From the Home News Tribune:
Since he retired three years ago, Craig Verran has seen his property-tax bill increase by 60 percent. He’s watched his health-care costs grow by between 11 percent and 20 percent each year.
So when Verran, a Manasquan resident, reads about government workers fighting benefit cuts that are aimed at saving enough money to rein in property taxes, he’s left shaking his head.
Verran is among a number of New Jersey residents who reacted angrily in recent days as they saw or read about public-employee protests designed to fight off changes to their pensions and benefits. Another rally — this one expected to draw around 8,000 people — is planned tomorrow in Trenton, on a day all 120 legislators will be there to hear the chants.
The rally will close some New Jersey schools — including the public schools in South Amboy — as teachers take the day off to join the rally.
“I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the public sector with the amounts of pensions, the age that they can retire — 55 — and their health-care costs,” Verran said.
But public workers say they are not to blame for the growing price of benefits.
…
Retirement and health care are expected to cost New Jersey state and local governments $5.45 billion this year, with the price steadily rising.Labor unions, however, say the costs have been driven up by years of government decisions that have undercut the pension system by providing little to no funding, leaving holes that the state is still struggling to plug.
the systme is broke, end of story.
it will BK the state.
If ENRON’s pension went bankrupt and stuck 1000’s of workers ,let the state go under too,then the workers will know what a cold world it is without mommy and daddy state taxpayer
ralph,
The problem has been mismanagement and outright raiding of the pension fund by Whitman to give her famous tax breaks. Chickens are coming home to roost for that charade.
The pension system has many flaws and I agree that reforms are necessary, for both and political reasons.
There is no reason why someone who works part time should be credited a full year of time. You can have a person do that for 22 years then get a full time position for the last 3 and earn the pension at the full time salary. It is just ridiculous.
Teachers rally tommorow, they plan to shut down Trenton—But Corzine already told them he will not touch anything—Status Quo.
Many schools will be shut down across NJ–sending parents into a tizzy.
When will unions figure out they are bankrupting NJ, or do they really care. Obviously teachers don’t care—or they would not shut down schools.
How bad is it in NJ? My mother in law is a recently retired teacher in Bergen and I lurk on this site to know what she might run into. Thanks.
Ryen
Don’t worry Gov. Corzine will not do anything to upset the unions.
The real problem is how much more will the unions demand.
well in 2003 I was telling people that there tax bill would double by 2010 it looks like I was off by a year it will only take 6 from there 2003 tax bill…Now I’m saying if you want to figure your tax bill 5 years from 2006 just take what you paid multply it times 2 ….that’s right your tax bill will be double what you are paying now….forget caps ,rebates ,credits….and whatever …
The real problem is how much more will the unions demand.
Yup…
From:
http://www.nea.org/pay/campaigns.html
The New Jersey Education Association’s (NJEA) “40K-Right Away” campaign has created a bumper crop of decent settlements in the Garden State. As the 2006-07 school year began in New Jersey, 447 NJEA teacher locals — out of 593 bargaining teacher locals — had starting teacher salaries of $40,000 or more. That’s 75 percent of NJEA locals. NJEA’s new goal is a $50,000 starting teacher salary*; the Westfield school district is the first to meet it, and two affiliates will be there in 2007-08.
* For 9 only months of work plus benefits that would make eany private sector employee’s head spin