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‘Stand Up for Safety’ rally draws 15,000 police, firefighters to Trenton

Nearly 15,000 police and firefighters turned out for the “Stand Up for Safety” rally in Trenton today to let citizens and and politicians know that deep cuts in public service proposed by Gov. Chris Christie threaten safety in New Jersey.

Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot
Photo Credit: Cliffview Pilot

CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM photo (No use without hyperlink)

UPDATE: Click here for:

‘Me first’ say 15,000 at police, firefighters rally — ‘to the rescue’


Organizers were expecting at least 8,000 demonstrators, and as many as 10,000. The turnout was a pleasant surprise.

“Our health benefits are sacred to us,” one police officer said. “We have made concessions at the bargaining table.”

And that’s where the battle should continue to be fought, he said — not through pressure from Christie, who he said has forced the hands of local officials through drastic reductions in aid that, in turn, have already led to layoffs of nearly 4,000 publis servants statewide.


Several of those attending say they don’t consider State Sen. Stephen Sweeney’s plan for pension and health benefits reform a reasonable alternative.

“The pension cost this year is 29%,” one officer said. “[Our] has to pay 29% of [our] salary to match [our] 8.5%. This is because of the five years of accrued liability due to deferred payments. The accrued liability is accessed three years after the deferment. The last deferment was 2008, so all accrued liability is added in this year to come up to 29%.

“This is the reason they pushed pension reform to 2011. In 2012, the pension cost to towns will go down sharply because there was no deferment in 2009. If they pass any reform, they will pat themselves on the back saying they controlled pension costs. They created the monster and they will take credit when we are forced to pay for the mess.”


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New Jersey public servants may have law on their side in pension battle


YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: The latest bombshells in the battle between Gov. Christie and New Jersey public servants — just days from a huge rally in Trenton — come in the form of advisory letters that say state lawmakers can’t change a public employee’s pension once he or she has put in five years on the job. READ MORE….


New Jersey police, firefighters to rally in Trenton March 3

(SEE FLYER, BELOW)

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Police and firefighters from throughout New Jersey plan to descend on Trenton on March 3 in a “Stand Up for Safety” rally aimed at countering Gov. Christie’s plan to roll back public employee benefits. “We have had enough and want to send a message,” State PBA member Jim Ryan told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY….


Christie campaign letter promised ‘no harm’ to police, firefighter pensions

“The claim that any harm would come to your pension when I’m elected Governor is absolutely untrue. It is a 100% lie,” Chris Christie wrote to New Jersey law enforcement officers during his campaign against Jon Corzine. The 2009 letter, and a near-carbon copy sent to firefighters, has resurfaced amid Christie’s bid to overhaul public servants’ pension system
. READ MORE

Gov. Christie

Christie a wanna-be union buster among many in U.S.

EDITORIAL: “First they got rid of unionists. I said nothing, because I was not a unionist. When they came for me, there was no one to protest.” Every one of us who has focused on Gov. Christie’s attempts to demonize public servants has missed a much bigger picture: This isn’t unique to New Jersey, as the Woodstock in Wisconsin has shown. A carefully constructed strategy to split the middle and working classes is going on throughout the entire country right now. And many of us are the pawns. CLICK HERE….


Christie doesn’t own the debate on public servants’ perks and salaries

Tuesday, 08 February 2011 Jerry DeMarco

EDITORIAL: I’ve tried not to connect the horrors visited on sworn law enforcement officers and their loved ones nationwide this year with Gov. Chris Christie’s assault on New Jersey’s public servants, out of respect for those injured and killed, but his calling on police unions Monday — of ALL days — to make concessions for the sake of public safety is plain insensitive. CLICK HERE….



Think New Jersey police are overpaid? Try doing the job

Monday, 31 January 2011 Andover P.O. Joseph Indano

AN OFFICER’S VIEW: In light of a recent newspaper article about police salaries in New Jersey being among the highest in the nation: First off, let’s remind ourselves tha t Ne w Jersey’s cost of living is one of, if not the highest, in the country, and that most jobs in New Jer sey, including private sector jobs, pay more than other states. CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICER’S FULL STORY



Veteran cop takes on Christie, draws raves Wednesday, 17 November 2010 Jerry DeMarco

Police statewide are haili

ng a veteran cop in a North Jersey town who is fed up with “the current climate of public employee bashing” and challenges Gov. Christie to “do the right thing” with taxpayer-funded pensions.

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICER’S FULL STORY


NJ police salaries aren’t the problem

Tuesday, 21 September 2010 Jerry DeMarco

EDITORIAL: Many are making much of a newspaper report that New Jersey police salaries are the highest in the land. To paraphrase a man who puts his life on the line every day to protect his community: Does a bullet feel any different if it’s fired in, say, Lyndhurst, than it does in Paterson? Know how many cops have been killed in the line of duty in Lyndhurst? Four. In Paterson? The same. READ MORE….



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