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Friday, May 14, 2010

Local support for monster rally against Christie budget cuts




George Rivera, education chairperson of the Plainfield NAACP has forwarded information on the monster rally being planned for Saturday, May 22 to protest Gov. Christie's proposed cuts to schools, health care, transit and libraries in his upcoming budget; and to demand passage of the 'millionaire's tax'.

More than 60 groups have signed on as sponsors of the event, planned to kick off at noon in front of the Statehouse.

Fliers and sign-up forms in both English and Spanish are available on the Better Choices for NJ website (see here).

Bus pickup locations have been scheduled throughout the state. For more information and/or a list of the pickup locations, contact campaign@betterchoicesfornj.org.

You can also sign up online at the Eventbrite invitation (see here).




-- Dan Damon [follow]

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Populist nonsense. The cuts that this group wanted removed are equal to 4 or 5 times the best estimate for the tax he wants restored. If a city like Plainfield can not educate the children on its current budget, which includes approx. 99 million from the state then maybe these unfortunates should move to a better state ot perhaps a better country. When they find one make sure to publish it so everyone can go over the rainbow to live there.

Anonymous said...

I'm coordinating buses with my union from New Brunswick. If anyone needs a ride from Plainfield to New Brunswick (leaving Plainfield at 9:00 am), call me 908-377-0393 Nat Bender

Rob said...

Dan, on one of the few subjects you and I might disagree on. Say, they pass their tax, and get the $200M-$400M depending on who you ask. He cut billions from a bloated fat laden budget.....how do we distribute it? Wouldn't it be easier to say, end the addiction to free flowing cash? That's what got us here in the first place. I truly do cringe when I hear 10,000 teachers might be cut...isn't it funny though, that the Boards of Ed haven't talked about thousands of administrators being cut? Thousands of assistants to the assistants of administrators being cut ??? I believe all GOOD teachers should easily make 100k a year. But, that means the bad ones should be able to be fired without it costing 250k and they SHOULD pay MUCH more of their benefits like those of us in the real world. NJ Government is a classic example of everyone ignoring the pink elephant in the room. Do you really think Plainfield's troubles would go away if the Mayor had an extra $20Million to spend ? No..we know they wouldn't. She is a weak willed, classic example of indecisive middle management hold out unable to lead or guide people to better performance. Mayor Briggs is NJ Government on a small, local and personal scale. Money is not the cure..discipline is.
I can easily slip into class envy at times but the fact is, millionaires pay their fare share ( though I do believe tax loop holes like "farms" should be closed so millionaires and millionaire politicians alike don't use the sale of $500 in hay as a reason to reclassify their property ) and businesses also pay their fair share. In these tough economic times, how many PART-TIME POLITICIANS( read all of the legislature and most city governments ) have opted to drop, pay part or all of their benefits??? Yes, I too am waiting to hear that story. The fact is this. No state workers can be send packing en masse until January 1st due to Corzine's self promotion move to get Biden to speak for him and he didn't want the picket line to humiliate him on a national level. There are changes coming -- good and bad I am sure...but changes none the less. I voted for Jon Corzine because he was going to change the way NJ Government operated, and he failed miserably. Were Jon Corzine in office right now, taxes on everything and everyone would be going up and up and up to keep supporting a dying form of goverment -- endlessly tax and spend. For some reason people in this state have this misconception that things like "state aid" is free money. It's money that has been taken from you and the government is handing over the education industry, local party bosses, local governments and pure pork. None of it was free..it already came out of our pockets. Once it stops leaving our pockets and they, Christie, can start fixing the holes on this leaking ship it won't be needed.
- Times have been tough. My company lost 25% of it's employees over the last 2years. But the difference is my company is operating even more efficiently than before and we are still here. This is what must happen to state government on all levels. And remember, Christie didn't fire one teacher. The school boards are the ones that decided that. They and the NJEA who refuse to cut the fat from administration and waste first are responsible.
If you have $100 less a month in your pocket( because of a pay cut ) and you decide not to pay your cable bill but continue to eat out 2x a week and can't pay your cable bill. When the cable gets shut off, is it your employer's fault or yours that you have no cable?
The state is broke and broken. All levels of government need to be torn apart to find solutions because the problems are staring all of us in the face. Just look at our city council. We have some intelligent well read successful business people who KNOW the Mayor is a walking hot mess, but won't say a word against her. This IS NJ GOVERNMENT on a local level. Every time someone thinks these cuts are the problem, look at Mayor Briggs...money is truly not the answer.

Rob said...

and let's not forget...the $60,000 which is the cause of the pathetically annoying controversy going on right now in Plainfield over the baseball fields COULD have gone to the library. The MAYOR chose not to. Again...a perfect example of someone NOT knowing how to manage money. I'll lay the blame at local and county government first for the fiscal issues before the state government...they are merely handing money back that they have already taken. The local governments are the ones who waste is far more efficiently than the state..and no Jerry, that's not excusing you.

John O'Malley said...

ONE TERM CHRISTIE ! The disaster we don't want or deserve!

Anonymous said...

So how much of a cut is the president of the NJEA going to take - he makes $500,000. Yes, the comma is in the right place - half a million. And, his assistant make $225,000 (the comma here is also in the right place). Anyone care to comment about why they are not inclined to cut their salary or benefits.

Lemmings!!!!!