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Christie said Tuesday that the wage freeze and a contribution of 1.5 percent of salary toward health insurance costs would save taxpayers $800 million and nearly make up for all the cuts in school aid in the state budget proposed last week.
"I'm going to take them at their word that it's all about the kids," Christie said in comments to the Asbury Park Press editorial board in Neptune. ''Well, if it's all about the children, then step up to the plate."
Christie noted that for a teacher earning $50,000, the health care contribution would amount to $750 for full medical, dental and vision coverage for a year.
"That's $2 a day," Christie said. "Most people spend more on coffee in a day."
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I can tell you most people in the public sector pay more than 750 dollars a yr for health insurance. If this is true, skipping a raise and pay 1.5% toward benefits to avoid all of this.......why is it not being considered by the unions?
USER876 - Just to contrast with the info you provided, let me point out the difference between NJ and NC in regards to health costs for teachers. Here, a teacher gets free health insurance for him or herself only. This is an 80% policy, which means if you end up with a $100,000 hospital bill, you pay $20,000 out of pocket. If you are married, you pay $350 a month for spousal coverage, and if you need family coverage, you pay $650 a month for that 80% policy. I actually feel sorry for NC teachers! Teachers here, start at about $30,000 so, if you have to provide family coverage, you're not exactly rolling in dough by the time you get your paycheck. I, as a retired Fed pay 28% of my health care costs, about $102 a month for my basic Blue Cross Blue Shield. It's a good deal for me!
Teachers in NJ don't realize how good they've had it, in regards to health care benefits. That 4% tax rate cap that most municipalities have, has a clause to negate it when health care costs for the employees are calculated, so that 4% cap may turn into a 6.5% cap when the health care benefit increases are factored in. For someone like me, who like SS recipients, saw no COLA increase for this year and probably next year, it creates a long downwards slope into poverty if I had continued to stay in NJ.(I moved in 2005). I wonder if I had stayed in NJ for another 20 years, whether my pension would have been "entirely consumed" by those 4% or more property tax increases, while my pension increases only track the CPI!
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,706,106 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheEmissary
What really "frosted" me was that Christie Whitman lived on an estate that was classified as a "farm". She grew hay for her brother's horses (how thoughful of her!) Farm land is taxed on pennies on the dollar compared to residential property. So she ended up paying less taxes on her "estate/farm" with a huge house, compared to my dumpy little Cape Cod on 1/10th of an acre in Paterson. The first year her state income tax decrease went into effect, my property taxes jumped from $2600 to over $4000!!! She saved her high-income friends a veritable fortune, while the rest of us middle-class taxpayers got the shaft!
sb_295 - The pension system in NJ will never go broke as long as it's backed by the taxpayers of NJ (Who says you can't get blood from a stone?).
Christie has been critical of teachers for taking a pay raise that's higher than the rate of inflation at a time when almost one in 10 New Jersey residents are unemployed.
Christie told The Associated Press in an interview that he will offer more state aid to all school districts whose teachers agree to forgo a planned pay raise in the 2011 fiscal year; most teachers were expected to get increases of at least 4 percent."I don't think it's wrong to say in these difficult times that they step up and make some sacrifice," Christie said. "We're not talking about forgoing raises forever. We're talking about forgoing raises for one year."
Unlike you who wants cut to the bone and don't raise taxes I'm willing to pay that tax increase because I still want some of these services I want my roads plowed, I want my children and my neighbors children to be educated I want the police protecting me. While I do think there are cuts that can be made I also know that there is only so much cutting you can do.... you can only survive not "live" on peanut butter and jelly for so long I know that it is only with everyone working that our economy will turn around and it is only when people are working that my job and your job will become more secure and better. Do some of you listen to your self you are cheering on people losing their jobs and losing benefits instead of hoping that this down hill spiral this country is on doesn't continue and hoping that everyone stays employed with good benefits so that your job isn't in jeopardy becomes more secure and that your benefits can improve. Cut cut cut all you want you act like all this cutting will not have an effect on you. Cut cut cut so no one is working and only the rich can survive. Lets see where that gets us.
I'm pretty sure that no one is cheering for anyone to lose their jobs. EVERYONE, should, however, contribute to their own retirement and healthcare. The free ride at tax payers expense should be over with. The good teachers should be rewarded while the bad should be replaced.
Christie said Tuesday that the wage freeze and a contribution of 1.5 percent of salary toward health insurance costs would save taxpayers $800 million and nearly make up for all the cuts in school aid in the state budget proposed last week.
"I'm going to take them at their word that it's all about the kids," Christie said in comments to the Asbury Park Press editorial board in Neptune. ''Well, if it's all about the children, then step up to the plate."
Christie noted that for a teacher earning $50,000, the health care contribution would amount to $750 for full medical, dental and vision coverage for a year.
"That's $2 a day," Christie said. "Most people spend more on coffee in a day."
-------------------------
I can tell you most people in the public sector pay more than 750 dollars a yr for health insurance. If this is true, skipping a raise and pay 1.5% toward benefits to avoid all of this.......why is it not being considered by the unions?
Gotta love Christie, he is right on. Perhaps if the teachers unions cut the fat cats at the top they could cut their dues and the teachers could keep more of their money.
Gotta love Christie, he is right on. Perhaps if the teachers unions cut the fat cats at the top they could cut their dues and the teachers could keep more of their money.
LOL..and the cost of $750 per year for their contribution to their health care...that is just about what the dues to NJEA are..ironic
so canear, you're willing to pay more in taxes so one group of citizens gets yearly increases, contributes little or nothing to their retirement and health care all the while so many in NJ are out of work or losing their jobs and many more have had salary freezes and pay cuts. is that correct? how is that fair and how is that better for your children? don't get me wrong, i love teachers and I would love for my kids to be teachers but one thing i've always taught my kids is that there is no free ride. we should all pay our fair share and this is just wrong.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,706,106 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by njkate
LOL..and the cost of $750 per year for their contribution to their health care...that is just about what the dues to NJEA are..ironic
Can you not understand that some teachers are paying for medical insurance. My sister & her husband pay 4% of their salary as it stands. Theirs is not the only district that requires teachers to pay.
Christie said that the teachers are not paying, but while that might be right in some districts, it is not correct for all. He has demonized unionized public employees & that is not right. He threw out the first insult & that was wrong. A union person in Bergen county did a tasteless & tacky "joke". That as not right either.
Last edited by southbound_295; 04-15-2010 at 03:21 PM..
Reason: typo
so canear, you're willing to pay more in taxes so one group of citizens gets yearly increases, contributes little or nothing to their retirement and health care all the while so many in NJ are out of work or losing their jobs and many more have had salary freezes and pay cuts. is that correct? how is that fair and how is that better for your children? don't get me wrong, i love teachers and I would love for my kids to be teachers but one thing i've always taught my kids is that there is no free ride. we should all pay our fair share and this is just wrong.
so instead he cuts aid and we end up paying more RE taxes. i certainly hope my state taxes go down! oh, that's right, they won't, I don't make $400K.
re: the bolded. and what would that be? i can tell you right now it costs the NJ taxpayer about $25K a year to educate my 2 children. I don't pay $25K a year in property taxes. I guess I'm not paying my fair share. are you?
also, I work full time, I pay federal, state, sales taxes (and a WHOLE LOT of them) yet don't have healthcare, vacation pay, sick pay or a retirement plan through my job. is that fair? what do you propose we do for *me*? or do we only set our sights on bringing those who *have* down instead of lifting others up?
this is indeed one slippery slope.
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i certainly hope my state taxes go down! oh, that's right, they won't, I don't make $400K. 
