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Guest BlueTideBacker
I WANT A CUSHY(POLITICAL) JOB LIKE YOURS. LAZY , HANDICAPPED, DUMB NOT

TODAYS ECONOMY DICTATES.

I WILL WORK RED BULL FOR 8.00 PER HOUR ( MUCHO TRABAJO POCO DINERO ) DID YOU SEE THE LINES DOWN THERE!!!

YOUR MATH

24hrs a day x 365 day a year =8760hours x $8.oo =$70,080 Why aren't you making more than $125,000?

BETTER KISS YOUR BOSSES BROWN EYE IF YOUR ABOVE 125

$8.00 -10.00 A HOUR

this is what your kids will make,YOU FOOL, GET USE TO IT. this country su*ks . AFTER COLLEGE TOO... WHAT JOB..

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE STAR LEDGER LATELY.

What do you expect when you vote tax & spend democrats into office. Don't expect any improvement until the GOP takes over.

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Changes to N.J. public employee pensions, benefits are approved by Senate committee

By Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau

February 18, 2010, 6:43PM

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerRepresentative of New Jersey Police and Firefighters speak to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation committee about pensions at the Statehouse in Trenton today.TRENTON -- Major changes to public employee pensions and benefits began rolling through the Legislature today despite pleas to slow down from labor unions and rank-and-file workers and teachers.

The bipartisan package was approved by the Senate State Government Committee 5-0 and is due for a vote in the full Senate Monday.

“We’re here trying to save this pension system. We’re not trying to rob it,” said Sen. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), committee chairman. “We’re trying to save it for future generations.”

All four bills have at least 23 Senate sponsors, more than the 21 required for passage. Assembly budget chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) today said the lower house is “moving expeditiously” to introduce “identical” bills to the Senate package, and possibly others. Republican Gov. Chris Christie supports the changes, but has pushed for more immediate savings.

Senators from both parties who cleared the package stressed urgency to fix the struggling retirement funds.

“We have to get something done. We can’t spend six months, a year, the next 18 months arguing about a perfect pension reform bill,” Whelan said.

Public workers and their unions said changes in benefits should be made at the bargaining table and they are being treated as scapegoats. A police union official ripped up a letter Christie wrote during the campaign that called pensions a “sacred trust.”

“We don’t ask the public to absorb 1 percent of the smoke we inhale,” said Bill Lavin, an Elizabeth firefighter and union official. “We don’t feel that we therefore should have to share in the very medical attention to keep us safe and put us back on the job.”

Christie today said the bills would not “do harm to the future benefits of police and firemen ... But everybody needs to step up to the plate and contribute.”

The pension system covers more than 700,000 working and retired state, county and municipal employees and teachers. It was underfunded by about $34 billion as of last official count.

The bills would require workers and retirees to contribute to their own health care costs, ban part-time workers from the pension system, cap sick leave payouts, trim the size of pensions and constitutionally require the state to fully fund its pension obligations. Most changes would apply to future workers, but current employees would contribute to their health care costs.

Cara Holmes, 25, of Laurel Springs, who has cerebral palsy, told the panel she would be booted from the pension systems if “something happens, and I can’t work for a while” in her job as a part-time high school secreterial aide. “Please don’t take away what little we have,” she said.

Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

© 2010 NJ.com. All rights reserved.

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Guest BlueTideBacker

Changes to N.J. public employee pensions, benefits are approved by Senate committee

By Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau

February 18, 2010, 6:43PM

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerRepresentative of New Jersey Police and Firefighters speak to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation committee about pensions at the Statehouse in Trenton today.TRENTON -- Major changes to public employee pensions and benefits began rolling through the Legislature today despite pleas to slow down from labor unions and rank-and-file workers and teachers.

The bipartisan package was approved by the Senate State Government Committee 5-0 and is due for a vote in the full Senate Monday.

“We’re here trying to save this pension system. We’re not trying to rob it,” said Sen. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), committee chairman. “We’re trying to save it for future generations.”

