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Ann- I was hoping you would reply because I wanted to find out if you knew anything at all about the State pension plan, specifically PERS which along with the teachers plan is the most underfunded. It seems to me many on this board have no real understanding on the plan but based on their anti-union feelings are quick to place blame and give credit where it does not belong.
So Ann what is your understanding of what role the union, specifically CWA had with the terms of the pension?
NJ currently has a projected budget surplus of $913 million versus the current proposed budget for 2012. The money is largely coming from increased income tax revenue that will be realized in full by July 2012. Again, this is a projection, but they are pretty darn sure it will come true.
So, what should we do the money?
Both sides of the Legislature are currently looking at funding every pet project under the sun.
Some are advocating using the money for debt reduction.
Some want it invested in the pension fund.
Some are advocating that it should be used as credits to encourage job creation.
Others think the money should be returned to the citizens via rebate checks.
What do you think?
That's just about the amount of money needed to build a new Pulaski Skyway.
I am not in a union. The pension has nothing to do with the union.
Blame the media. Right now it's open season on all public employees, of which I am one (not a state employee), but almost all the hate and vitriol you read refers to unions. Only about half the employees are represented by unions.
I wonder what the percentage is of NJ state employees who are represented.
Even if it was 100% which it is not they would still not have been responsible for the pension issues. The pension existed before there were public sector unions and the pension formula is not subject to negotiation. It applies to all workers union and not.
First off, Chris Christie has successfully turned around New Jersey's budget crisis without increasing taxes, proving to the public he is a reformer with a record of results.
As for the $912 million projected surplus, I say we do two things; we reduce taxes and start a rainy day fund. We need tax relief for property owner's, income, and business.
Blame the media. Right now it's open season on all public employees, of which I am one (not a state employee), but almost all the hate and vitriol you read refers to unions. Only about half the employees are represented by unions.
I wonder what the percentage is of NJ state employees who are represented.
In regards to the union bashing stuff a lot of this has to do with Christie. Honestly the guy really needs to relax with his union bashing because regular clowns are just running with whatever he says and making it much worse. Some of the stuff I see in online about cops is honestly just dumb naive and just wrong.
Its seems as if all that is wrong with the world is due to unions at least according to Christie. Any normal person understands that while the unions are to blame for some of the problem they are hardly 100% of it. Yet he never mentions any of the parties that are guilty in the problem.
Smartone- what did the Governor cut to turn around NJ 's budget crisis? State operating expenses are higher under his budget. That is the cost of operating the State government- what he cut was aid to towns and schools so in actuality the boards of educations and local mayors ultimately made the cuts.
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