Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 04:56:01 PM EDT
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Continuing the push they began last week to cut state employee compensation by 15%, State Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3rd LD), State Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-22nd LD) and State Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-4th LD) launched a web campaign www.StopSpendingMyMoney.com, and according to their press release, "the website is aimed at educating Garden State taxpayers about the need to overhaul excessive state government employee compensation deals and to fight a proposed increase in the state sales tax."
"It's time for the taxpaying public to get the sad but true facts about runaway state government at their expense," said Sweeney, a Business Agent and Treasurer of Ironworkers Local 399 in Westville. "Our goal is to create our own citizen army to push our agenda forward beyond traditional means. We are also taking our case directly to millions of New Jersey taxpayers through our own e-campaign."
According to Newsday the legislators were confronted by an "incensed" CWA President Carla Katz and demonstrators, The 150 demonstrators attracted state troopers who repeatedly asked them to keep hallways and stairs clear and empty a meeting room jammed with people. The union members complied, but remained incensed.
"This is an unfair attack on middle-class working families," said Carla Katz, the president of Communications Workers of America Local 1034. When the legislators arrived, the protesters booed and shouted "Shame" and "Shame on Sweeney," a South Jersey ironworker union official.
The Legislators pointed out that according to the Office of Legislative Services, state employee salaries and benefits account for 73.6%, or $4.6 billion, of the state's real operating budget. The benefits alone account for a mind-boggling 40% of total compensation.
Unions are involved on both sides of this battle with the the AFL-CIO issuing a scathing release opposing the plan, prompting responses from the 125,000 member strongBuilding Trades Council President Mullen and the Carpenters Chief Frank Spencer supporting the initiatives and blasting back at the personal attacks on Sweeney in the release. “The AFL-CIO’s recent public criticisms of him (Sweeney) are both misguided and quite frankly, uncalled for. I support Senator Sweeney and his efforts to bring progressive solutions to the budget crisis to the table," said Spencer. |
| Jason Springer :: Showdown at the State House as Legislators launch website |
| The lawmakers' said their web campaign is designed to get the facts out about their proposals and to dispel the spin and myths being perpetrated by those who want to protect the culture of entitlement in Trenton.
The move has also put legislators on opposite sides of the fence with Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, chairman of the state Democratic Party, criticizing lawmakers for going after the contracts and argued the state has a long history of defending organized labor.
It'll be interesting to see how this one shakes out. |
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