All four bills have at least 23 Senate sponsors, more than the 21 required for passage. Assembly budget chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) today said the lower house is “moving expeditiously” to introduce “identical” bills to the Senate package, and possibly others. Republican Gov. Chris Christie supports the changes, but has pushed for more immediate savings.

Senators from both parties who cleared the package stressed urgency to fix the struggling retirement funds.

“We have to get something done. We can’t spend six months, a year, the next 18 months arguing about a perfect pension reform bill,” Whelan said.

Public workers and their unions said changes in benefits should be made at the bargaining table and they are being treated as scapegoats. A police union official ripped up a letter Christie wrote during the campaign that called pensions a “sacred trust.”

“We don’t ask the public to absorb 1 percent of the smoke we inhale,” said Bill Lavin, an Elizabeth firefighter and union official. “We don’t feel that we therefore should have to share in the very medical attention to keep us safe and put us back on the job.”

Christie today said the bills would not “do harm to the future benefits of police and firemen ... But everybody needs to step up to the plate and contribute.”

The pension system covers more than 700,000 working and retired state, county and municipal employees and teachers. It was underfunded by about $34 billion as of last official count.

The bills would require workers and retirees to contribute to their own health care costs, ban part-time workers from the pension system, cap sick leave payouts, trim the size of pensions and constitutionally require the state to fully fund its pension obligations. Most changes would apply to future workers, but current employees would contribute to their health care costs.

Cara Holmes, 25, of Laurel Springs, who has cerebral palsy, told the panel she would be booted from the pension systems if “something happens, and I can’t work for a while” in her job as a part-time high school secreterial aide. “Please don’t take away what little we have,” she said.

Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

© 2010 NJ.com. All rights reserved.

[/quote

Here's a couple more changes they need to make. 1) No more banking sick and vacation days, any left over at the end of the year get paid in Jan. at the current rate. 2) Put a cap on pensions and increase the contribution rate. An officer retiring after 25 years at age 50 with a $100,000. pension will have paid into the pension system give or take $200,000. If the officer lives to 75 he will have collected $2,500,000 plus his paid health benefits.

Is there any doubt this system can't sustain itself ???

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State workers pension system worse off than thought: study

Friday, February 26, 2010

TRENTON - New Jersey's troubled public employee pension system is in far worse shape than a year ago and was underfunded by nearly $46 billion at last count, according to an analysis released yesterday by the state.

The pension hole is $12 billion deeper than a report issued last year indicated. And experts yesterday said the situation is so bad that the pension system won't be able to get back on its feet even if the state pumps in billions more each year at the level suggested by law.

The report was issued as the Assembly introduced its versions of bills that would scale back pension benefits and health benefits, part of a legislative and executive branch push to rein in what political leaders see as excessive benefits that are overtaxing the system.

The pension system is in such bad shape because of the state's decision to skip annual payments, investment losses and benefit increases granted nearly a decade ago(by the other christie .W.), Janet Cranna, an actuary with Secaucus-based Buck Consultants, said at a presentation to state pension boards.

Unions said the reports released yesterday are further proof they should not be targeted as the cause of the state's pension problems - nor leaned on for solutions.

"They have not funded their share, and we've been paying more and more," said Rae Roeder, president of CWA Local 1033, a state workers union. "Politics is what runs things and not common sense. That's why they're in this mess."

But Gov. Chris Christie said even if the state made all of its payments, it still would not fully fund the pensions. He said pension changes should be at the "top of the priority list" for the Legislature - and the current bills are only the first step in solving the problem.

"Are the people of New Jersey willing to continue to fund out-of-control, out-of-marketplace pension and health care benefits for public employees?" he said.

The unfunded liability - assessed at $45.8 billion as of June 30, up from $34.4 billion a year earlier - is the gap between the amount New Jersey has promised its workers and an evaluation of how much the pension fund is worth. The numbers do not address the state's health care benefits liability.

