Wednesday, June 15, 2011

LANDMARK DAY IN NEW JERSEY TOMORROW

Tomorrow morning at 9am, public employees and their union leaders are scheduled to hold a massive rally in front of the State House in Trenton, New Jersey. They are protesting a public worker pension and health benefits reform bill that they claim would strip them of the right to collectively bargain. Sound familiar? Some estimate the crowd could swell to 30,000 or more.

At 10am, the State Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee is expected to take lengthy testimony on the bill and by all accounts approve it sending it to the full Upper House for a vote at a to-be-determined date. The Assembly Budget Committee is scheduled to consider its version of the legislation Monday.

Tempers are flaring. Tensions are running high and the rhetoric has been ratcheted up to the extreme. New Jersey isn't Wisconsin, but we're starting to get a feel what it was like recently in the Badger State.

5 comments:

eric said...

Good Luck Mr. Christie. Stay strong and keep up your abilty to handle those that have bullied the state.

Anonymous said...

This bill is a joke let make boss George even wealthier health care needs to be dealt with collective bargaining just like the last 30 plus years democrats do what is right tell Sweeney oliver and the gov NO go to the bargaining table it is how to get health care done that is fair!

Joe said...

Most private sector employees pay hundreds of dollars per month AND don't get any pension. On top of that we have outrageous property taxes. As a homeowner I pay more into the benefits system than a state worker who rents pays into it, and you want to talk about FAIR??????

Ed From Woodbury said...

Kevin,

The heckler at the statehouse was wrong and even made state workers look like fools.

He did have a good point. In general the media has NOT been fair to both sides. You may or may not have been I don't know.

I would like to hear an article based on how as a professional I took a state job at 70% of the rate that my profession pays in the private sector knowing I was being compensated with a benefits package that filled the 30% gap.

Now, after many years my 30% investment is being taken from me and I am too old to get a job at 100% of the rate to get enough to live off of when I turn 65 or 70.

I would love to sit down over lunch at Antonio's over the bridge and talk about my views and hear yours.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there Govenor!The Unions have had the bit in their teeth for too long.
It's about time the everything paid for mentalitly at the tax payers expense is brought under control.