Private Sector Employees, Stand Together with Public Employee Brothers/Sisters

To The Editor:
Now that Gov. Chris Christie has succeeded in demonizing public employees as greedy and out for themselves, as well as pitting private against public workers, playing to a ripe audience in the midst of a financial crisis, and enlisting Democratic members of the Senate to ram through his legislation abrogating the right of public employees to negotiate a contract in good faith, there is one question left unanswered: Where is the legislation requiring the state-municipality to pay their share into the fund annually?
What guarantee do public workers have that five or 10 years down the road we won’t be facing the same shortfall and again be scape goated as the cause of a crisis, which politicians created starting with Gov. Christine Whitman? Where is the legislation to prevent politicians from borrowing from a previously healthy pension fund to cover other expenditures, as they have in the past? Let’s be honest, both private and public workers provide a necessary service, pay taxes and live in the communities affected.
Public employees were willing to sacrifice and stated as much when candidate Christie met with them (police/fire unions) and promised one thing he would not do was to touch the pensions. He got elected and then did just that. Proving that he is just another vacillating politician.
The most disturbing aspect is the lies and distortions regarding public employee pensions, lumping them all together without distinction (there are several funds) and misleading the public by citing $100,000 pensions that only a few in high office, or administration receive. The average public employee pension is $26,000 annually (FOP Magazine). Hardly extravagant.
Without the cost of living allowance increase within 10 years of retirement many will be barely scraping by. Consider the additional cost of medical under this legislation and it gets worse. Not to mention the assault on workers’ rights. I would appeal to all private sector workers to stand together with your brother/sister public employees. Do not fall for the divide-and-conquer tactics. Believe me, you will be next.
DAN McNEILL
North Cape May