Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Once again - you did not answer my question. You talking about NJ teachers and their salaries had nothing to do with my question, but cute agenda. My question was not even directed to you because you admitted you don't care about the hug. My question was for people who DO.
Again - take your hate for Christie up with someone else.
Mature. You can hate him all you want, trust me I'm used to it as someone who lives in NJ, but I'd appreciate if you didn't hijack my posts and point with your agenda.
Are you a teacher in NJ by any chance? Do you know one? Are you a teacher somewhere else? If not, odd that you'd bring teachers up, of all things. You could have mentioned the Bridge scandal, a much more nationally known "issue". But you go with an issue specific to NJ when I ask why people around the country have an issue with the Obama hurricane hug.
Mature. You can hate him all you want, trust me I'm used to it as someone who lives in NJ, but I'd appreciate if you didn't hijack my posts and point with your agenda.
Are you a teacher in NJ by any chance? Do you know one? Are you a teacher somewhere else?
I've been to N.J. one time. I'm not a teacher. It's not about the teachers, it's about Christie being a hypocritical jerk.
I've been to N.J. one time. I'm not a teacher. It's not about the teachers, it's about Christie being a hypocritical jerk.
He's hypocritical because he addresses the pension problem in NJ and wants aid when a natural disaster hits our state? Aid other states regularly get? When NJ gives far more money than it takes federally?
I reread your post. You claimed that Christie won't "raise teacher's salaries" (false) yet will accept money from the federal government when NJ is hit by a hurricane... I don't see a problem. They are not equal issues. Not to mention, there IS a genuine pension issue with NJ public workers. Everyone but those public workers will admit it. The system needs reforming or it will run dry and we'll be more screwed than we already are financially in this state.
Getting federal funds allocated for natural disasters and trying to rework a corrupt pension system are not the same thing.
He's hypocritical because he addresses the pension problem in NJ and wants aid when a natural disaster hits our state? Aid other states regularly get? When NJ gives far more money than it takes federally?
I explained this once.
Quote:
I reread your post. You claimed that Christie won't "raise teacher's salaries" (false) yet will accept money from the federal government when NJ is hit by a hurricane... I don't see a problem. They are not equal issues. Not to mention, there IS a genuine pension issue with NJ public workers. Everyone but those public workers will admit it. The system needs reforming or it will run dry and we'll be more screwed than we already are financially in this state.
Getting federal funds allocated for natural disasters and trying to rework a corrupt pension system are not the same thing.
The country is broke. It's O.K. with Christie that others go further in the hole to save his job for him.
Each time there's a disaster FEMA gives aid to wherever was hit. It has nothing to do with "saving his job"... it's why FEMA exists. Funds are always allocated towards natural disasters. Everywhere, all the time. Each time a storm hits anywhere, "others go further in the hole" because that's what it's there for. Maybe FEMA isn't sustainable long term and maybe rebuilding isn't always right, but as NJ governor that isn't Christie's problem to fix. That's a federal thing. However, it IS his problem to deal with massive spending on pensions and public workers. And that needs an overhaul.
He's not a jerk. The NJEA is an incredibly strong union. It's hard to negotiate with them. They will likely never compromise on a new plan for pensions, salary caps, and tenure requirements. NJ has great schools but we also have teachers who suck who were tenured before they had the chance to be properly evaluated and are now untouchable. NJ teachers and cops are among the highest paid in the nation. A high school gym teacher that retired from my district after about 35 years retired making $115,000 a year. For a GYM TEACHER. That is unreal. I know this because it's all public record since they work for the government. They get yearly raises, and there's never a cap on it. Never a year when they don't get a raise. The longer they work, the more they make and the more their pension is.
Small town cops (and in NJ, which has over 500 municipalities, nearly every town has its own police and fire force and school district, plus some county police forces and state police) can also easily make over 100 grand a year. Corrections officers, same. Imagine this for thousands of workers in over 500 municipalities. They make a ton of money and have amazing benefits. They have great pensions that they get to keep even when they move out of state (and many do). So people move out with their pensions, take money, and no longer are paying taxes to the state that is supporting some of their pension. It's overall a corrupt system and not sustainable for much longer because we don't have the money for it. Tenure needs stricter requirements, bad teachers need to be cut, there should probably be salary caps so gym teachers don't make over 100,000 a year because seriously, a GYM teacher, and the pension system needs to be reworked. He tried to change it and faced instant backlash.
Teachers attack Christie and try to challenge him on the regular because they're pissed he's trying to change the rules for them and future public workers, because the current system is not sustainable. I remember hearing on the radio a few years ago, a teacher called in to NJ 101.5 to complain that she had to pay like $7 for her prescriptions rather than the former $2 or something completely ridiculous and cheap like that thanks to Christie's changes (because their benefits are that great)... she got laughed off the air. Literally. The guy was like, do you realize how much most people pay for their prescriptions with insurance? You're still paying a ridiculously cheap amount. Christie gets pissed at public workers because they're often out of touch and refuse to acknowledge that to protect themselves, they are screwing everyone else in the already financially strapped state over.
But as you've only been to NJ once, I don't expect you to know any of this. Hard to know it when you don't live it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
