“While the comment that these individuals paid into the funds is valid and those individuals deserve to see what they put into the system plus appropriate earning……. some blame must be directed at those who had a fiduciary responsibility to protect those funds. Who are those people and why have they not be charged? I guess the Union Bosses were asleep when that was happening or did they think they would just ‘go along to get along’? Yes, the legislators robbed the funds and now they seek to rob the municipal pensions to prop up the robbed pensions. As to the “underpaying careers ” ……That is not accurate when you compare 4-year degrees against other 4-year degree careers – you cannot just pick and choose those careers that pay more and ignore those that don’t. And look at the progression they and the unions put in place to make sure they are well paid. Once these individuals are in the system, they are protected WELL and practically can never be fired…….. even if they don’t produce. “
When New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced his decision last week to forgo $2.4 billion in state pension payments over the next two years, he blamed his recent predecessors for leaving him a system deep in debt.
Those predecessors have different views. While some take at least part of the responsibility for the looming shortfalls, they also blame each other and Mr. Christie. They said they did what they thought was best at the time, even if they are now concerned about the state’s fiscal health.
“Everybody has to take the blame for this,” said former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco, a Republican.
The state’s pension is currently underfunded by almost $40 billion, and that could rise to $46 billion by 2019, according to a state report.
Faced with a state budget shortfall of almost $3 billion between now and 2015, Mr. Christie last week announced that he would do what many former governors have done: He kicked pension obligations down the road in favor of immediate budget priorities.
The Republican cast his decision as a choice between reducing services and raising taxes, both of which he said he was unwilling to do. Either move could potentially drain his political capital at the national level, at a time when he is struggling to put the George Washington Bridge scandal behind him.
After his decision, the system’s deficit could rise from about $38 billion to $46 billion by 2019, according to a state report, higher than when he took office.
Calling out his predecessors for not paying more into the system, Mr. Christie said his current problems stem from “sins of the past.” (Dawsey and Haddon/Wall Street Journal)
Clash Over Changes in Civil Service Rules Isn’t Civil at All
When Gov. Chris Christie called Democrats’ bluff on a key labor issue last week – as the state Civil Service Commission followed through on its promise to relax promotion standards for most state jobs — the only surprise was that opponents of the changes were not ready with a coordinated response.
But they hope to agree this week on a counter-strategy to undo the unilateral moves by the Christie-appointed commission, which thumbed its collective nose at organized labor and Democratic legislators with its vote on Wednesday.
The commission’s action was the latest move in a cat-and-mouse game that began early last year between the governor, who is seeking more freedom for managers to reassign workers, and labor unions trying to preserve protections against political patronage in state jobs.
Traditionally, Civil Service job applicants and employees have been required to pass tests to be hired or to advance.
As part of a package first presented early last year to streamline regulations, the commission proposed lowering the requirements by grouping job classes into larger “bands,” allowing managers to shift some workers around without passing qualifying tests for their new positions.
In January, both chambers passed concurrent resolutions establishing the Legislature’s stance that the commission’s plan would violate the law and the state constitution.
Acting as though those votes never happened, the commission adopted the governor’s plan with some modest changes. The new version clarifies that the rules apply to state, not municipal, employees, exempts law-enforcement and public-safety positions, and states its intent to preserve a job preference for veterans. The commission also gave dissatisfied employees the right to appeal, albeit to the commission.
Those amendments would not affect the majority of the state’s Civil Service workers, who still would work with less job security and a more fluid promotion system under the new regulations. (Tyrrell/NJSpotlight)
