The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition
New Jersey Gov. elect Chris Christie announces Thursday, Dec. 16, 2009, in Trenton, N.J., that he is appointing Kim Guadagno, right, who will be New Jersey's first lieutenant governor, to pull double duty in the new administration by also serving as secretary of state. (AP Photo / Mel Evans)
Eyewitness NewsTRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed three bills designed to save taxpayers billions by making pensions and health benefits for government workers less generous.
The governor signed the reform measures Monday night, lingering at the Statehouse until about 8:30 p.m. when the bills reached his desk. He then held a public bill-signing, approving his first legislation taking office in January.
"Today is a great day for the taxpayers of the State of New Jersey," Christie said. "We've been talking for more than four years about the need for this type of beginning, fundamental reform."
The bills require all government workers to contribute at least 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health care costs, cap the amount of unused sick and vacation time workers can cash out at retirement and bar part-timers from enrolling in the state pension system.
Christie said the legislation has far-reaching savings. Two of the bills are projected to save $8 billion over 15 years. The third bill, which requires a health care contribution from all workers, is projected to save local governments and school boards $315 million in the coming year alone.Proponents said the reforms will help keep the pension system solvent. Opponents blamed the state for the system's fiscal problems, saying years of missed or greatly reduced state contributions have resulted in a system underfunded by about $46 billion.
The Senate passed a resolution Monday that would require the state to begin making its annual pension system contribution. The constitutional amendment requires voter approval.
Christie's budget proposes that the state skip its entire $3 billion contribution in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
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Permalink Reply by Dave Kaplan on Permalink Reply by Dave Kaplan on Under the last budget put together by Jon Corzine, the categories that represent actual spending by the state government — governmental operations as well as employee benefits, rent, etc. — totaled $5.7 billion. Christie is increasing that spending to $6 billion.....YEAH Christie is doing a great job....you and I can share a drink and compare our property tax increases...so your paying even more and getting less and less...
Permalink Reply by Dave Kaplan on All bills are prospective there will be little if any savings....that being said...as you stated you truly have to look at the context to understand what is going. Men, women and the like who are police, fire and teachers have been paying their obligations in terms of pensions with every paycheck. In the last 14 years the state PAID NOTHING and in two of those fourteen they paid a small amount....THIS AND NO OTHER REASON IS WHY THE PENSION SYSTEM IS WHERE IT IS. They will spin it, window dress it and everythiing in their power to make you beleive otherwise. POLITICIANS stole the money, invested it, LOST IT and never paid it back since then. If they did, it woudnt be in a mess. I am sure the health care contributions will be challenged in court as you cant expect someone to pay alot more for the same coverage based on pay. The service isnt different. In my opinion the rush into these bills was fast, no one politican took their time to realize the cost factor and other criteria. So in essence if you and I were on the polie dept and you are a captain and I am a patrolman, why should you pay X amount of dollars v. my X amount for the SAME COVERAGE....a different formula should have been done. But then again we are talking about politicans....they dont think they just talk.
Dave Kaplan said:I'm pretty sure the reason for this increase is personnel expenses.
For example. Corzine gave NJ the poison pill on the way out by not allowing any layoffs.
You can't look at numbers without looking at the context of them, if you truely want to understand what's happening.
Are you against pension reforms? I firmly support what Christie is doing on this front. It is long overdue.
upfront said:Under the last budget put together by Jon Corzine, the categories that represent actual spending by the state government — governmental operations as well as employee benefits, rent, etc. — totaled $5.7 billion. Christie is increasing that spending to $6 billion.....YEAH Christie is doing a great job....you and I can share a drink and compare our property tax increases...so your paying even more and getting less and less...
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