they will never touch the state pension system. McGreevey hired thousands of new workers during his term.
let Corzine run amuck - gas taxes, taxes on clothing - the more he does, the better chance Kean Jr has at knocking Menendez off.
I must be missing your point. Private corporations are phasing-out their old-fashioned pension plans left and right. As I understand it -- I'll know more next year, when my employer joins them -- as the companies' contributions are phased-out gradually, the vested workers' pensions are converted to 401-Ks (or something similar).
So, regardless of their numbers or length of service, unless those state workers you mentioned have some sort of special leverage, I fail to see why their mere presence should keep the state from phasing-out its pension plan.
Kean is one of those very attractive NJ "moderates", beloved by the likes of Chretin Todd Witless, who is anti RKBA but probably somewhat to the right of Chaffee, Collins and Snowe. Given New Jersey's quintessential masochism, Menendez will probably win.