On November 6, 2012, a question will appear on the ballot authorizing $750 million for higher education capital construction projects. Passage of this ballot question will help address the persistent problem of New Jersey high school graduates leaving our state to go to college elsewhere. Keeping highly educated students in New Jersey is important to the state’s economy, to our employers and to competing in a global market.

 

Unfortunately, New Jersey leads the nation in the net outmigration of college bound students. More high school graduates leave New Jersey to go to college than anywhere in the nation! Why? Because New Jersey’s college enrollment capacity is 46th in the nation for four year colleges and universities. Simply stated, we can’t accommodate all the students that want to go to college here in New Jersey. Passage of Ballot Question #1, titled the “Building Our Future Bond Act,” will help address this problem by expanding capacity for more students at our colleges and universities.

 

Furthermore, New Jersey’s economy will benefit because thousands of jobs in the construction industry will be created to build these facilities and additional jobs will be created in other sectors on our campuses in order to teach the growing number of students and maintain these new facilities. During this difficult economic time, when unemployment is painfully high in New Jersey, we have a great opportunity to put people back to work by voting Yes on Ballot Question #1, which makes a significant investment in education. Passage of this referendum is a win-win for our state’s economy and for the higher education community.

 

On Election Day, please join the New Jersey State AFL-CIO in supporting the passage of the Building Our Future Bond Act. Vote YES on Ballot Question #1.