AMES, Iowa — After winning a major ruling at the state Supreme Court allowing him to cut payments New Jersey’s pension system, Governor Christie had defiant words for labor leaders and Democratic leaders in the state Legislature on Thursday.
Christie, a Republican, called on public workers to accept reductions in their health benefits if they want to secure more funding for the troubled pension system. It is the only way forward, Christie said, because he will not raise taxes to fund the retirement system. (Rizzo/The Record)
No matter which side you are on this would sit dow again whith this man who signs a reform act . Goes around the country on his political agenda touting his new pension reform only to declare his part of it illegal. This is a guy you should believe ?
What the retired dad forgot to tell their sons is that they will pay more state & local, sales and gasoline taxes and only get bronze level health coverage just so the dad can keep platinum. The son will get a defined contribution pension just so the dad can keep their $100,000 a year plan and sit around complaining about it. The son is getting screwed, but the dad isn’t telling him that, he’s just saying ” don’t worry, it’s all lies.”
This lying politician can spend thousands of taxpayer dollars to go to Europe and travel the US, does not seem to bother him.
What gets spent on him traveling out of State is a drop in the bucket compared to the red ink that gushes from unsustainable programs. If he was somehow forced to remain within the State at all times, then how on earth is he supposed to entice out of state business to move here or do business with NJ?
“particularly profligate in 2010 and 2011 while attending N.F.L. games at MetLife Stadium” He entice a lot of out of state business Right?
“Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey likes to point out how he has made big cuts to state spending. But when it comes to using his allowance money as governor, he appears happy to be a high roller. Records obtained by New Jersey Watchdog show that Mr. Christie spent more than $360,000 of his state allowance during his first five years in office, with 80 percent of that going toward food, drinks and desserts. He receives an annual allowance of $95,000, on top of his salary of $175,000, to be used for entertaining and hosting official receptions.
While the records show that Mr. Christie did not use all of the funds allotted to him, they do show that he was particularly profligate in 2010 and 2011 while attending N.F.L. games at MetLife Stadium. He spent a total of nearly $83,000 on 58 occasions on concessions at the events. Asked about the spending at an event in New Hampshire last Friday, Mr. Christie, who is considering a run for president, said that he later reimbursed the state for expenses at those games out of the state party fund to ensure that he was not using taxpayer money for political activity.
Are you serious Declan. You really believe that the se trips out of state is to entice businesses to come to Jersey. Heres new flash. He is doing it to gather votes for his run for president.
Wrong again 12:23 AM the reality will be …..
What the retired dad will tell their sons is that he and ALL New Jersey taxpayers will have to pay more state & local, sales and gasoline taxes because government officials stole money from hard working government employees pensions to buy votes and fund social and pet programs and the lazy voters didn’t care about getting screwed so now they have to pay.
The son will get a pension just like his dad did and the dad will keep his $100,000 a year pension and invest wisely and leave his son a multimillion dollar inhearentce The son will be even better off than his dad was.
That’s not being realistic, we already are taxed more than any other state in America and we still can’t pay the bills, so when you say ALL NJ taxpayers will pay more you’re just pushing a broken status quo solution. Hopefully your son is smart enough to get an unbiased, independent third party opinion given how self-interested in this you are
Not reallistic.huh 11:16 PM ….in the real world businesses, families and yes the state of NJ have to either raise revenues or cut expenses to pay for the required basic necessities, and paying pensions is a necessity like it or not. N.J. residents enjoy a median income well above the national median income. N.J. has some of the highest costs for real estate which is just one of the reasons that property taxes are so high. N.J. has one of the most generous social programs and benefits which is well above what the majority of other states offer. This is just the start of a very long list of why we have the high taxes your complaining and crying about. It’s time to review all NJ expenses and cut the fat and properly fund the pension system. It’s the intellectually lazy like you who are fooled by the governor into thinking the pension problem is why your taxes are so high. Try reading and educatte your self instead of following what others tell you like a sheep 11:16 PM
Blah, blah, blah 9:07… you’re not innocent here, just who voted for McGreevey, Corzine, Whitman, Florio etc… the one in seven state workers who gets a pension and health benefits, that’s who. Why should the rest of us bail out a mess of your own creation? Who promised all these pension enhancements? We cannot afford the promises made, and the money is not there even as we pay the highest taxes in the land. Taxing people more does NOTHING to change that, it just keeps feeding the vampire squid entitlement benefit machine that is killing the state. Sorry you don’t understand that we need structural changes, but then you’re conflicted aren’t you? I bet you get a nice fat pension check every month and free healthcare and you probably retired in your fifties. So you’re just slightly self-interested in preserving the broken status quo that benefits you but kills NJ taxpayers. Is that what you taught your students ?
Try to get your facts straight 8:43 am, the pension problem is because the current and past governors did not make the contributions they were suppose to. Had the proper state contributions been made at the appropriate times the pension systems would all be fully funded.
.
You ignored what the governors were doing with your tax dollars for decades and you let them take money from employee pensions to balance their bloated budgets and now your upset because you realize you are going to have to pay more taxes. Well welcome to the party Mr. Intellectually lazy voter, you didn’t care before so your gonna pay now like it or not.
.
Maybe now you will look at the wasted tax dollars the state spends on social programs, state college sports programs, Abbot schools, affordable housing, open space, and corporate welfare to multi-BILLION dollar corporations, and lets not forget he casinos in Atlantic city and the sports authority and Meadowlands farce.
.
Maybe if enough of you intellectually lazy voters get together and demand the state stop wasting your tax dollars on these programs maybe, just maybe, your taxes will not have to go up to properly fund the pensions that have been promised.