Steve Sweeney's Brain

Where is it?

TRENTON — The leader of the New Jersey Senate says pension and health care benefits for the average public safety worker cost local governments $47,000 a year. He says those costs will cause the systems to collapse unless workers start paying more.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney said today that pension and health benefits reforms he's proposed are designed to keep the systems solvent, not hurt workers.

Unions representing police, firefighters, teachers and government workers oppose the reforms. They call for public-sector workers to pay a greater share of health insurance premiums and contribute a greater percentage of their salaries toward their pensions.

Hey, I've got a nutty idea - how about we contain the runaway costs of health care?!?


But that would mean less money to the health insurers. Horizon-Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's CEO, William J. Marino, would be in jeopardy of losing his $8.7 million in salary and bonuses from last year.

Can't have that, can we? Come on, public workers - time to dig deep to keep up Marino's lifestyle! He's already paying such "high" taxes, which is keeping him from... I dunno, creating jobs or something...

Hey, look over there - a teacher getting a pension!!! Get the pitchforks!!!