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Interesting that the govenor doesn't tell the public why the pension systems are underfunded. It started with Christie Whitman.. the last republican govenor to hold office... In order to balance her budget, she decided that all that money sitting in the solvent pension funds could help the government. she would just borrow a couple of hundred million and pay it back the next year... The next year she borrowed a few more bucks... but didn't pay anything back. The next year, she paid some back.... but not what she was supposed to... after that it was all forgotten. Our next great Govenor, McGrevy decided that to make all his mayor friends look good, he would allow the cities and towns to not make their pension payments for a number of years, and when they had to make payments, they would be at reduced amounts for several years until they built up once again to the full amount. Now one would think that the politicians would put some of that money aside, or lower taxes, but nooooooo .......not these guys they just took all of that money and spent it, and spent it, and spent it.....there were no taxes lowered, there was no money put aside for when payments had to be made, Nope lets just spend, spend, spend.

Well last year was theend of the free ride and mayors all over the state were crying that they couldn't make their pension payments without massive layoffs or property tax hikes. Well here comes the next man with a solution...Govenor Corzine to the rescue.... "OK you don't have to make your payments" was his solution...... While all of the municipalities were getting a break, the employees were still making their payments... no breaks, not at reduced rates, just keep on paying.

Now comes the next govenor with all of the answers...... Govenor Christie and who does he blame... the worker... "The pension systems are broke"... Not before the politicians got their hands on the money.... "We need Pension system reform "....didn't need it until the politicians got involved.

So think about this... the politicians caused the problem, and they are going to solve it by instantly passing lesislation that will put the solution on the backs of the employee. Have you ever seen anything that they pass work as it was supposed to. Also how many pensions is Govenor Christie going to be entitled to... a federal pension and one for being the govenor ?

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New ghost towns: Industrial communities teeter on the edge

By Rick Hampson, USA TODAY

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — When Henry Kaiser arrived 55 years ago, this place was no place — "a rural problem area," the government called it, so poor and isolated that the population had dropped 15% since 1940.

That all changed after Kaiser, the industrialist who'd turned out ships and planes at a record pace in World War II, built the nation's largest consolidated aluminum works here on the banks of the Ohio River.

The plant paid Tim Shumaker his first living wage, and he won the right to keep it two decades ago after his union was locked out for 19 months.

Today, that victory seems hollow. Shumaker, 49, has been laid off. Part of the vast aluminum complex is closed, and the rest is for sale — its orders down, its workforce reduced, its future uncertain. Shumaker stands at the locked plant gate and, after a year without work, worries what's next for him and his community. "The way things are going," he says, "there's not going to be anything here."

PHOTOS: Will Ravenswood, W.Va, be a ghost town?

JOBS FORECAST: 384 metro areas, 50 states

Ravenswood, with 4,000 people and one big factory, is like many towns in the USA where things still are made: caught in a winter between recession and recovery, hoping the latter will arrive before the former kills the last decent blue-collar job.

If the rest of the aluminum works closed, "would this become a ghost town?" muses Jim Frazier, principal of the Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School.

Whether it's textiles in the Carolinas, paper in New England or steel in the Midwest, most industrial cities and mill towns "are on pins and needles," says Donald Schunk, an economist at Coastal Carolina University. "Day to day, week to week, any manufacturing facility seems vulnerable. People don't know if they'll be there."

Read More of the Story by Clicking here

HEY GOV, LETS NOT TAX THE RICH , LETS CUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT $50.00... AND NO MORE EXTENSIONS ...

NJ IS NOT FAR BEHIND THIS SENARIO FOLKS.

ITS ALL ABOUT AMERICAN JOBS-JOBS-JOBS , WHEN ARE THE POLITICANS GOING TO GET IT. OH YEAH I FORGOT IT'LL TRICKLE DOWN.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest BlueTideBacker
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/n...e_to_annou.html

:lol::lol::lol: ANOTHER 2000 U. S. JOBS PRIVITIZED,WAY TO GO FATBOY!!! BULLY.

THAT WILL REALLY MAKE A TREMENDOUS SAVINGS IN OUR 11 BILLION DOLLAR HOLE ...

