PHOTOS & VIDEO: As yesterday reported, over 10,00 officers and firefighters gathered in Trenton to rally against Governor Christie’s Pension Reform plan. One of the speakers at the event, were Lakewood’s PBA Preisident Gary Przewoznik. Przewoznik reminded the Governor and the public about the recent murder of Chris Matlosz.
“Instead of going to a PBA meeting, I went to the scene and helped EMTs pull my co-worker and good friend out of his vehicle in which he’d been heartlessly murdered”, Przewoznik says. “The assassination of Matlosz should serve as a reminder to each of us that our jobs are viable to the community”. “We are the good guys”, he says. “We are being outnumbered by the proliferation of gang members who not only prey on the members of the community, but us as well”.
your being out numbered because liberal judges keep letting these animals walk out on bail/slap on the wrist.
NJ can have 10billion cops out there, but if judges dont punish criminals = POLICE OFFICERS WONT STOP CRIME.
Fight for what you have been promised. I am a big supporter but when you guys keep saying you pay into the pension is it about what we pay into SS?
It is really starting to bug me that they are trying to take your pensions but still paying miss lazy with 5 kids to stay home have free health benefits and do nothing all day.
I voted for CC last time but after I now see where his priorities lay and its not with middle class I will not vote for him again. It is time to start looking at the people that do not want to work at anything but the system! Make the rich pay taxes!!!
@ go PBA
The rich pay taxes plenty. In fact, the rich pay most of the taxes. The rich actually work for their money and deserve every penny.
Those that don’t work and instead take benefits should have all their benefits cut. I agree with you 100%.
Christie is not a true conservative, he’s a “moderate” republican. He’s still being nice to the “poor” by letting them keep their benefits. A true conservative would take away everyone’s freebies, and make everyone work hard for their money, like the middle class and rich already do.
Police officers pay 8.5% of their salary into these pensions. Because they have a pension plan most will not qualify for Social Security, regardless of whether the town actually takes out SS tax from their paycheck, which some towns do.
8.5% sounds like a lot more then I pay for SS maybe it is time CC starts looking at taking away people with 2 and 3 pensions and receiving a pension after 5 years instead of taking from the men and women putting there lives on the line everyday. They miss having holidays with their family’s and going a day or two without being able to see their kids because of their schedule. They sacrifice a lot so stop trying to take from our hero’s!!!
They made the choice to do this job no one forced them.
how many politicians (part time employees) took pay cuts like they are making public servants do? Senators, assemblymen, governor, freeholders, mayors, council and committemen? How many of the same gave up putting money into the pension system so they don’t collect after out of office? How many gave up health benefits for being a part time employee that wanted to be voted into office? If they preach shared sacrifice, should they not share in the sacrifice also? Why should I pay for their health benefits? They did not have to run. Why are they getting thousand$, then get appointed to some high paying 6 figure job, to collect a pension on that aafter 2 years? They didn’t pay into it at that rate for 25 years. And make this affect the politically appointed seats that receive compensation on different boards an commissions.
States and towns would not have had this problem if they did not rely on the grants and special funding provided by the feds as one shot deals or something that is going to end but did not figure on where to get the money from when that well drys up. States and towns should have balanced their budgets on the anticipated revenue of the taxes they anticipated to collect in the following year.
How about get rid of state and federal income tax altogether, cut property tax and have a federal sales tax and state sales tax on almost everything. That way, everybody pays, includig the illegals that everyone complains about, because everybody needs things. I guess all the revenue agents at the IRS would be out of a job. Cut the income taxes and you would have a little more to spend on things that would bring in taxes.
sick of politicians and their hacks.
After I check your facts to make sure that is CC stand on the “poor” but technically “lazy” I will for sure not vote for him next election. As moral people we should help each other but not make it so drug addicts can have babies and do nothing except of course call and use our public servants.
When they choose this job they were suppose to work themselves to the bone and then have a nice retirement, now they have to worry about everyday they go out on the street and worry about if they will be able to retire.
Retired after 25 yrs, made $52,000yr, My pension is $13,000. Twp. atty works 10yrs and gets $100,000 yr @ retirement. IT AINT RIGHT. The politicians are the biggest part of the problem. LPD ARE HEROS.
