>New Jersey public workers in eye of benefit-cut storm
Within 15 minutes, Gov. Christie had a crowd of about 400 applauding as he talked about a “dumb” pension hike and “Cadillac” health care for public workers. (Burton, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/117132383.html
>Outlook for N.J. pension is bleak – even with Christie’s reforms
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed public pension reforms are a good start, Moody’s Investors Service said in a note Monday. But the ratings agency warned that even if the proposals are enacted, the pension system–already the 7th-lowest funded in the U.S.–will continue to deteriorate. (Varghese, The Wall Street Journal)
>The FCC is trying to fix something that isn’t broken. The only real problem it seems to address is how to bring the Internet more directly under government’s thumb. Seriously, its not as if the public has been clamoring about their favorite web services being blocked.
The Federal Communications Commission’s controversial Net neutrality regulations may soon vanish.
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee is planning a vote Wednesday morning on whether to rescind the agency’s Internet regulations that it adopted by a 3-2 vote in December.
Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology announced today that the vote will be on a so-called resolution of disapproval (PDF), which says the FCC’s regulations “shall have no force or effect.”
Read more: https://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20037498-281.html#ixzz1FLQPQUlu
>58% Favor Government Shutdown Until Spending Cuts Are Agreed Upon
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 33% of Likely U.S. Voters would rather have Congress avoid a government shutdown by authorizing spending at the same levels as last year. Fifty-eight percent (58%) says it’s better to have a partial shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can agree on what spending to cut.
>Christie administration threatens to withhold approval of Parsippany schools budget
The Christie administration delivered an ultimatum today to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education: rescind Superintendent LeRoy Seitz’s contract or the state will not approve the school district’s budget. (Friedman and Calefati, The Star-Ledger)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/christie_to_parsippany_school.html
>Christie on Face the Nation: Unions make it impossible to fire bad teachers
During his interview Sunday morning with Face the Nation’s Bob Schieffer, Gov.
Chris Christie said his stance on reigning in school spending has not demonized
teachers. (Gladden, Asbury Park Press)
>Christie supports ‘adversarial’ talks
Chris Christie said Sunday that he believes in “fair, adversarial” collective bargaining for New Jersey, but that he’s confident Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is doing what’s best for his state. (Staff, Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/50271.html#ixzz1FFbzFTT0
>Temperatures still rising over N.J. health costs
New Jersey pays 21/2 times more for current and former public workers’ health benefits than it did a decade ago.
And the $2.5 billion-plus cost, about 9 percent of the state budget, is expected to keep growing. (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>N.J. public workers are in a hurry to retire
By Jarrett Renshaw/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — More than 20,000 police officers, firefighters, teachers and other public employees put in their retirement papers last year as momentum was building for sweeping health and pension reform in Trenton, state figures show.
That is a 60 percent jump from 2009 retirements and the highest in at least a decade, according to the Division of Pension and Benefits.
Teachers whose contracts were criticized all year long by Gov. Chris Christie headed for the exits at the quickest pace, nearly doubling the number who retired in 2009.
>James O’Keefe Monday March 7th Ramapo Reformed Church Fellowship Hall
100 Island Road , Mahwah New Jersey
>
>Opinion: Questioning the relevance of government-worker unions
Sunday, February 27, 2011
By MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMNIST
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/op-ed/kelly_022711.html
A NEW TEACHER in a Bergen County public school found herself in an uncomfortable setting a few years ago.Her school district was facing budget cuts, she said. School officials offered a compromise: If teachers would accept a one-year wage freeze, no teachers would be laid off.
The union representing teachers in the district rejected the proposal, claiming that school administrators were trying to hurt teachers. The union even accused the district of lying about the true state of school finances. The salary freeze was rejected. This new teacher got a pink slip.
“The friends I worked with didn’t care about saving my job,” this teacher said. “They cared only about themselves.”
Sound familiar?
You won’t hear this kind of story from the teachers unions. Nor will you hear it from the union supporters who have flooded the state capitol building in Wisconsin and talk as though public employees with their $80,000-a-year salaries are the 21st century equivalent of abused, dollar-a-day coal miners of the late 1800s.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/op-ed/kelly_022711.html
>FDR : “collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into public service”
In the 1930s FDR explained very clearly why unions have no place un the public sector, given the fundamental distinctions between government employees and private sector employees. Here is what he said:
“All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public-personnel management. The very nature and purposes of government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people.”
This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It is a common sense issue. Organized labor has misrepresented the merits of public sector unions and the members have willingly allowed themselves to be brainwashed, because they enjoy such a good deal. The fact that they have gotten away with it for several decades does not justify the continuation of the ability for government employees to employ collective bargaining.
Given the dire economic condition of many states, to which the public union health care and pension benefit plans have been a significant factor, the taxpayer can no longer be expected to fund these programs to the extent that they have in the past. Every public union member must be required to contribute dramatically more toward their health care and pension. On this point, there can be no negotiation!
As we are witnessing in Wisconsin, the public union leaders’ greed is leading to thousands of layoffs for public union members. When will the members wake up and realize that they have been led astray and that they have killed the “golden goose”? The trough is empty and the taxpayers in states like NJ have nothing left to fill it. When will public union employees begin to scrutinize how the dues (that they are required to pay) are spent? They should be as angry about this as anyone. Yet, they blindly follow the offensive and inaccurate talking points of their leadership. It is a disgrace and we cannot afford the public unions’ irresponsible behavior any longer.
>Pro Arte Chorale
Guest Conductor Roger Nierenberg Returns!Friday, March 4th at 8PM; West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 S. Monroe St., Ridgewood. Performances of Britten’s “Canata Misericordium”; and Haydon’s “Lord Nelson Mass”. tickets: call 201/497-8400 or www.proartechorale.org
| 66th Annual Antiques Show & Sale |
| Christ Church 105 Cottage Place Ridgewood |
| Friday, March 4th at 11am – 8pm Saturday, March 5th 10am – 5pm Delicious Food served daily. Appraiser on site both days. FREE shuttle service from Christ Church entrance and nearby parking. Information: 201/652-2350 |
>Taxpayers go toe to toe with Public Union Bosses in Trenton
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ- Today the forces of Big Labor and Big Government will be marching into Trenton because they know that their power is threatened by those of us who believe in economic freedom and limited government.
The union bosses who have enriched themselves on the backs of taxpayers think that they will be able to flex their muscle and keep the gravy train of our tax dollars flowing into their coffers.
Like this past week in Wisconsin, tomorrow here in New Jersey taxpayers will be standing up against the union thugs like never before. For the first time I can remember, taxpayers will rally toe-to-toe with the union bosses and let them know that their days of strong-arming politicians and soaking taxpayers are over.
