Over at Neighborhood Effects, Eileen Norcross of the Mercatus Center points to this very cool website that gives you details on taxes and power of the unions. It even allows you to compare your tax pain. For instance, you learn that “New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. No other state comes close.”

As Norcross explains:

Now, thanks to what must have been a massive amount of data work for Gannett’s reporters, you can easily discover how much police officers, municipal workers, teachers, firemen, and judges are being paid in your town.
Each of New Jersey’s 460,000 public employees enrolled in a benefits program is in this data base by name, jurisdiction, and retirement fund. You can also look inside a police contract.
The Asbury Park Press highlights some of the biggest beneficiaries:
A principal at Freehold Regional earns $146,316. A police officer in Belmar grossed $109,975. In Eatontown, a patrol officer earns $90,000.
The reporting continues through Sunday, and it’s worth exploring. It’s also worth asking why some towns were more forthcoming with their data than others.

Check this out.