TRENTON, NJ–(SBN)–A contentious discussion of possible solutions to New Jersey’s public pension funding crisis, sponsored by NJSpotlight.com, the public policy news and issues website, was covered in video by StateBroadcastNews.com in Trenton on July 8. The roundtable is the latest in a series of conferences produced by NJSpotlight.com and videotaped by SBN for distribution on the NJSpotlight website and YouTube channel.
Due to years of underfunding, New Jersey’s public-employee pension system is at least $44 billion in debt . The retiree healthcare system is an even bigger hot spot, as costs spiral out of control. With baby boomers retiring and the costs of the system threatening to strangle all discretionary spending, officials are searching for a way to solve these problems. Democrats are looking to bolster the system with guaranteed payments. Republicans are hoping to transform the system using 401(k)s. Both parties are looking at ways to create lower costs through efficiencies in the health system.
On July 8 NJ Spotlight and state and regional leaders gathered to discuss the problem and possible solutions. One of the goals: Evaluate how this issue can affect the retirement of public employees and impact taxpayers and services.
Keynote Address: Happy New Fiscal Year. Now Get Ready for Troubles Ahead
William Glasgall, State and Local Program Director, The Volcker Alliance
William Glasgall joined the Volcker Alliance in 2014 as Director of the Alliance’s State and Local programs. Previously, he was Managing Editor at Bloomberg News, overseeing coverage of state and local government and financial news that won numerous awards from the National Press Club Foundation and other organizations.
Panel Discussion: Pensions and Possible Solutions
Tom Byrne, Chairman, State Investment Council William Glasgall, Director, State and Local Programs, Volcker Alliance Dominick Marino, President, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey Edward Richardson, Chief Executive, New Jersey Education Association Hetty Rosenstein, State Director, Communications Workers of America
Panel Discussion: Retiree Healthcare Costs Spiraling Out of Control
Assemblyman Daniel Benson, New Jersey State Legislature; Dudley Burdge, Senior Staff Representative, Communications Workers of America Local 1032; Stephen Eide, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute Thomas Healey, New Jersey Pension and Benefit Study Commission; Kevin Kelleher, Director of Research, New Jersey Education Association
Moderator: John Reitmeyer, public finance writer, NJ Spotlight
Steve Lubetkin is the news director for StateBroadcastNews.com. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. He refocused on multimedia journalism and podcast production after a long career in corporate branded journalism and public relations.
He has won numerous awards for his audio and video news reporting from the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced a wide range of audio and video podcasts in his other role as managing partner of State Broadcast News’s parent, The Lubetkin Media Companies.
Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional.
In March 2021, he was elected to the board of directors of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and in July 2021 he was named secretary of the chapter. In August 2021, he was honored by SPJ with one of the organization’s 2021 Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Awards, given to regular members of an SPJ chapter who go above and beyond in serving their chapter.
Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996.
Steve also has reported on-camera and produces virtual conferences for NJSpotlightNews.org, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC.
From May-November 2019, he produced and reported a weekly podcast, The CRE News Hour, a news and features program focusing on the commercial real estate industry.
From 2014 to 2019 he was New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com and filled in covering Chicago/Midwest and Atlanta.
Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies.
Earlier in his career, Steve reported on rock music at the Jersey Shore for the Asbury Park Press, and was a broadcast news anchor and production engineer for WJLK-AM & FM, then owned by the Press. He also worked as a general assignment reporter for the Red Bank Register, Shrewsbury, NJ.
You can email Steve at steve@statebroadcastnews.com.
