Murphy calls for changes -- but no cuts -- to drive down New Jersey's soaring pension costs

[TexasTowelie]

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday began rolling out recommendations for how to drive down New Jersey’s ever-ballooning costs for government-worker pensions and health benefits — but stopped short of suggesting the cuts that some top state lawmakers are considering.

Instead, the Murphy administration says the state’s health care plans should leverage its size and shorten contract lengths to save taxpayers money, according to an interim report from a task force the rookie governor convened.

Murphy, a Democrat, called the 12-page report “an excellent starting point in our ongoing pursuit of innovative solutions to improve the way we provide health benefits to public employees.”

“This is a Goliath of a task, but the blue print laid out today provides sound, actionable items that are achievable in the immediate future while we work towards long-term solutions,” the governor added in a statement.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/12/murphy-wants-changes-but-no-cuts-to-drive-down-njs-soaring-pension-costs.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. NJ wouldn't have a "pension crisis" if former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman had not RAIDED

the pension fund to take that money to add to the General Revenue to pay for her unnecessary TAX CUTS.

That money is still owed to police, fire fighters, public school teachers, etc. They earned it. It is for their retirement. And until it is returned WITH INTEREST, these public servants will have PAID THEIR TAXES TWICE, one for the their annual obligation and one more from their pension assets.

Murphy is doing the right thing to repay the $40-plus billion dollar theft.