Only a lean budget will save NJ from bankruptcy
Re: “Christie sets example by challenging public sector unions,” March 23
Being a New Jersey resident, I was glad to see Ms. Hollingworth’s piece on Governor Christie. While lean, the governor’s budget is necessary if New Jersey is to avoid bankruptcy. We have been irresponsible with our spending and it’s time to pay the piper.
Under the new budget, my town will lose 100 percent of state funding ($2.5 million) for education. Why are the school board and the teachers union in such an uproar given that we also pay some of the highest property taxes in the state? What have they done with our tax money?
If school budgets are cut, parents should pick up the slack where possible and excesses should be eliminated. If public employees need to pay into their pensions, so be it. If they don’t like it, let them move to the private sector and see how they fare. Let’s take responsibility and stop trying to pass the buck.
Geri Finlayson
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Eliminate Metro deficit by cutting payroll costs
The biggest cost savings Metro could implement- without a single drop in service or a fare increase – would be to change the labor contracts that are killing the transit agency. The following changes alone would eliminate Metro’s budget shortfall, and are totally in line with what private businesses have done to restructure their costs:
House,Senate,President,White House,Conservatives,Liberals,Barack Obama,President,Democrats,Republicans,Libertarians,Mark Tapscott:26973199:26973199:Mark Tapscott. Pay a reasonable, but lower wage to new employees. This would not only save hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years, but also reduce the absurd pensions that are costing hundreds of millions more.
Barack Obama,President,Democrats,Republicans,Libertarians,Mark Tapscott:26973199:26973199:Mark Tapscott. Restructure their Cadillac benefits and have employees pay half of their pension and health insurance costs. Use the savings to increase service levels and expand capital expenditures to make the system safe and reliable.
Mark Tapscott:26973199:26973199:Mark Tapscott. Do not permit employees to work more than 48 hours a week. This would not only save millions in overtime, it would prevent exhausted employees from milking overtime to increase their pensions. Tired employees are unsafe employees.
4. Require Metro employees to pay for their rides so they feel the cost of increasing fares.
5. Metro should also be required to show the detailed costs of each employee, including all W-2 pay as well as active and retiree benefit plans. Pay and benefits in excess of those paid in the private sector for jobs requiring similar skills and education should be brought down to private sector levels immediately.
Jack Adams
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Health bill will unleash countless more abortions
In 1966, The Beatles released ¡Yesterday and Today,¡ an album that garnered much controversy due to its grotesque original cover picturing the group dressed in butcher smocks and draped with pieces of meat and body parts from plastic baby dolls. It was the only Beatles record to lose money for Capital Records.
Life imitates art. Picture the same album cover today, only with a smiling President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Bart Stupak and their pals filling in for the four mop tops from Liverpool.
A countless number of abortions will soon be unleashed on society due to the introduction of their federally funded, pro-abortion health-care plan.
Paul Kokoski
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