Don't Mess with Christie - Fires entire commission

[Big Fitz]

It's the arm pit of America.

That'd be Illinois. NY/NJ is the ass.

Screw that..New York is the premier state of the US. Everyone comes here. Texas is the ass. It even looks like a large intestine..with a colon at the bottom. And it's definitely full of shit.

I'm thinking Long Island and Manhattan are the appendix. Needing removal because it's full of infected shit that if it manages to leave the area, kills the rest of the body.

 

[blu]

republicans embracing another progressive, big government lover. shocking

 

[thereisnospoon]

He does need to tone it down with the teachers union. There is no one in our district making $100K. The average pay is $55K. Our union has always negotiated lower salaries in exchange for free health benefits. Now we have to pay for those. He talks about "failing schools" (Newark, Jersey City, Camden...), yet fails to mention that the we are home to many of the top public schools in the country.

Yes, the pension is broke and feeds to be fixed. But "school reform" and "pension reform" are two completely separate issues. Lumping them together as a PR stunt, will not solve either.

It's one thing to go after the leadership. It's unwise to go after the whole profession.

My mother is very active with the Republican party and worked on Christie's campaign. She has two children who are teachers. She won't support him any longer.

Nearly half the teachers in my school are Republicans. They won't support him any longer.

He needs to call a ceasefire with this war on the NJEA. Soon.

In which district do you teach?
Look at the link.....In fact, I will prove it to you....
01 RAUPERS, PATRICIA M 1 lookup NORTHERN VALLEY REG H S DIST $166,778 $166,778 37 ...This woman was my Sociology teacher in my senior year. 1978....Look at here salary...$167k per year!!...
Use this link and look up Northern Valley Regional High School district.....500 faculty and staff ...Of those 357 earn over your magic $55,000 per year number. 151 earn over $75,000 per year
Just how much toward your healthcare coverage must you contribute? I bet it is not near what we in the private sector cough up.. Our insurance costs $480 per And your pension? Most of us in the public sector have NO pension at all. We cannot bank sick time or vacation time...why should you? Do you consider this an entitlement? What makes you think we the taxpayers owe you this? Because "it's always been that way"?
The only reason why government salaries are so high in NJ is because of "home rule"...in NJ each municipality and each district must negotiate union deals on it's own. Truth is the weight of the entire union structure is placed on the heads of small towns. Union bosses know this and can beat down any attempt by a town or district to resist any attempt at playing hardball. Not only that, union chiefs have tremendous clout over politicians. Unions alone can assure defeat in the candidacy of any politician that dares to fight them. Meanwhile, property taxes of NJ residents have skyrocketed to stratospheric levels.
I am incredulous that you union people think you should get health insurance for no cost, paid for by taxpayers while we in the private sector have to pay far more for insurance while public sector wages are on average 1/3 more than those in the public sector.
The war has just begun. Christie simply chose the NJEA as a starting point. Challenges to other NJ public worker unions are on the way. Hopefully they will all be defeated.
It is time to rein in these high wages and cushy benefits. There needs to be balance. There is no reason why the public sector and the private sector cannot have matching wages and benefits. Forget fair. Do the right thing. You'll be forced to do it anyway. There is no more money. The taxpayers cannot take it anymore.
Did you know that in the last 6 years $70 billion in wealth has left the State of New Jersey? Main reason is taxes. People in NJ are being taxed out of their homes. Enough.
There comes a time when people must make sacrifices. You just happen to be around when the numbers came up. It is what it is.
Why should Christie back off at this time? He is winning the battle. He is fighting for the taxpayers. That is why he was elected. The voters wanted someone to go to the mat for THEM. Someone to beat back the long established norms of NJ politics. Someone to represent THEIR interests instead of kowtowing to the unions and political power brokers who have run NJ into the ground and have created the current system of corruption and graft.

The inequity between those who serve and the served favors is an outrage.

 

[JFK_USA]

Well he is kind of an A-hole. And I don't know the whole story, only Christie side. But he would be absolutely horrible as president. He is 400 lb "Little Debbies" downer. I mean a president should have a vision, this guy just says no to everything.

An improved tunnel to Manhattan to make it better to get into the City? No

Teachers that have concerns about what he is doing? F off. Teachers aren't important.

A long time commission? F you. I am greatness.

But what do I know? I think you should definetely put him and Bachmann on the ballot. I am sure they will win.

