New Jersey State Assembly (yep, controlled by Dems) moves to cut benefits for public workers

[marmar]

:argh:


from the NY Times:


TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday approved a broad rollback of benefits for 750,000 government workers and retirees, the deepest cut in state and local costs in memory, in a major victory for Gov. Chris Christie and a once-unthinkable setback for the state’s powerful public employee unions.

The Assembly passed the bill 46 to 32, as Republicans and a few Democrats defied raucous protests by thousands of people whose chants, vowing electoral revenge, shook the State House. Leaders in the State Senate said their chamber, which had already passed a slightly different version of the bill, would approve the Assembly version on Monday. Mr. Christie, a Republican, was expected to sign the measure into law quickly.

In a statement released after the vote, Mr. Christie said, “We are putting the people first and daring to touch the third rail of politics in order to bring reform to an unsustainable system.”

The legislation will sharply increase what state and local workers must contribute for their health insurance and pensions, suspend cost-of-living increases to retirees’ pension checks, raise retirement ages and curb the unions’ contract bargaining rights. It will save local and state governments $132 billion over the next 30 years, by the administration’s estimate, and give the troubled benefit systems a sounder financial footing, mostly by shifting costs onto workers. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/nyregion/nj-legislature-moves-to-cut-benefits-for-public-workers.html?_r=1&hp

[xchrom]

1. ...

:mad:

[no_hypocrisy]

2. It's worse than the article describes.

More money will be taken out of the salaries of public school teachers and it WON'T be applied to their pensions. The money has been redirected to deficit spending, not their retirement funds. The State has not paid into their pension funds for more than 15 years. That's right, public school teachers have been taxed TWICE by their collectively bargained pension funds having been applied to the general revenue to pay general expenses of the State. When they retire, the money won't be there. And now MORE money will be taken away from them and NOT applied to their pensions.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. It's beginning to look like we're all alone out here.

Third party time.

[tabbycat31]

18. most Democrats voted against this bill

There were only a handful that voted for it--- it passed with them plus the Republicans in the assembly.

I was there for most of yesterday protesting.

[ImNotTed]

4. Personally, I'd prefer Tony Soprano as my Governor

Another win for The AntiChristie that the "liberal" media can come in their pants over. :puke:

[RKP5637]

5. They're working hard to take this country back to the early 20th century with

scant rights, horrible deathly working conditions, horrible pay and work hours.

We have an element in this society that would love to see those days return. I think voters are going to really start scrutinizing politicians next time around. Those feeling immune will eventually be next on the chopping block.

There is a lack of generational memory on how it used to be before the unions.

[Brickbat]

6. When both sides actively wreck your interests, it becomes easy to say there's no difference between

the parties.

[fredamae]

7. Hmmm, WI style "Fake Dems" that actually got elected, perhaps?

Or are they just assholes that are in for the money/corp favoritism?

We have to vet very carefully--obviously.

[RKP5637]

9. I've been concerned about the "Fake Dems." So easy to throw lots of money and

propaganda to misguide many voters, just to buy the label and then do evil bidding, lots of contributions, and a cushy life style.

[fredamae]

14. Honestly, until it happened in WI, I naively never

even considered that. This examples why we have to fight fire with fire. We, clearly must and will run "Fake Cons" to balance the bullshit.

[VeryConfused]

8. Shouldn't your headline read that the Gov says cutting pay

of middle class Americans is his "greatest accomplishment" Considering the majority of Democrats voted against these measures your headline is at best misleading.

[marmar]

11. Umm, I'll take your suggestion under advisement.

nt

[Erose999]

10. Chris Christie can piss on his "3rd rail of politics". Or if he wants to save the state even more

money, he can just piss on an electric fence.

[TomClash]

12. A little math

$132 billion over 30 years is $4.4 billion annually that is sucked out of the economy in NJ.

That's roughly 1% of the personal income in the State. It has the same effect as a tax.

[butterfly77]

13. Fake Dems,Fake Dems,

what you gonna do when they come for you???

[RKP5637]

16. +1, n/t

[sarcasmo]

15. These days the line between Democratic politician and Republican politician is very thin.

[Yo_Mama]

17. There is one good thing in this - the state will now HAVE to make its pension contributions

This is another NY Times article about the provisions:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/nyregion/details-of-new-jerseys-benefits-and-pension-legislation.html?ref=nyregion

The state will also be required to make contributions to the pension system. The state has skipped the payments in most years since the 1990s. Unions will have the right to take the state to court over missed payments.

I also think that since they were going to do it, scaling the amount of medical insurance payment to wages earned was a good step.

I read the version the Senate passed, and this is a very sweeping change. But NJ was bankrupt, and that is probably why some Dems supported this.