If he’s re-elected, Jon Corzine will be more indebted to the public and private sector unions than ever before. Remember, this is the man who infamously waded into a state worker rally and vowed, “I stand with you. I’ll fight with you.”
Does any one seriously think he’ll push for pension reforms? Will he push for all public employees to contribute toward their health insurance premiums? It’s doubtful – he negotiated for the unions to pay just 1.5% of their salaries toward their premiums – and, in a move that still outrages us, he gave back an agreed upon concession when he unilaterally decided retirees shouldn’t have to pay anything.
Will he seek to limit salary hikes? Will he push for legislative reforms that call for statewide contract negotiations for teacher raises, considering that the state (i.e. we the taxpayer) pays for their pensions
Of course not. He hasn’t in the past four years, despite multibillion deficits that could have benefited from such reforms. So what would make us think he’ll change in the next four, when he owes the unions even more?
From In The Lobby
With just few short weeks left in the race, Christie's hyperbolic criticisms of the state of the state budget coupled with his refusal to offer an economic plan is kind of like bemoaning the fact that he doesn't fit into his old jeans while eating a Double-Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a side of supersized fries. Sticking to a budget diet plan, without reaching for the Ho Ho's may be hard for all of the candidates. But, a winner with no plan at all would mean that the people of New Jersey end up as the "biggest losers."
Carla Katz (yes, that Carla Katz) on PolitickerNJLabels: Christie, Corzine