Yes a new tunnel would help. But not at $8 billion and that is before the crooked unions get ahold of the project and double the price.
There is NO money for that project and all the same people know that.
Say no to everything?....Ok what is that supposed to mean? Is he required to support things he sees as a poor use of taxpayer resources just to make YOU happy?
You just want what you want whether it is fiscally feasible or not. You don't care where the money comes from and would probably just agree to have the State raise your taxes to get it.
Christie is not fighting the teachers. He is battling with their union which allows teachers to become "tenured". Tenure basically allows a teacher virtually unfettered lifetime employment. He is taking on the powerful public worker unions one at a time. He just started off with the NJEA. You must understand that public sector workers in NJ cannot continue to receive the high pay and costly benefits any longer. There is no one else to tax. There's no more money.......Here. follow this link and see just what public sector wages are in NJ.....If you do not live in the State you'll be shocked at what these people are paid....Just one example. My former High School district has about 400 teachers. Over half of them are paid in excess of $100,000 per year. Nearly 2/3's are over $75,000 per year. That does not include their benefit and retirement plan. They get free health insurance for life is they reach retirement age. And a very nice pension.
The average teacher if they work until retirement contributes about $120,000 toward their pension. If a person retires at the min age of 55 and lives a normal life expectancy of 25 more years, they will collect close to $3million in pension and benefits. That does not include the sick and vacation time teachers are permitted to "bank".
That is an absurd wage and benefit package. Absolutely absurd.
THAT is the problem Christie is trying to defeat. The reason why NJ has the highest property taxes in the country, the reason why public worker unions have such power, the reason why there is so much corruption is BECAUSE his predecessors always said "yes"..
Do you get it now? Or are you so focused on you self interest that you are permanently unconcerned about who pays for your wants?

So if that is the case (Which isn't across the country, most teachers aren't paid very well) is it ridiculous to have the people educating our children compensated well?

I mean I brought up this very point to a few of my republican friends. The only area people get even a great education in this country is in college. K-12 is crap. But what about really good teachers? Is it an absurd wage for them to receive 55-65K a year with benefits? What about newly graduated teachers that are trying to find a way that works for them and their students to teach properly which may mean they may fail once in a while while trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work?

Our education crisis is much more deeper than our top students aren't even in the Top 66% of all developed nations. Its the fact that our best students don't even go into education. I graduated within a class of 200. I finished 45th out of 200 I will be honest. I started 177 out of 250 (50 kids left or dropped out by the time graduation rolled around not including people coming in). But I didn't give a rat's ass about school. Then I met my biology/chemistry teacher sophomore year. Boy she was tough, firm and would call you out in class. She pissed me off and we got after it sometimes. But her constantly sending me to the office and the guidance conselor got my stuff together. I decided I really like biology and I could be anything and then became pretty close. I worked hard to get my grades back up and any elective science class she taught I took. I won the most improved student award, scholarships during senior award day and became a National Honor Society member.

I went back about a year ago, I told her I got a sales rep job where my base was 25k. She then told me "Your base is 5k less than my annual salary." I was shocked. I mean this teacher was also our mentor for many honor students. The fact that she got paid that little upset me. I also went back into my yearbook and had career aspirations for our seniors. Every one in the top 20 in our class didn't want to be a teacher but the ones that did want to be teachers always partied in high school. Oh not much different in college. Sorority chicks that wanted to be teachers but would show the worst discretion, bad decision making (but not with me ), and a lot of immaturity. My baby mama is just like that and you guessed it, she wants to be a teacher.

What we did to do as a society is to not to SAY we value education but PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTHS ARE. Educations aren't free, you're going to have to pay your taxes to pay for an education. Start making the salaries in teaching well compensated so our top students what to teach and actually know the material. Have parents take an actual interest in their children's education and show some god damn discipline with their kids. They aren't right 95% of the time, let them know it.

We need to start taking our education seriously and its not "Absurd" to invest in our children's future.

 

[chanel]

He does need to tone it down with the teachers union. There is no one in our district making $100K. The average pay is $55K. Our union has always negotiated lower salaries in exchange for free health benefits. Now we have to pay for those. He talks about "failing schools" (Newark, Jersey City, Camden...), yet fails to mention that the we are home to many of the top public schools in the country.

Yes, the pension is broke and feeds to be fixed. But "school reform" and "pension reform" are two completely separate issues. Lumping them together as a PR stunt, will not solve either.

