WEST DEPTFORD — Taking the battle for his budget right into Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s hometown, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday began a town hall push to press lawmakers to make state employees pay more for benefits or be blamed for scotching property tax relief. Speaking to a receptive crowd in West Deptford, Christie said residents needed to pressure...
WEST DEPTFORD — Taking the battle for his budget right into Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s hometown, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday began a town hall push to press lawmakers to make state employees pay more for benefits or be blamed for scotching property tax relief.
Speaking to a receptive crowd in West Deptford, Christie said residents needed to pressure lawmakers to take his deal.
"Here’s the deal I offered the Legislature: If they pass my reform, which is very simple — have employees pay 30 percent of their costs that would save us this year alone $300 million — I will take that $300 million and I will use it to double your property tax relief," Christie said.
The governor’s proposed budget fell just short of doubling the relief. He recommended allocating $458 million, an increase of 70 percent, or about $189.8 million, from last year. Property tax relief would double if Christie dedicates all $300 million he says could be saved by hiking the health insurance payments.
"The public employee unions will go crazy — they already are," Christie said. "They need to pass that reform. ... If they don’t, then you know they’re taking the side of the special interests over the side of the property tax payers in the state."
The increase in property tax rebates would be for households making less than $75,000 a year or seniors and the disabled making less than $150,000 a year. Christie did not make those distinctions when talking to the crowd in West Deptford.
"We have to fight for this now over the next several months," Christie said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Sweeney (D-Gloucester) did not attend the town hall meeting. Under Sweeney’s proposals for benefit changes, the health contributions would be phased in over several years and would be based on an employee’s salary.
Sweeney’s office dismissed Christie’s comments.
"It is nice that the governor took time out from his busy schedule of raising property taxes, underfunding education and pitting New Jersey residents against one another to visit somewhere that is actually in New Jersey," his spokesman Chris Donnelly said. "Senate President Sweeney hopes he enjoyed his time in the great town of West Deptford."
Assembly Democrat spokesman Tom Hester reiterated charges that Christie is encouraging class warfare by juxtaposing health cost increases against property tax relief.
"The governor’s pitting of neighbor against neighbor — teachers against senior citizens, police officers against retirees, firefighters against the disabled — is abhorrent politics," Hester said. "Senior and disabled citizens shouldn’t be pawns in this governor’s awful political theater."
Previous coverage:
• Without reform, Gov. Christie says N.J. pension system will go broke by 2020
• Gov. Christie hosts town hall meeting in West Deptford - live coverage
• N.J. mayors ask state officials for pension, health benefit cost reform
• N.J. community affairs chief calls for civil service, pension reform
• N.J. Assembly, Senate Republicans propose pension reform bills
• Republican lawmakers propose bills supporting Christie's N.J. pension reform plan
• Gov. Christie pushes for Democrats to act on pension, health care reforms
• N.J. pension fund for retired teachers, state workers gains nearly 9 percent this fiscal year
• Star-Ledger editorial: What happens when a pension fund goes broke?
• N.J. Democratic leaders propose overhauling troubled pension system
• N.J. Senate President Sweeney says state must pay into pension system for reform to happen
• Sweeney vows to block Gov. Christie's pension reform bills until N.J. relieves overburdened fund
• N.J. files response to lawsuit challenging public worker pension, benefit changes
• N.J. police, firefighter unions sue to stop pension reform laws