Posted on 06/23/2011 7:54:26 PM PDT by NRG1973
The New Jersey Assembly passed landmark legislation Thursday that requires public employees to pay sharply more for pension and health benefits, driving a wedge through the Democratic caucus that controls the chamber but was deeply divided on the bill.
The 46-32 vote followed hours of often bitter closed-door debate among Democrats, then hours of emotional public speeches on the Assembly floor. Uniformed state troopers escorted several people from the gallery for disrupting the debate with cheers and jeers.
The measure was fast-tracked through the Legislature after Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, struck a deal with Democrats and Republicans who lead both houses. Just 14 Democrats voted in favor of the measure, with 32 opposed. All Republicans who were present voted for it.
The Senate passed the measure Monday, also without a majority of Democrats backing it. Christie is expected to sign it soon.
"I am going to guarantee you when it's finished (it) will become a national model and will be hailed across the country as an example of bipartisanship that the president and the Congress can only aspire to," Christie said of the legislation.
About 8,000 union protesters jammed the street outside the Capitol before debate got under way. It was their third Statehouse rally since the bill was introduced 10 days ago. On Thursday, they staged a New Orleans-style funeral procession, complete with a brass band and a black hearse with a sign draped on it reading "The Soul of Democratic Party."
"We're going to keep fighting," said Andrea Rastello, who teaches second grade in Wayne. "We are dedicated in our opposition, but we're going to have to make a lot of sacrifices in our families."
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
“We’re going to have our socialism if it kills every one of us!” said Andrea Rastello (not really but he/she/it may as well have...
Time to double up on the governor’s security.These socialists are capable of anything.
I can’t tell from this article which party controls the NJ State Legislature. It seems to say it both ways. Does anyone know?
RATS! The worst type of RATS on top of that!
Thanks. That’s what I expected.
Congrats to Christie for getting this through.
Woo-hoo!
Both houses of the NJ Legislature are controlled by dems. The Dem leaders of both houses to their credit backed Christie on this, despite the enlightened teachers outside blowing kazoos in protest.
Excellent. Gov. Christie keep up the good work.
The best way to be effective against these Public Unions is to stop witholding dues from checks (Sometimes referred to as “Checkoff). That way you hit the unions where it hurts the most because a lot of members will quit paying their dues. That is what they did in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. I doubt seriously if the legislation in NJ went that far.
I agree totally that this is needed, but we also need some major shared sacrifice by the money changing banksters that contributed immensely to the original problem.
The banksters made hundreds of billions of ill gotten false profits off of the false mortgage market. Then they were bailed out and were given huge bonuses from the taxpayers when they should have had nothing. Their banks from 2003-2008 were showing big profits when they were actually going insolvent with worthless mortgage paper. Their compensation should have been clawed back and directed towards the debt and bailout.
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