It's one thing to go after the leadership. It's unwise to go after the whole profession.

My mother is very active with the Republican party and worked on Christie's campaign. She has two children who are teachers. She won't support him any longer.

Nearly half the teachers in my school are Republicans. They won't support him any longer.

He needs to call a ceasefire with this war on the NJEA. Soon.

In which district do you teach?
Look at the link.....In fact, I will prove it to you....
01 RAUPERS, PATRICIA M 1 lookup NORTHERN VALLEY REG H S DIST $166,778 $166,778 37 ...This woman was my Sociology teacher in my senior year. 1978....Look at here salary...$167k per year!!...
Use this link and look up Northern Valley Regional High School district.....500 faculty and staff ...Of those 357 earn over your magic $55,000 per year number. 151 earn over $75,000 per year
Just how much toward your healthcare coverage must you contribute? I bet it is not near what we in the private sector cough up.. Our insurance costs $480 per And your pension? Most of us in the public sector have NO pension at all. We cannot bank sick time or vacation time...why should you? Do you consider this an entitlement? What makes you think we the taxpayers owe you this? Because "it's always been that way"?
The only reason why government salaries are so high in NJ is because of "home rule"...in NJ each municipality and each district must negotiate union deals on it's own. Truth is the weight of the entire union structure is placed on the heads of small towns. Union bosses know this and can beat down any attempt by a town or district to resist any attempt at playing hardball. Not only that, union chiefs have tremendous clout over politicians. Unions alone can assure defeat in the candidacy of any politician that dares to fight them. Meanwhile, property taxes of NJ residents have skyrocketed to stratospheric levels.
I am incredulous that you union people think you should get health insurance for no cost, paid for by taxpayers while we in the private sector have to pay far more for insurance while public sector wages are on average 1/3 more than those in the public sector.
The war has just begun. Christie simply chose the NJEA as a starting point. Challenges to other NJ public worker unions are on the way. Hopefully they will all be defeated.
It is time to rein in these high wages and cushy benefits. There needs to be balance. There is no reason why the public sector and the private sector cannot have matching wages and benefits. Forget fair. Do the right thing. You'll be forced to do it anyway. There is no more money. The taxpayers cannot take it anymore.
Did you know that in the last 6 years $70 billion in wealth has left the State of New Jersey? Main reason is taxes. People in NJ are being taxed out of their homes. Enough.
There comes a time when people must make sacrifices. You just happen to be around when the numbers came up. It is what it is.
Why should Christie back off at this time? He is winning the battle. He is fighting for the taxpayers. That is why he was elected. The voters wanted someone to go to the mat for THEM. Someone to beat back the long established norms of NJ politics. Someone to represent THEIR interests instead of kowtowing to the unions and political power brokers who have run NJ into the ground and have created the current system of corruption and graft.

The inequity between those who serve and the served favors is an outrage.

Spare me. My husband owns a plumbing business. His high school drop out employees make more than I do with a master's degree.

I teach in Cape May County. It used to be an affordable place to live on $50K. Not any more. Our principal does not even make as much as your sociology teacher.

There are over 600 districts in NJ. That is expensive and not the teacher's fault.
We have 31 "Abbott Districts" which eat up half the education budget for those 600 districts. That is expensive and not the teachers' fault.
The NJ Supreme Court has outlawed expulsion and mandates that districts pay for alternative schools for "children" who bring weapons to school. Students who are suspended out of school get private tutoring during their suspension. That is not the teachers' fault.
Special Education law mandates that "children" are educated until the age of 21. It also mandates that cost may be not be a factor in determining a handicapped students placement. Many have one on one aides; and many are sent to private boarding schools at a cost of up to $100K a year. Twice as many students are classified "special ed" as the rest of the country. That is not the teachers' fault.

You many think teachers are overpaid. I do not. Maybe in some districts, but that's because the people in those towns VALUE their public education system.

Demonizing teachers will have a negative effect on the quality of education. Kids learn from their parents. No respect from the governor; no respect in the classroom. Be careful what you wish for.



Pension reform is needed. School reform is needed. But it will be counterproductive and gridlock, without cooperation. Politics 101.

 

[thereisnospoon]

He does need to tone it down with the teachers union. There is no one in our district making $100K. The average pay is $55K. Our union has always negotiated lower salaries in exchange for free health benefits. Now we have to pay for those. He talks about "failing schools" (Newark, Jersey City, Camden...), yet fails to mention that the we are home to many of the top public schools in the country.