ITS A LITMUS TEST OF SORTS TO SHOW YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS CHUBBY..YOU REALLY S**K. :lol::lol::lol:

OK moron, here's a tough question for you. If Christie privatizes 2,000 NJ government jobs, who do you think will get these jobs?? ...................

Sorry Dummy, times up. 2,000 unemployed NJ residents will get these jobs. Never thought of that did you. Go watch the cartoon network and stay off the computer.

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OK moron, here's a tough question for you. If Christie privatizes 2,000 NJ government jobs, who do you think will get these jobs?? ...................

Sorry Dummy, times up. 2,000 unemployed NJ residents will get these jobs. Never thought of that did you. Go watch the cartoon network and stay off the computer.

SOME MORE ILLEGAL ALIENS .

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Guest LEROY MORS

It's a bad idea to privatize government. Under no circumstance should we allow them to do this. When government becomes privatize it becomes subservient to special interest and the people are ignored.

The solution to the problem of underachieving government workers is to revise civil service rules and make government jobs performance based. If you don't do your job; you lose it, plain, simple and fair.

As for the other problem, not enough good paying private sector jobs; If we have a minimum wage law, after this latest crises, we need a maximum wage law too.

Giant corporations "too big to fail" need to have a salary cap for it's board members and executives. This salary cap maxes out their pay and benefits to no more than 30x's their lowest paid, full time employee. So in order for the top to make more money, the bottom will have to be paid more.

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Privatization doesn't and hasn't work for NJ government or the US government. Halliburton is costing the US government more money than it did with federal employees. blackwater security in Iraq ? thats a joke, privitizing war.

It's all just an illusion and a money grab.

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Don't include our inept socialist president with our Republican Governor Christie. It's the previous tax & spend democrats that have gotten us into the mess we're in.

Yes, Christie will do his best to save NJ while the community organizer will do his best to drive us into bankruptcy.

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"The solution to the problem of underachieving government workers is to ....... "

If 2000 jobs are privatized, what makes you think that all of those people are underachievers...obviously some will be, but a greater percentage will be dedicated, hard working employees.

Do you think all employees where you work should be catagorized as underachievers....do you think you are. Maybe someone who wants to transfer the jobs to another location will say it so he can sell his idea to managment.

The object of privatizing is to get those jobs and salaries off the state books, thereby balancing the budget...it's nothing more than a shell game. The last time they tried this, it was with motor vechicle inspection stations. You may remember that the inspection times tripled , and the equipment did not perforn as it was supossed to.

That's why the state took back the DMV and changed it's name to MVC... and it has since become extremely easy to deal with inspections and visits to the offices.

He is a bully...and a liar....by September everyone will be fed up with his nonsense and be ready to tar and feather him

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Guest Guest
I guess you weren't on the debating team.Thanks for proving my point.

Boo Hoo! Stop crying! YOu should be glad you have a pension at all. I worked for over 25 years and have no pension. Yes I paid into Social Security but I am not getting 75% of my salary like you will be getting. YOu people are crying with a loaf of bread under your arm. I tired of paying for your high salaries and benefits threw my over rated taxes in this town. The whole state S**ks the big one. You have all been taken advantage of us tax payers so just sit back and be quiet. If you couldn't save a good nest egg out of what you made being a policeman than that's your problem.

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Guest Guest
Its funny you the teacher say you pay 5.5% to your pension... I pay 8.5% as a police officer.. The police and fire pension has also been drained by these political hacks.. So until you start contributing what we do shut your mouth... Can not wait for Christie to make the cuts in the Schools and to their budgets..... So get ready and stop complaining... How did you get your job???? Know someone??? or is it the Harrison Way??? NEPOTISM!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny a cop would say that. Why dont you first of all tell us how much you spent on your college education. Then when you are done why not compare a teachers salary vs that of a cop? Dont forget your "earned" overtime. Cant wait for Christie to do away with the gig that you cops have. LOL

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Guest LEROY MORS

lets now put the burden on all municipalities to raise taxes .

