Video: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in Gloucester Township, Camden County discussing the teachers' union and educating children in New Jersey -- Sep. 14, 2010
Awesome new clip.
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I'm not picking on teachers. But sacrifices must be made in order for states to remain solvent. In New Jersey, prior to Christie's changes, no teacher or anyone in their family ever paid a 'dime' for health care from the day hired until their death.
Christie is asking for a 1.5% contribution (that's 1.5 not 15) from teacher salaries toward future health care coverage. Coming from the private sector where 20-50% required health-care contributions are commonplace, I have exactly zero sympathy for irate educators.
Furthermore, as long as we're on the subject, let me be clear about my position:
- I have nothing against public employees, teachers, cops, etc. My problem is with the outrageous benefits they recieve on OUR DIME. Who the hell gets a pension anymore anyway...no one EXCEPT public employees. If their pension is underfunded and performed poorly in the stock market then the rest of us taxpayers, who have NO PENSION, are forced to bailout the folks who do. It's fundamentally an issue of fairness.
Meanwhile:
TRENTON, N.J. — The security guards at the headquarters of New Jersey's pension fund have never seen anything like it before: lines of public employees extending out the door and into the street.
Day after day, workers come in droves to apply for retirement. They often line up before dawn.
The rush has been set off in part by Republican Gov. Chris Christie's campaign in this cash-strapped state to make government employment — and retirement — less lucrative.
Since 2008, New Jersey and at least 19 other states from Wyoming to Rhode Island have rolled back pension benefits or seriously considered doing do — and not just for new hires, but for current employees and people already retired.
After telegraphing his intentions for months, Christie spelled out the details of his proposal Tuesday. They include: repealing an increase in benefits approved years ago; eliminating automatic cost-of-living adjustments; raising the retirement age to 65 from 60 in many cases; reducing pension payouts for many future retirees; and requiring some employees to contribute more to their pensions.
"We must reverse the damage caused by fairy-tale promises that have fattened benefits and pensions to unsustainable levels," the governor said.
To be sure, the looming benefit changes are not the only reason many public employees in New Jersey are retiring. Some say they want out for the usual reasons — to spend time with the grandchildren or go fishing, for example — or complain that government layoffs and other cutbacks are making work unbearable. But other employees figure that by retiring now, they can lock in certain benefits before it is too late.
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Previously on the Bail:
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Screenshot
Awesome new clip. Runs 90 seconds.