Yes, the pension is broke and feeds to be fixed. But "school reform" and "pension reform" are two completely separate issues. Lumping them together as a PR stunt, will not solve either.

It's one thing to go after the leadership. It's unwise to go after the whole profession.

My mother is very active with the Republican party and worked on Christie's campaign. She has two children who are teachers. She won't support him any longer.

Nearly half the teachers in my school are Republicans. They won't support him any longer.

He needs to call a ceasefire with this war on the NJEA. Soon.

In which district do you teach?
Look at the link.....In fact, I will prove it to you....
01 RAUPERS, PATRICIA M 1 lookup NORTHERN VALLEY REG H S DIST $166,778 $166,778 37 ...This woman was my Sociology teacher in my senior year. 1978....Look at here salary...$167k per year!!...
Use this link and look up Northern Valley Regional High School district.....500 faculty and staff ...Of those 357 earn over your magic $55,000 per year number. 151 earn over $75,000 per year
Just how much toward your healthcare coverage must you contribute? I bet it is not near what we in the private sector cough up.. Our insurance costs $480 per And your pension? Most of us in the public sector have NO pension at all. We cannot bank sick time or vacation time...why should you? Do you consider this an entitlement? What makes you think we the taxpayers owe you this? Because "it's always been that way"?
The only reason why government salaries are so high in NJ is because of "home rule"...in NJ each municipality and each district must negotiate union deals on it's own. Truth is the weight of the entire union structure is placed on the heads of small towns. Union bosses know this and can beat down any attempt by a town or district to resist any attempt at playing hardball. Not only that, union chiefs have tremendous clout over politicians. Unions alone can assure defeat in the candidacy of any politician that dares to fight them. Meanwhile, property taxes of NJ residents have skyrocketed to stratospheric levels.
I am incredulous that you union people think you should get health insurance for no cost, paid for by taxpayers while we in the private sector have to pay far more for insurance while public sector wages are on average 1/3 more than those in the public sector.
The war has just begun. Christie simply chose the NJEA as a starting point. Challenges to other NJ public worker unions are on the way. Hopefully they will all be defeated.
It is time to rein in these high wages and cushy benefits. There needs to be balance. There is no reason why the public sector and the private sector cannot have matching wages and benefits. Forget fair. Do the right thing. You'll be forced to do it anyway. There is no more money. The taxpayers cannot take it anymore.
Did you know that in the last 6 years $70 billion in wealth has left the State of New Jersey? Main reason is taxes. People in NJ are being taxed out of their homes. Enough.
There comes a time when people must make sacrifices. You just happen to be around when the numbers came up. It is what it is.
Why should Christie back off at this time? He is winning the battle. He is fighting for the taxpayers. That is why he was elected. The voters wanted someone to go to the mat for THEM. Someone to beat back the long established norms of NJ politics. Someone to represent THEIR interests instead of kowtowing to the unions and political power brokers who have run NJ into the ground and have created the current system of corruption and graft.

The inequity between those who serve and the served favors is an outrage.

Spare me. My husband owns a plumbing business. His high school drop out employees make more than I do with a master's degree.

I teach in Cape May County. It used to be an affordable place to live on $50K. Not any more. Our principal does not even make as much as your sociology teacher.

There are over 600 districts in NJ. That is expensive and not the teacher's fault.
We have 31 "Abbott Districts" which eat up half the education budget for those 600 districts. That is expensive and not the teachers' fault.
The NJ Supreme Court has outlawed expulsion and mandates that districts pay for alternative schools for "children" who bring weapons to school. Students who are suspended out of school get private tutoring during their suspension. That is not the teachers' fault.
Special Education law mandates that "children" are educated until the age of 21. It also mandates that cost may be not be a factor in determining a handicapped students placement. Many have one on one aides; and many are sent to private boarding schools at a cost of up to $100K a year. Twice as many students are classified "special ed" as the rest of the country. That is not the teachers' fault.

You many think teachers are overpaid. I do not. Maybe in some districts, but that's because the people in those towns VALUE their public education system.

Demonizing teachers will have a negative effect on the quality of education. Kids learn from their parents. No respect from the governor; no respect in the classroom. Be careful what you wish for.



Pension reform is needed. School reform is needed. But it will be counterproductive and gridlock, without cooperation. Politics 101.

