>Christie slow to eliminate part-time employees from troubled retirement system
The boards of elections in the state’s 21 counties have frequently been used as a coveted parking spot for the well-connected, attracting such political bosses as Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore and the wife of Essex County power broker Stephen Adubato Sr.
The part-time gig wouldn’t make someone rich, but it often came with gold-plated health benefits that could extend into retirement. It also allowed people to build up valuable time in the retirement system or cobble the job together with another public position for a higher pension.
That decades-old practice was supposed to change after Gov. Chris Christie joined with Democrats in March 2010 to pass legislation that would ultimately eliminate part-timers from the financially troubled retirement system, cutting off their access to health benefits and steering them into 401(k)-style plans. (Renshaw, The Star-Ledger)
