Common Sense Institute

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The Common Sense Institute of New Jersey (CSINJ) is a "nonprofit research and education organization" concerned with advancing "public policy alternatives that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility and economic opportunity" in New Jersey.[1] The Common Sense Institute was a member of the State Policy Network (SPN), but as of August 2016 is no longer listed as a member.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

The Common Sense Institute hosted an event focused on Medicaid in New Jersey in which one of the featured speakers was Christie Herrera, then-director of the ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force.[2] The CSINJ also has ties to ALEC through its membership with the State Policy Network, who in turn is an ALEC member.

Please see SPN Ties to ALEC for more.

About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

Ties to the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

The Common Sense Institute has hosted writers from the ALEC-connected Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which screens potential reporters on their “free market” views as part of the job application process.[3] The Franklin Center funds reporters in over 40 states.[4] Despite their non-partisan description, many of the websites funded by the Franklin Center have received criticism for their conservative bias.[5][6] On its website, the Franklin Center claims it "provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide."[7]

Franklin Center Funding

Franklin Center Director of Communications Michael Moroney told the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) in 2013 that the source of the Franklin Center's funding "is 100 percent anonymous." But 95 percent of its 2011 funding came from DonorsTrust, a spin-off of the Philanthropy Roundtable that functions as a large "donor-advised fund," cloaking the identity of donors to right-wing causes across the country (CPI did a review of Franklin's Internal Revenue Service records).[8] Mother Jones called DonorsTrust "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement" in a February 2013 article.[9] Franklin received DonorTrust's second-largest donation in 2011.[8]

The Franklin Center also receives funding from the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,[10] a conservative grant-making organization.[11]

The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM),[12] a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. SAM gets funding from the State Policy Network,[13] which is partially funded by The Claude R. Lambe Foundation.[14] Charles Koch, one of the billionaire brothers who co-own Koch Industries, sits on the board of this foundation.[15] SAM also receives funding from the Rodney Fund.

Funding

The Common Sense Institute has received funding from corporate trade groups and industry-tied foundations, including Donors Capital Fund ($66,500 in 2012,[16] $140,000 in 2011,[17] and $155,000 in 2010 -- including $25,000 "for direct mail efforts"[18]), the Roe Foundation of hardware baron and State Policy Network founder Thomas A. Roe ($15,000 in 2012),[19] the Borden Milk-tied JM Foundation ($30,000 in 2012[20] and $25,000 in 2011[21]), the A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation ($5,000 in 2012[22] and $5,000 in 2011[23]), the Borden Milk-tied Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation ($30,000 in 2012),[24] the Bodman Foundation ($25,000 in 2010),[25] the Atlas Economic Research Foundation ($10,000 in 2011),[26] the banking-tied William E. Simon Foundation ($10,000 in 2012),[27] Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America ($10,000 in 2011),[28] and the Woolworth- and Alleghany-tied F.M. Kirby Foundation ($10,000 in 2012).[29]

Core Financials

2014[30]:

  • Total Revenue: $60,443
  • Total Expenses: $118,944
  • Net Assets: $0

2013[31]:

  • Total Revenue: $199,956
  • Total Expenses: $248,195
  • Net Assets: $58,501

2012[32]:

  • Total Revenue: $198,818
  • Total Expenses: $198,837
  • Net Assets: $106,740

2011[33]:

  • Total Revenue: $193,023
  • Total Expenses: $218,157
  • Net Assets: $106,758

2010[34]:

  • Total Revenue: $275,020
  • Total Expenses: $147,351
  • Net Assets: $131,894

2009[35]:

  • Total Revenue: $5,000
  • Total Expenses: $775
  • Net Assets: $4,225

Personnel

Board of Directors

As of August 2016:[36]

  • Jerry Cantrell, President
  • Dr. Poonam Alaigh
  • Lawrence Mone
  • John Schmidt
  • Michael D. Horn, Esq.
  • Arthur Imperatore Jr.
  • Anthony J. Vespa
  • Victor M. Richel
  • Dick Zimmer

Contact Details

The Common Sense Institute of New Jersey
2 Berry Lane
Randolph, New Jersey 07869
Phone: 973-927-9860
Email:info@csinj.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonSenseNJ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Common-Sense-Institute-of-New-Jersey-CSINJ-125054694178689/?ref=page_internal

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

Related PRWatch Articles

External Resources

References

  1. "About Us", organizational website, accessed November 2012
  2. "CSINJ Healthcare Summit 12/20/11"
  3. Franklin Center, Franklin Affiliates in Your State, organizational website, accessed October 2012.
  4. The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Think tank Journalism: The Future of Investigative Journalism, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
  5. Rebekah Metzler, "Watchdog" website puts a new spin on politics, The Portland Press Herald, October 2, 2010.
  6. Allison Kilkenny, The Koch Spider Web, Truthout, accessed August 19, 2011.
  7. Sara Jerving, Franklin Center: Right-Wing Funds State News Source, PRWatch.org, October 27, 2011.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, organizational report, February 14, 2013.
  9. Andy Kroll, Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement, Mother Jones, February 5, 2013.
  10. Daniel Bice, Franklin Center boss wants apology from Democratic staffer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 8, 2011.
  11. The Bradley Foundation. The Bradley Foundation. Organizational website. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  12. Sam Adams Alliance. Sam Adams Alliance Media Kit. Organizational PDF. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  13. Media Matters Action Network. Sam Adams Alliance. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  14. Media Matters Action Network. State Policy Network. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  15. Media Matters Action Network. Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation. Conservative Transparency. Accessed August 19, 2011.
  16. Donors Capital Fund, 2012 IRS Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, November 14, 2011.
  17. Donors Capital Fund, 2011 IRS Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, November 14, 2012.
  18. Donors Capital Fund, 2010 IRS Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, November 14, 2011.
  19. Roe Foundation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, May 6, 2013.
  20. JM Foundation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, November 13, 2013.
  21. JM Foundation, 2011 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, January 25, 2013.
  22. A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, May 7, 2013.
  23. A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation, 2011 IRS Form 990, organization's annual IRS filing, May 14, 2012.
  24. Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, November 13, 2013.
  25. Bodman Foundation, 2010 IRS Form 990, foundation's IRS annual filing, November 2, 2011.
  26. Atlas Economic Research Foundation, 2011 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, October 22, 2012.
  27. William E. Simon Foundation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's annual IRS filing, November 7, 2013.
  28. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, 2011 IRS Form 990, trade group's annual IRS filing, October 20, 2012.
  29. F.M. Kirby Foundation, 2012 IRS Form 990, foundation's IRS annual filing, May 13, 2013.
  30. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, 2014 Form 990, organizational tax filing, October 12, 2015.
  31. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, 2013 Form 990, organizational tax filing, May 16, 2014.
  32. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, 2012 Form 990, organizational tax filing, August 13, 2013.
  33. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, 2011 Form 990, organizational tax filing, July 2, 2012.
  34. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, 2010 Form 990, organizational tax filing, June 13, 2011.
  35. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey 2009 Form 990, organizational tax filing, May 3, 2010.
  36. Common Sense Institute of New Jersey, About Us, organizational website, accessed August 18, 2016.