Living in Cape may County is a choice you and your husband made. Is that correct?
Well then, you could go to nearby Atlantic County( I checked ages there as well) and probably increase your salary by 50%.....
Good education and good schools are not tied to money. Not at all. I can cite many examples of very high per pupil spending and the results are terrible.
Washington DC has the highest per student spending in the country at nearly $15,000 per student and that city has a 50% dropout rate. Kansas City, MO decided about 10 or so years ago to spend over $1 billion on new schools, labs athletic facilities. All kinds of frills.
The goal was to make school more attractive to the students and to keep people with the means from moving out. It didn't work. student achievement fell even further. Taxes went through the roof and the people that could move out, voted with their feet and left the city.

High wages and very lucrative benefits packages do not good teachers make.
I am willing to assume your benefit package covers your husband's medical ,does it not? And do you pay for your medical insurance at the same percentage of salary as a private sector worker earning the same salary? I am betting that's a big "NO"....
You are throwing into the mix a lot of unrelated stuff here. The issue here is not "Abbot Districts or underperforming urban districts because as you well know, school tax revenue for the most part "stays home". The issue here is your benefits and pension won for you by your union are no longer affordable nor are they sustainable. In fact each successive generation of workers is being ripped off by the previous generation. The union bosses keep getting the benefits, pay and pension and they are getting it from a progressively smaller pie.
The bottom line is the taxpayers in NJ cannot afford to shell out any more of their eanrings to fund unsustainable benefit and pension packages for public sector workers.
The numbers do not lie. The facts bear this out.
No one is saying "it's the teacher's fault"...The fact is that things have been done the sa,e way for decades. It hasn't worked. Would you not agree that doing the same thing over and again expecting a different result is illogical?
No one is demonizing teachers. The taxpayers are simply fed up with paying higher and higher taxes while watching public worker salaries and benefits far outpace the wages and benefits of the private sector.
There is no logical reason for a government employee to get so much while those who pay for this earn so much less.
Government employees SERVE the public. Not the other way around. It is not just education.
Oh, by the way. I see the fur starting to fly over Charter Schools. Who is bent out of shape? The NJEA.....Why? Fewer public school students means fewer union jobs. Bottom line. There's no argument.
Oh, in my school district here in NC, there is a teacher's union of sorts but in NC the government had the smarts to make law barring public employees from collectively bargaining. Our graduation rate is over 80%. I am in a suburban district of 50,000 students.
The district sends about 60% to college or higher education. The district has quite a diverse population. The largest minority is Latinos. If more of the Latino( Mexicans mostly) kids spoke English as a first language, the graduation rates and test scores( hate test scores as a comparison) would be higher still.
So please, spare me the union mantra. Many many states turn out high school and college grads without the "benefit" of teacher's unions, big salaries and cushy benefits.

 

[jillian]

Jersey might be the most doo-doo state I've been to. And I've been EVERYwhere in NY.

It's the arm pit of America.

That'd be Illinois. NY/NJ is the ass.

interesting. what's your criteria? ny was the top tourist destination in the country last year, bypassing disney for the first time. we pay far more into the system than we take out and our public schools are some of the best in the country. we are the premier financial center and people come from all over the world for our theatres, museums, restaurants and shopping.

we have some of the most diverse communities in the country.

nj is a top sports, industrial and residential state. some of the most best beach and resort areas.

you'd have to be a loon to say that about ny/nj.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Well he is kind of an A-hole. And I don't know the whole story, only Christie side. But he would be absolutely horrible as president. He is 400 lb "Little Debbies" downer. I mean a president should have a vision, this guy just says no to everything.

An improved tunnel to Manhattan to make it better to get into the City? No

Teachers that have concerns about what he is doing? F off. Teachers aren't important.

A long time commission? F you. I am greatness.

But what do I know? I think you should definetely put him and Bachmann on the ballot. I am sure they will win.

