Chris Christie: Lying Liar

Oh, Star-Ledger: you make me so mad at times, but then you go and do some real solid work like this:

Thursday morning in a radio appearance on WOR 710 AM, Christie disputed the union’s claim, saying they have turned to the Legislature for health and pension increases.

"There are at least eight different instances in the health benefit plan where the levels of benefits in those plans are statutorily required, that means they went to the Legislature and got that statutorily required so it can no longer be bargained," Christie said.

When asked for documentation of those eight instances, 12 hours later Christie’s office provided a list of five that include a change in pension benefits, the implementation of a 2007 health care study, and a 2007 laws that included several insurance changes, such as requiring insurance companies to cover hearing aids for children younger than 15. The law, which spokesman Kevin Roberts said included "dozens" of mandates, was not exclusive to public-sector employees.

The implementation of the study was opposed by unions at the time because it limited the amount of sick pay that state employees could receive when they retire, prevented some elected and appointed officials from collecting pensions, and required local governments and employees to contribute to the pension.

According to a statement by the Communications Workers of America, which represents most of the state workers, all increases that applied to just state workers and approved by the Legislature were first hammered out at the bargaining table.

"Governor Christie is entitled to his opinions but not his own facts," said Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the CWA. "The truth is he is consistently misrepresenting and distorting the facts in order to further his assault on unions and divide middle-class families." [emphasis mine]

This is EXACTLY what newspapers should be doing. Mad props to Ginger Gibson and her editors; if only Joe Scarborough had your work ethic.