Sick: NJ Education Union wants Christie Dead

WCBSTV is reporting today that the Bergen County Record obtained a memo that including a prayer for the death of Governor Chris Christie:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn't laughing about a teachers union's memo that hints of his death.

The memo is the latest salvo in a war of words between Christie and the union over wage and benefits concessions.

The Record of Bergen County obtained the Bergen County Education Association memo that includes a closing prayer:

"Dear Lord this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

Isn't it interesting that a "teachers" union would be circulating memos calling for the death of a state governor? And in a hilarious twist, a prayer. I thought the NJ teachers unions didn't believe in prayer in schools!

Here's hoping that there is a criminal investigation. That's what national Democrats would call for if this was a Republican.

You can read the article here. And here.

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Christie's gutsy proposal on jobs

Businessweek reports on our Governor making a seriously hard choice politically:

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie proposed cutting benefits to the state’s more than 400,000 out- of-work residents to blunt a rise in business taxes that may be triggered by a shrinking unemployment trust fund.

Christie, 47, seeks to reduce the maximum weekly payment by $50 as joblessness stands at a 33-year high of 10.1 percent. Businesses may face tax increases averaging 52 percent if lawmakers don’t support the plan, Christie said.

“This falls into the category of things I wish I didn’t have to do,” Christie told reporters today in Trenton. “It’s not what I would prefer to do but it’s what I have to do to be a responsible steward of the finances of this state.”

The Republican governor and lawmakers have said the state fund will need a $1 billion infusion as increased joblessness and past transfers of money to finance other government operations may leave it unable to cover expenses as soon as March. Any gap may trigger increased unemployment levies under the insurance fund guidelines.

The amazing part of this decision is that Christie is weighing the downside benenfit of a $50 dollar difference in benefits against the negative business impact that might cause a local NJ business person to fire someone. I am extremely proud of the Governor because he seems to get that minor things right now are spooking business and driving the economy down. His (almost) minimalist message here is that the state is 'paying attention' and cares whether or not you (the employer) has to pay more or may no longer be able to afford the employees you currently employ.

Well done, Governor.

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Shocking News: NJ Tax Receipts Down

The Star Ledger today reported that New Jersey tax receipts are down:

From January through September, New Jersey collected $20.34 billion in taxes — a loss of one of every seven dollars collected in the same period in 2008.

The decline in New Jersey mirrored the experience of state governments nationwide in 2009, according to the census bureau’s report. Collectively, the states absorbed a 13 percent drop in tax collections.

This news should not be filed in the "breaking news" category for most normal people in the State of New Jersey. One of the more interesting parts of the article was a photo of Jon Corzine with the following caption:

New Jersey is on pace to end the year with the first drop in state tax collections since 2002. Gov. Jon Corzine, seen here in a November photo, has tried to address revenue shortfalls by using federal stimulus money, deferring pension obligations and raiding surplus accounts and dedicated funds to offset the losses.

It is in this caption that the Star Ledger really captures the problem both with Jon Corzine and Trenton's approach to serious issues. Notice that the "solution" per Democrats in our state was:

1. Use Stimulus money (thereby not stimulating)
2. Deferring pension obligations
3. Raiding any department left that is fiscally responsible by taking their surplus money

Notice that NOWHERE does it mention two simple words. Cut. Spending.

Five years ago, our state ran just fine with a 20 billion dollar budget. We could have paid for the entire budget by September even in this terrible economic situation if the budget was 20 billion dollars. That is the real issue impacting New Jersey citizens. And until our politicians GET IT, we will continue to have issues.

Read the Star Ledger article here.

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Christie sets sights on pension abuse

We noted here some time ago when reviewing the book The Soprano State (Ingle and McClure) that the audacity of some practices in the State of New Jersey went far beyond simple malfeasance. For example, the book specifically calls out lawyers who are working for multiple municipalities creating a home rule patronage mill that is generally accepted practice in many NJ towns. The law has since been changed to stop the practice. Not this story ABC News:

Gov.-elect Chris Christie is vowing to scrutinize New Jersey's pension laws in the wake of a report that questions how a private lawyer could have held 12 part-time public jobs giving him pension benefits totaling more than $100,000 a year.

The lawyer, Michael Angelini, who is also the Gloucester County Democratic Chairman, was the focus of a report last week by the state inspector general that questions whether he was qualified to join the pension system at all.

At one point, in 2003, he represented seven government entities at once. However, the report said he often assigned the work to associates at his law firm, "suggesting that the entities hired a law firm not an employee."

"This is the insanity that people sent me to Trenton to fix and I'm going to fix it," Christie said. "They shouldn't be able to be paid for more than one public job."

Note the relevant facts. This is clearly not an employee situation but a contract labor situation. Note that it was repeated in 12 different entities. And not that he is the Gloucester County Democratic Chairman. How did he do it?

Angelini tried to cash in his pension after a law was passed last year that bans "independent contractors" from getting state pensions. His request was put on hold pending a review of the inspector general's report by the Treasury Department.

The report, which was forwarded to the Attorney General's Office, said Angelini had towns put him on the payroll by using "novel and contrived arrangements, often proposed by him."

"It is reasonable to conclude that these payment structures were utilized to provide Angelini unwarranted pension benefits," it said.

While he maintains his innocence you cannot help but be left with the thought that he should have known better. And since he knew better and still did this, it had to be purposeful. This is exactly what is wrong with our state and its politicians.

Read the entire article here.

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