Yes a new tunnel would help. But not at $8 billion and that is before the crooked unions get ahold of the project and double the price.
There is NO money for that project and all the same people know that.
Say no to everything?....Ok what is that supposed to mean? Is he required to support things he sees as a poor use of taxpayer resources just to make YOU happy?
You just want what you want whether it is fiscally feasible or not. You don't care where the money comes from and would probably just agree to have the State raise your taxes to get it.
Christie is not fighting the teachers. He is battling with their union which allows teachers to become "tenured". Tenure basically allows a teacher virtually unfettered lifetime employment. He is taking on the powerful public worker unions one at a time. He just started off with the NJEA. You must understand that public sector workers in NJ cannot continue to receive the high pay and costly benefits any longer. There is no one else to tax. There's no more money.......Here. follow this link and see just what public sector wages are in NJ.....If you do not live in the State you'll be shocked at what these people are paid....Just one example. My former High School district has about 400 teachers. Over half of them are paid in excess of $100,000 per year. Nearly 2/3's are over $75,000 per year. That does not include their benefit and retirement plan. They get free health insurance for life is they reach retirement age. And a very nice pension.
The average teacher if they work until retirement contributes about $120,000 toward their pension. If a person retires at the min age of 55 and lives a normal life expectancy of 25 more years, they will collect close to $3million in pension and benefits. That does not include the sick and vacation time teachers are permitted to "bank".
That is an absurd wage and benefit package. Absolutely absurd.
THAT is the problem Christie is trying to defeat. The reason why NJ has the highest property taxes in the country, the reason why public worker unions have such power, the reason why there is so much corruption is BECAUSE his predecessors always said "yes"..
Do you get it now? Or are you so focused on you self interest that you are permanently unconcerned about who pays for your wants?

So if that is the case (Which isn't across the country, most teachers aren't paid very well) is it ridiculous to have the people educating our children compensated well?

I mean I brought up this very point to a few of my republican friends. The only area people get even a great education in this country is in college. K-12 is crap. But what about really good teachers? Is it an absurd wage for them to receive 55-65K a year with benefits? What about newly graduated teachers that are trying to find a way that works for them and their students to teach properly which may mean they may fail once in a while while trying to figure out what works and what doesn't work?

Our education crisis is much more deeper than our top students aren't even in the Top 66% of all developed nations. Its the fact that our best students don't even go into education. I graduated within a class of 200. I finished 45th out of 200 I will be honest. I started 177 out of 250 (50 kids left or dropped out by the time graduation rolled around not including people coming in). But I didn't give a rat's ass about school. Then I met my biology/chemistry teacher sophomore year. Boy she was tough, firm and would call you out in class. She pissed me off and we got after it sometimes. But her constantly sending me to the office and the guidance conselor got my stuff together. I decided I really like biology and I could be anything and then became pretty close. I worked hard to get my grades back up and any elective science class she taught I took. I won the most improved student award, scholarships during senior award day and became a National Honor Society member.

I went back about a year ago, I told her I got a sales rep job where my base was 25k. She then told me "Your base is 5k less than my annual salary." I was shocked. I mean this teacher was also our mentor for many honor students. The fact that she got paid that little upset me. I also went back into my yearbook and had career aspirations for our seniors. Every one in the top 20 in our class didn't want to be a teacher but the ones that did want to be teachers always partied in high school. Oh not much different in college. Sorority chicks that wanted to be teachers but would show the worst discretion, bad decision making (but not with me ), and a lot of immaturity. My baby mama is just like that and you guessed it, she wants to be a teacher.

What we did to do as a society is to not to SAY we value education but PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTHS ARE. Educations aren't free, you're going to have to pay your taxes to pay for an education. Start making the salaries in teaching well compensated so our top students what to teach and actually know the material. Have parents take an actual interest in their children's education and show some god damn discipline with their kids. They aren't right 95% of the time, let them know it.

We need to start taking our education seriously and its not "Absurd" to invest in our children's future.

No it is not absurd to invest in our kids education.
Your story about the science teacher solidifies my point. In your eyes she may be underpaid. Obviously she does not think so. Because if she did, she'd look to other districts that paid more for her services, correct?. She seems passionate about her profession. And that is really all that counts. All that matters.
I'd say half way or a little more to $100k per year for a teacher is adequate. No one is debating that point. The issue here is the teacher's union in NJ has been able to secure pay and benefits that the taxpayers can no longer afford. Teachers of today and in the future are going to have to forget about those things. There's no more money. Period.
You can battle with this until the ocean quits making waves. Once again, the taxpayers are tapped out. 10, 20, 30 thousand dollars per year in property taxes? THAT is absurd.
Here ya go,...The house I grew up in is in Bergen County. My parents sold it in 1983 for $115k....The TAX value now is $535,000.....According to the latest records, residents in my home town pay a little over $3.00 per $100 of assessed value. That comes out to over $15,000 per year in property taxes. Over $1,200 per MONTH!!!! THAT is absurd....
Education is certainly NOT free. However, history has shown over and over again, that problems are never solved by throwing money at them.
When i was in school, my high school district was one of the highest rated in NJ. Today, it STILL IS. Do you think it is that way because of money? Hell no. It is a good system because the kids take more pride in their schools. The parents are more involved, most families are intact nuclear.
Facts are clear on this.

