N.J. teachers union accuses Christie of lying in pension talk at town hall (plus update)
Source: NJ.com
By Brent Johnson
TRENTON — New Jersey's largest teachers union is lashing out against Gov. Chris Christie, saying he lied several times Thursday when discussing the state's troubled public-worker pension system during a town hall meeting.
In a statement Friday, the New Jersey Education Association, long one of Christie's foes, accused the Republican governor of continuing a "long history of lying about pensions."
During an exchange with a teacher's husband at the event in Hasbrouck Heights on Thursday, Christie blamed past governors for shortchanging the system for years — including Republican Christie Whitman and Democrats Jim Florio, James McGreevey, Richard Codey, and Jon Corzine. He said that has left it up to him to deal with one of the largest unfunded pension liabilities in the nation.
Christie then asked why public employee unions didn't sue the former governors over the issue, as they are suing him.
FULL story at link. Video: http://video-embed.nj.com/services/player/bcpid1950981419001?bctid=4179313174001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMILBk~,Vn8u6tPOf8Us2eD8W1ez5Zw-Ss_6Anfe
UPDATE: Christie's pensions comments refuted by former N.J. governors: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/christies_pensions_comments_refuted_by_former_nj_g.html#incart_river
By Brent Johnson
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's comments this week about how past governors mishandled New Jersey's public worker pension system has miffed a pair of former governors.
Former Gov. Jim Florio said Thursday he was "disappointed" in the in governor and said he has his facts mixed up. And former Gov. Christie Whitman said she has "no idea" what Christie is talking about when he said she struck a deal with the state's largest teachers union that allowed teachers to skip on their pensions payments for two years.
"I appreciate his frustrations," Florio, a Democrat who served from 1990 to 1994, said of Christie, a Republican. "He didn't get a good hand dealt to him (on pensions) when he came in. But how you play that hand says as much about your values as it does about your character."
Christie's remarks came during a town hall in Hasbrouck Heights on Thursday when a teacher's husband who was in the audience asked him about the state's pension problems. Christie stressed something he has said repeatedly: that a string of governors before him had shortchanged the pensions system for years and left him with one of the largest unfunded pension liabilities in the country. He singled out Florio, Republican Christie Whitman, and Democrats James McGreevey, Richard Codey, and Jon Corzine.
FULL story at link.
Former Gov. Jim Florio speaks at the Statehouse in Trenton in 2013. (John O'Boyle | The Star-Ledger)
Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/nj_teachers_union_accuses_christie_of_lying_in_pen.html
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Christie is a nasty individual who has done little for NJ. He seems to like only those who are giving him money.
This right wing hypocrite has short changed the pensions in the state since his hedge fund friends have been charging the pensioners fees for operating the pensions.
When under his illustrious watch they were also transferred under your watch to those hedge fund friends for pure greed ----that is against the law.
It is a contract by a majority of 50+1 democratically elected union members holding a vote for the contract and the state contractually said YES to it Christie, or did you miss that e-mail.
And this side stepping right wing hypocrite always tries to place the blame on the worker, and past governors---nice try, you have been in charge for almost 7 years.
Has he looked at the 8 down grades the state has gotten in credit ratings since he "took" office.
Nice try Christie you still have issues with the bridge where your cronies shut it down for political reasons, you stopped constructing a tunnel for commuters, oh, I get it, bridge---tunnel---shut down, or am I just having a conspirator moment.