Exactly #9, these men and women chose this career, it takes a special person to do what they do. To tell them, oh well we’re changing the rules so if you don’t like what it is now- go find another job- that isn’t right. They took this job knowing they were making a commitment for at least 25 years- it’s not like being a salesperson and then deciding to find a different job in a different field when sales aren’t what they used to be. For those who have never done the job or known anyone well who has, they have no idea what they are talking about.
Walk a mile in their shoes, or their wives, children’s, parent’s… the sacrifices they’ve made are big. They chose this career in public service and safety and deserve to get what was promised to them and what they have based their futures on.
LPD are heros, but the issue is still money. I understand that the public workers want the compensation package they anticipated, but the rest of us in the private sector have had reduced income and added benefit costs for the past five years. There are other problems which should all be fixed so that everyone shares the pain. The public workers should be paid fairly but not at the current trend. The tax payers can not afford it. Ignoring reality and taxing the private sector workers into bankrupcy is not the answer.
The public servants are giving just like everyone else. Little was said about the cap on cops retiring ($15,000). Lakewood PD is paying more into their befits, but it seems like you give a inch and they take a mile. This is greed by the government in its finest and way to play the cards so it looks like the public servants are the greedy ones.
The public servants are getting paid twice as much than the people who are paying them!
#12 and the private sector–And since we are always comparing cops to private sectors, how many private sector workers had a gun pointed atheir head last night?? how many private sector workers were forced to take someones life yesterday;——-i now leave the door open for the negative and hateful responses from the legions of undereducated and unimployed trolls who spend their days critiquing the lives of others on newspaper message boards.
Servant???? Police are government employees. Servants are who you hire to take care of your house and children.
Yes, government employees took these jobs for several reasons and every one (with a college degree) has that opportunity too.
As for CC, his cabinet is the highest paid in NJ history. He needs to cut back on those make well in to the 6 figures and leave those who risk their lives and those making under 50K alone!
Please save us the dramatics…folks signing up with the idea that 25 years later they can retire and live happily ever after.
Sounds like the soap opera.
Granted we all have dreams….then a thing called reality comes around .. Ever hear about ” The best made plans of mice and men often go arry”?
Socialism always fails, or as some folk call it… redistribution of wealth..either way , it .always fails.
WHY?
Eventually you run out of other people’s money.
Years back, a man went to work and received pay only. If you got sick, the Dr visited, you paid.
You worked, paid the bills, died- end of story.
Now we have labor unions….a tenent of ‘socialism’.
Save me the drones of ‘ unions are good and necessary’. Yep, that’s the selling point so you want them….meantime union demands , kill the enterprise and they go belly-up or move to where they can profit without being gouged.
Welfare, another leach like system….once upon a time family helped family and neighbor helped neighbor. The down trodden got , brushed the dust off them and got productive- now, it’s a way of life for some.
It’s a big drain…why should others work , only to be forced to give for those who choose not to? Sounded like a good plan in the beginning but turned into a nightmare.
Forcing folks to give of their livelyhood for the sake of those that feel entitled is completely wrong.
If your dream is broken, then dream again.
The plan isn;t working…try plan B
Socialism fails- everytime, everywhere…
Should others be forced to finance your dreams?
Want to change Govt- get rid of socialism and it’s entitlement programs.
To # 17 Matanuska Joe:
Please contact us at [email protected].
Thank you.
Pjay, private sector workers get guns pointed at them. Gas station attendants, taxi drivers etc. The police certainly deserve to be paid fairly for the service they perform. No one is asking for a mile. if they gave an inch, maybe they need to give another inch or two. The police are the ones in front of this issue, because they present the best case for the unions. The union problem is the salary, benefits and pensions for all public employees; teachers, dpw, etc. They typically do not get shot at. Pay them all fairly, but the current trend can not be afforded by the tax payers.
how does Gov christie expect to get this state in shape when he cant even keep himself in shape, there the ones who should take pay cuts. leave unions alone, the politicians are the crooks, there the ones who need to be layed off
they deserve every cent that was promised to them when they made the decission to put on a uniform and protect those who live in this town
LPD is the best !!
#17 It comes down to one thing…if police don’t come to work there is no private sector. It becomes the Law of the Jungle and what ever wealth you have accumulated will become meaningless. You hold to much faith in the majority of your fellow man. There needs to be compromise and promises need to be kept.
The top 2% haven’t paid their taxes in 10 yrs.Oil companies don’t pay taxes.Wall St. gets a global bailout.People who actually work have to make up the difference.Its always been that way and until we all vote that’s the way it always will be.