 

[jillian]

He does need to tone it down with the teachers union. There is no one in our district making $100K. The average pay is $55K. Our union has always negotiated lower salaries in exchange for free health benefits. Now we have to pay for those. He talks about "failing schools" (Newark, Jersey City, Camden...), yet fails to mention that the we are home to many of the top public schools in the country.

Yes, the pension is broke and feeds to be fixed. But "school reform" and "pension reform" are two completely separate issues. Lumping them together as a PR stunt, will not solve either.

It's one thing to go after the leadership. It's unwise to go after the whole profession.

My mother is very active with the Republican party and worked on Christie's campaign. She has two children who are teachers. She won't support him any longer.

Nearly half the teachers in my school are Republicans. They won't support him any longer.

He needs to call a ceasefire with this war on the NJEA. Soon.

you might also want to consider the fact that he cost nj 200 million dollars because he wouldn't sign on to a set of papers because the teachers' union agreed to it.

 

[Big Fitz]

It's the arm pit of America.

That'd be Illinois. NY/NJ is the ass.

interesting. what's your criteria? ny was the top tourist destination in the country last year, bypassing disney for the first time. we pay far more into the system than we take out and our public schools are some of the best in the country. we are the premier financial center and people come from all over the world for our theatres, museums, restaurants and shopping.

we have some of the most diverse communities in the country.

nj is a top sports, industrial and residential state. some of the most best beach and resort areas.

you'd have to be a loon to say that about ny/nj.

people rubberneck at car wrecks too.

 

[chanel]

No one demonizing the teachers? Talking about selfishness, sharing the burden, falsely blaming them for the broken pension, and pointing to failing schools without recognition of all the great ones is unfair and counterproductive. In fact, it sounds awfully like the Wall Street debate. In my Republican circles, we call that "demonizing the rich".

I know very well that taxes are too high and the pension needs serious reform. What I am saying is you get more bees with honey. You don't tell people they suck and then ask them for help. Common Sense 101.

 

[Bfgrn]

It's amazing how excited and all embracing of government you folks on the right get when you find a dictator, especially when there is punishment of people involved.

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Created by a special act of the Legislature in 1902, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners operate the largest wastewater treatment plant in New Jersey on a 172-acre site in an industrial section of Newark near the Passaic River. Sewage is lifted into the plant through a series of huge screw pumps, where the toxic stew is screened, settled and broken down by bacteria. The sludge that remains is dried and carted away, while the treated effluent is ultimately released through a 5-mile-long pipe into New York Harbor.

It appears to do that job effectively, records show. State Department of Environmental Protection data show no enforcement actions in the past year, and the PVSC regularly wins top awards for its environmental stewardship of the Passaic River. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies will recognize the agency this year for its "outstanding compliance" with discharge permit limits, as well as its sponsorship of a state regatta championship.

Still, despite its $161 million budget, PVSC is a public agency that draws scant attention. Its money comes from charges assessed to each community, which in turn bill residential, commercial and industrial users. For Newark, that came to $44.3 million last year. In Jersey City, it was $19.5 million. Additional revenues come from treatment of commercial waste. Its rates are lower than similar regional sewage treatment facilities.

Records reveal Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission a gold mine for insiders | NJ.com

 

[thereisnospoon]

That'd be Illinois. NY/NJ is the ass.

interesting. what's your criteria? ny was the top tourist destination in the country last year, bypassing disney for the first time. we pay far more into the system than we take out and our public schools are some of the best in the country. we are the premier financial center and people come from all over the world for our theatres, museums, restaurants and shopping.

we have some of the most diverse communities in the country.

nj is a top sports, industrial and residential state. some of the most best beach and resort areas.

you'd have to be a loon to say that about ny/nj.

people rubberneck at car wrecks too.

In which state does "rubbernecking" not occur?............LOL

 

[thereisnospoon]

No one demonizing the teachers? Talking about selfishness, sharing the burden, falsely blaming them for the broken pension, and pointing to failing schools without recognition of all the great ones is unfair and counterproductive. In fact, it sounds awfully like the Wall Street debate. In my Republican circles, we call that "demonizing the rich".

