Posted on 05/21/2010 4:38:52 PM PDT by Libloather
N.J. cops, firefighters start paying for pensions, health care
Friday, May 21, 2010
BY CHRIS MEGERIAN
State House Bureau
TRENTON — A law reducing pension and health care benefits for police and firefighters will go into effect today after a state judge refused to block it.
Unions representing police and firefighters argued that the changes improperly infringe upon the collective bargaining process. They also said the requirement to contribute 1.5 percent of their salary to health care constitutes a tax on public employees.
But Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg rejected their arguments, allowing the changes to go into effect.
"I don’t think it’s a tax," she said. "It’s a medical contribution."
The unions had filed their motion on behalf of about 215 police and fire locals in some stage of arbitration, saying the process for hammering out contracts would be upended if the changes are enacted.
"You are clearly treading on a protected right in an unreasonable way," said attorney David Fox, who represented the Firefighter’s Mutual Benevolent Association.
Although their motion failed, union lawyers said they will continue to push their lawsuit in an effort to prove the legislation is unconstitutional.
"This is just a skirmish in the battle," said attorney Paul Kleinbaum, who represented the New Jersey State Policeman’s Benevolent Association. He argued that the 1.5 percent contribution constituted an improper tax specifically on public employees.
"It’s a deduction from payroll for the purpose of raising revenue," he said. "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck."
Assistant Attorney General Nancy Kaplan, who argued on behalf of the state, said the Legislature was well within its right to set benchmarks for public employee benefits.
"There is nothing that rises to the level of unconstitutionally in this statute," she said. "Policy can be changed."
The League of Municipalities praised Feinberg’s decision.
"We have been calling for pension and benefit reforms for some time," Executive Director William Dressel said. "The required 1.5 percent contribution will go a long way towards helping local governments keep costs under control and keep taxes down."
GO CHRIS......he veto the rats bill within minutes....
Keep an eye out for the Bob Casey union pension bailout bill.
According to Stuart Varney, Casey is quietly building support for it and its estimated cost to taxpayers will be $168 billion.
My retired Florida firefighter hubby said they had to pay 2.5%! He retired in 1999.
Yes Paul, just a skirmish in your battle.
Which is just a battle in our war.
Move that decimal point 1 to the right.
Who here wants some crow?
“You are clearly treading on a protected right in an unreasonable way,”
Just how does he think this is a ‘right’?
But it’s actually OK with liberals to TAX doctors specifically. What other profession has a tax liability just for what they do?
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