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NJEA: Thousands of teachers could retire if benefits changed under Christie plan
northjersey.com ^ | 04.15.10 | Patricia Alex

Posted on 04/18/2010 2:27:14 PM PDT by Coleus

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To: HarleyD; Balding_Eagle
I think it is wrong for any company or government entity to promise people pensions and benefits only to take those benefits away because the company is having problems. People make lifetime decisions based upon what they are promised in benefit packages.

All defined benefit pensions should be outlawed. This type of pension "banks" on the solvency of the entity 20-30 yrs in the future. The only type of pensions that should be allowed are 401K's, or in the case of govt 403B's. In these pensions a % is deducted from earnings and the co. contributes a % as well. The monies are put into an account the co. has no control over and can never touch again.

It is more like the folks at United Airlines who the Supreme Court gave the go ahead to to rob their pension plan to strave off banruptcy.

Ultimately they did declare bankruptcy and afterwards the congress passed a law that all future pensions had to be 401k's in the airline industry. Govt should be under the same system.

The problem is the benefits liabilities in some states is so great that even if all future employees were paying for their insurance and their pensions were 401k's it won't be enough to balance budgets.

41 posted on 04/18/2010 5:39:40 PM PDT by wmfights (If you want change support SenateConservatives.com)
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To: Coleus

Flush them all...


42 posted on 04/18/2010 5:45:15 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: HarleyD

Let me talk about the marginal increases in teachers salaries in NJ. We’re talking about the salary increases the senior-most teachers are getting in their final 3 years of teaching.

1. They increase their education and certification levels.
2. They take every stipend assignment possible, be it sports coach, cafeteria monitoring, study hall, etc.
3. They teach extra courses.
4. They teach summer courses.

What the union is complaining about is the fact there are only so many of these salary enhancing assignments available per school system. These slots/assignments have been passed along from the most senior teachers/admins to the most senior teachers/admins, year after year for decades, so that as many of the “in cliche” teachers/admins in their final three years can maximize their salaries to maximize their pension calculation.

The unions are complaining that there would need to be 66% MORE of these salary maximizing opportunities per school district to allow the senior most teachers to take these opportunities for the final 5 years instead of the final 3 years.

The unions is also claiming that the senior most teachers in their preplanned last 5 or 6 years of teaching would head for the exits before the new pension calculation law goes in to effect.

Let me tell you something, new teachers will fill every one of those full time tenure track positions, some schools are getting over 600 applications for every position right now.

And I’ll tell you something else, it will only take a year or two for the controlling cliche of senior teachers/administrators to adjust their salary and pension maximizing strategies to the new 5 year calculation regime. It will just cause the hyenas to become even more savage when it comes time for yearly assignments.


43 posted on 04/18/2010 5:45:53 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: wmfights; Balding_Eagle
All defined benefit pensions should be outlawed. This type of pension "banks" on the solvency of the entity 20-30 yrs in the future. The only type of pensions that should be allowed are 401K's, or in the case of govt 403B's.

I agree for the most part but it won't stop the government from spending money it doesn't have. In 20-30 years the government would be eying those 401K plans (as they're doing now). The only thing that will stop the federal government is a balance budget amendment.

44 posted on 04/18/2010 5:49:56 PM PDT by HarleyD
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To: JerseyHighlander

and who can we thank? none other than “republican” governor tom kean who raised the minimum salary of all teachers in NJ, which allowed all the others to be bumped up for parity and the rest is history, no turning back.


45 posted on 04/18/2010 5:51:54 PM PDT by Coleus (Abortion, Euthanasia & FOCA - - don't Obama and the Democrats just kill ya!)
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To: HarleyD

My prior post was a bit more preachy than usual.
Also, I agree with everything you posted in 39.

If theoretically, Christie offered 66% more ways for the senior most teachers/admins to boost their salary for the final 5 years of employment while otherwise proposing the same rules, then in this hypothetical the NJEA would have supported the plan.

Those corrupt bureaucrats who help out other corrupt bureaucrats pad the salary during the final three years too often are also the union liaisons for the schools and school districts.


46 posted on 04/18/2010 5:53:17 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: Coleus

This would bring in new, young teachers who would be striving to do their best to not get fired.


47 posted on 04/18/2010 5:58:45 PM PDT by P.O.E. (Giant Gila Monster)
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To: HarleyD; Balding_Eagle
I agree for the most part but it won't stop the government from spending money it doesn't have.

The states are the canaries in the mines so to speak. They are feeling the squeeze because unlike the fed govt they can't print money. The fed is going to end up in the same spot because they can't monetize the debt with entitlements tied to inflation.

The only thing that will stop the federal government is a balance budget amendment.

I agree!

48 posted on 04/18/2010 6:06:36 PM PDT by wmfights (If you want change support SenateConservatives.com)
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To: Coleus

Buh Bye

How many teacher applications are languishing in the school board files? More than enough to replace the retirees, I would guess.

Maybe you’ll even be able to get a teaching job without being related to someone on the school board...imagine that


49 posted on 04/18/2010 6:26:48 PM PDT by silverleaf (Karl Marx was NOT one of America's Founding Fathers)
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To: Coleus
The state teachers union warned of chaos in the classroom and “irreparable damage to every school system in the state” following news that the administration is working out the details of a plan to change the rules for those who receive medical benefits and pensions through the state.

I very much doubt that.
In fact, if "tenure" and automatic raises are eliminated in all new contracts, I predict a significant increase in competent graduations and test scores.

But you'll have to really really pressure the politicians and unions to get access to the statistics in years to come.

50 posted on 04/18/2010 9:58:48 PM PDT by Publius6961 (10% of muslims, the killer murdering radicals, are "only" 140,000,000 of 'em)
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To: Coleus
Just do it, and get rid of the bums. If they're going to cut and run now, then they clearly are giving the lie to any pretense they might have that, no, they really do care about the little kiddies first and foremost.

Remember November
51 posted on 04/18/2010 10:01:00 PM PDT by Oceander (The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance -- Thos. Jefferson)
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To: kcvl
Let’s see, top 2 in my class at Rutgers (public relations and advertising), number 1 in my Master’s program to become a teacher (still paying the 50K bill on that one..lol), 165 IQ. However, if all you want to do is say “Na na na na na na teachers suck, jealous of teachers, yadda yadda” I’m not playing those baby games. I will win there too, because I have a great razor wit.

Public relations and advertising?
I can see that with your superior IQ and intellect, you chose a challenging career.

It must be downhill from there.

Why don't you take the a*****e test?
Give a few dozen family members and acquaintances questionnaires to be returned anonymously with a single question, and let us know the results.

Strange thing : I met many truly brilliant people in my working career, and not a single one ever had to remind others of the fact. They must have all had defective "arrogance" genes...

52 posted on 04/18/2010 10:19:06 PM PDT by Publius6961 (10% of muslims, the killer murdering radicals, are "only" 140,000,000 of 'em)
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