I know very well that taxes are too high and the pension needs serious reform. What I am saying is you get more bees with honey. You don't tell people they suck and then ask them for help. Common Sense 101.

You're looking at this from a personal rather than a business pint of view. Not once did I say teachers "suck". Nor did I disparage the profession in any way. To date I have seen no such utterances from Gov Christie either.
Look, as with entitlements offered by government, union provided benefits once issued are considered to be a "right"...When those benefits which your union bosses have reminded you that you "worked so hard to obtain" are threatened, the typical reaction is to react as though one's character is being assassinated. This is not true.
The simple reason why Christie and other state governors are going down this road is because the system is no longer sustainable. Teachers are not the only public employees who receive these high wages and benefits. Especially the benefits. You must understand that virtually no one in the private sector gets free medical insurance nor do their employers offer a pension where the employees contribute such a small percentage of the benefit payout.
Taxpayers are simply unable to afford your benefits any longer.
I cannot understand what is so difficult for the typical union member to grasp that concept.
No one is attacking teachers or other public employees.
Tell me which person was being disrespectful.....watch....http://www.city-data.com/forum/poli...j-gov-christie-slaps-down-some.html....Simply click on the link that sends you t the videos...Ask yourself, what makes sense.....
Mind you these are Bergen County teachers who make huge money.

 

[chanel]

You may not be demonizing teachers. But that's the message being sent. Read the comments on any NJ.com education story. Talk to people about the lazy teachers with their great vacations and "jobs for life". I hear it every day. Fortunately, my family and circle of friends have always valued education and know better. Perhaps it's because they make more money than I and know they could never do what I do.

Back to topic: This is the kind of stuff we need more of.

More than 70 employees of the scandal-ridden Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners were terminated today — representing 12 percent of the agency’s total workforce.

At the same time, all spending on outside counsel retained by the commission was frozen.

Gov. Chris Christie, in announcing the terminations, renewed his call for veto power over the actions of the PVSC and other water and sewage authorities. “I cannot imagine that the PVSC is the only place in New Jersey where this is happening,” Christie said.

More than 70 Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners employees are terminated | NJ.com

NJ has been called the "Soprano State". Wasn't Tony Soprano in "waste management"?

 

[thereisnospoon]

You may not be demonizing teachers. But that's the message being sent. Read the comments on any NJ.com education story. Talk to people about the lazy teachers with their great vacations and "jobs for life". I hear it every day. Fortunately, my family and circle of friends have always valued education and know better. Perhaps it's because they make more money than I and know they could never do what I do.

Back to topic: This is the kind of stuff we need more of.

More than 70 employees of the scandal-ridden Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners were terminated today — representing 12 percent of the agency’s total workforce.

At the same time, all spending on outside counsel retained by the commission was frozen.

Gov. Chris Christie, in announcing the terminations, renewed his call for veto power over the actions of the PVSC and other water and sewage authorities. “I cannot imagine that the PVSC is the only place in New Jersey where this is happening,” Christie said.

More than 70 Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners employees are terminated | NJ.com

NJ has been called the "Soprano State". Wasn't Tony Soprano in "waste management"?

Demonizing? Please stop the spin. It's nonsense.
Christie asked the teacher's union for 2.5 of the cost of their health care insurance and they went on this "Christie hate teachers" crap. If that's the position you wish to take, your loss. It is what it is and the "is" means unions representing ALL public workers are being put on notice that the days of doing things as they always have been done are OVER.
Read and understand this: There is no more money. The taxpayers cannot afford to pay your benefits and pensions anymore. Period. Done. End of story. There is no alternative. No deal on the front burner. Nothing. Yours and all the other public worker unions are going to have to make sacrifices.
The alternative could be the several States that have considered requesting they be permitted to declare bankruptcy. If that occurs( I think it should) the union deals with the public workers would be null and void.

Union organization of public sector workers is living on borrowed time. That's a fact you'll have to face.

On the matterof the PVSC.......Those not terminated should be required to re-apply for their jobs. They should take requisite exams to show they are qualified for the position they see. Also, they should be denied membership in any union and no civil service protections either. PVSC can be the first in a long line of these authorities that gets flushed of all the overpriced and underworked politically connected rats. Let them earn wages and benefits equal to the prevailing market rates for private sector workers NOT represented by unions. Let's see how they like that.....