difference.

Tia, thank you so much.

- Absolutely.

- That's Tia Ryans.

She's making a difference.

We'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato Is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The Turrell Fund, supporting Reimagine Childcare.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Hackensack Meridian Health.

Valley Bank.

Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

NJM Insurance Group.

And by PSC.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com.

And by BestofNJ.com.

- I am alive today thanks to my kidney donor.

I am traveling and more active than ever before.

- I'm alive today thanks to my heart donor.

I'm full of energy and back singing in my church choir.

- I'm alive today thanks to my lung donor.

I'm breathing easy and I'm enjoying life'’s precious moments.

- They are about 4,000 people in New Jersey waiting for a life-saving transplant.

- Donation needs diversity!

- For more information or to become an organ and tissue donor, visit NJSharingNetwork.org.