"The wealthy people in New Jersey JUST got a tax cut,"

"The middle class and the poor are going to get a tax increase. It's that simple."

hey ,any Seniors out there ... you worked all your life

you just lost your property tax freeze and rebates. GOODBYE. CAN YOU SAY PUBLIC HOUSING...

I TOLD YOU... NO LEADERSHIP...HE S**ks.

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Guest Harrison Senior
Funny a cop would say that. Why dont you first of all tell us how much you spent on your college education. Then when you are done why not compare a teachers salary vs that of a cop? Dont forget your "earned" overtime. Cant wait for Christie to do away with the gig that you cops have. LOL

Not all cops are like Barney. He has some anger issues that are eating him up, if he's not complaining about firefighters then it's teachers. I think it's about his gun, he carries a snub nose 38 and he really wants a long barrel 44.

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Guest Guest
lets now put the burden on all municipalities to raise taxes .

"The wealthy people in New Jersey JUST got a tax cut,"

"The middle class and the poor are going to get a tax increase. It's that simple."

hey ,any Seniors out there ... you worked all your life

you just lost your property tax freeze and rebates. GOODBYE. CAN YOU SAY PUBLIC HOUSING...

I TOLD YOU... NO LEADERSHIP...HE S**ks.

Last year Corizine and the Democratic legislature raised taxes on citizens earning more than $400,000. It was a one year tax raise that expired twenty days before Christie took office. If the Democratic governor and legislature wanted to extend it they could have done so before Christie took office, they did not.

Christie knows that one percent of the population pays fortyfive percent of the states income taxes. If he raises their income tax, and they leave for Pa, or some other state, who is going to pay that forty five percent of the taxes. If you can't figure it out, I will give you a clue, bend over.

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Guest Guest
lets now put the burden on all municipalities to raise taxes .

"The wealthy people in New Jersey JUST got a tax cut,"

"The middle class and the poor are going to get a tax increase. It's that simple."

hey ,any Seniors out there ... you worked all your life

you just lost your property tax freeze and rebates. GOODBYE. CAN YOU SAY PUBLIC HOUSING...

I TOLD YOU... NO LEADERSHIP...HE S**ks.

You're right, Corzine does S**K. Thank God we now have a responsible Governor who will now begin to deal with NJ's massive debt piled on by the dems.

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Guest Guest

Every time I try and keep an open mind about republicans, I see stuff like this. He wants everyone to sacrifice except people making over 400,000 dollars a year! Like they need the tax breaks. The Republican way, kill the middle class and give tax breaks to your rich friends in business. How can anyone justify this. I bet Christie does not have to worry about living on a budget!. This man will single handedly destroy thousands of families and sleep like a baby at night. I wish him nothing but ill health!

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Guest Taxpaying Democrat
Every time I try and keep an open mind about republicans, I see stuff like this. He wants everyone to sacrifice except people making over 400,000 dollars a year! Like they need the tax breaks. The Republican way, kill the middle class and give tax breaks to your rich friends in business. How can anyone justify this. I bet Christie does not have to worry about living on a budget!. This man will single handedly destroy thousands of families and sleep like a baby at night. I wish him nothing but ill health!

Just fyi - Christie is not giving these folks a tax break. Rather, he's letting a 2009 tax increase expire. See attached link to State of NJ website

http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/taxtables.shtml

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Guest Guest
WHY.

What happened to your democratic mantra of pay "your fair share". You don't want to pay anything, just sit on your ass and let the people who worked hard to become successful pay your share. Go out and earn some money so you can pay something and stop looking for a handout.

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Guest Guest
What happened to your democratic mantra of pay "your fair share". You don't want to pay anything, just sit on your ass and let the people who worked hard to become successful pay your share. Go out and earn some money so you can pay something and stop looking for a handout.

yeah !!!

so your republican corporations and business owners

can have large bonuses and maximize profits overseas, outsourcing american jobs.

a real repbulic isn't it. where's the jobs ,jobs jobs.?

PUT A EXCISE TAX ON ALL THE GOODS, GOODS, GOODS. IT'LL STOP THIS SH*T .

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