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United States News Title: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie defends cuts, promotes property tax cap in Rutherford N.J. Gov. Chris Christie defends cuts, promotes property tax cap in Rutherford Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Last updated: Tuesday May 25, 2010, 10:21 PM BY HERB JACKSON The Record Washington Correspondent RUTHERFORD — Governor Christie on Tuesday told a borough teacher to find another job if she did not feel she was compensated enough as he defended his state budget cuts and promoted a plan to cap annual growth in property tax collections. He also told an 89-year-old former mayor she'd have to wait until next spring for a rebate she'd been getting for more than a decade in the late summer. And he told a parent that cuts to services, including the local library, are needed because "we are out of money." A largely friendly crowd of about 150 people turned out in a church gymnasium to hear Christie deliver a half-hour talk that trashed greedy public employee unions and state laws that handcuff local officials trying to control spending. He then opened the floor to questions. A few were softballs, including the declaration by Clara Nebot of Bergenfield that Christie is "a god" to her relatives in Florida. But borough teacher Rita Wilson, a Kearny resident, argued that if she were paid $3 an hour for the 30 children in her class, she’d be earning $83,000, and she makes nothing near that. "You’re getting more than that if you include the cost of your benefits," Christie interrupted. When Wilson, who has a master’s degree, said she was not being compensated for her education and experience, Christie said: "Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it." Some in the audience applauded. Christie said he would not have had to impose cuts to education if the teachers union had agreed to his call for a one-year salary freeze and a 1.5 percent increase in employee benefit contributions. "Your union said that is the greatest assault on public education in the history of the state," Christie said. "That’s why the union has no credibility, stupid statements like that." Surrounded by reporters after she spoke, Wilson said she was shaking from the encounter, and worried she might get in trouble for speaking out. Christie has outlined a "toolkit" to address New Jersey’s property taxes, which on average are among the highest in the country. The centerpiece is a proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a 2.5 percent cap on the annual increase in the local property tax levy, which is the total amount of taxes collected each year from towns, school boards and county government. "What it’s going to do is impose discipline on every level of government," Christie said, adding that 30 years of previous efforts by Trenton to control property taxes failed. Christine Beidel said she was worried that Christie was trying to control local communities' ability to raise money at the same time cuts in state aid to the borough could force the local library to close. "You’re cutting and cutting and cutting and there's no way to make up the difference," she said. Christie told her that unlike the federal government, the state cannot print money. He said that under his proposal, a community could exceed the 2.5 percent cap if the increase is approved in a local referendum. Margaret Schak, who was mayor of Rutherford in 1976, asked about the state program that "freezes" the amount that senior citizens who meet income requirements have to pay in property taxes. The program, created in 1997, provides a rebate to offset any increase a homeowner pays. Christie said he wasn't cutting the program, but he was temporarily preventing newly eligible seniors from enrolling. He also said he was going to change the program from a rebate paid in the late summer or fall to a tax credit put on the tax bill the following spring. That means Schak, who said her rebate was about $2,400 last year, will not get a check this year and instead will have to wait until 2011 for the credit to lower her tax bill. The meeting at the parish gymnasium of First Presbyterian Church on Ridge Road is the third Christie has held to tout his property tax plan. He urged the audience to contact their state legislators to support the package. "It is time. It is time for us to take the next march in the battle of change," Christie said. "It’s not about Republicans and not about Democrats, it's about New Jerseyans and who's going to be left in the state if we don't do this." E-mail: jackson@northjersey.com display story on 1 page Page 1 2 >> RUTHERFORD — Governor Christie on Tuesday told a borough teacher to find another job if she did not feel she was compensated enough as he defended his state budget cuts and promoted a plan to cap annual growth in property tax collections. He also told an 89-year-old former mayor she'd have to wait until next spring for a rebate she'd been getting for more than a decade in the late summer. And he told a parent that cuts to services, including the local library, are needed because "we are out of money." A largely friendly crowd of about 150 people turned out in a church gymnasium to hear Christie deliver a half-hour talk that trashed greedy public employee unions and state laws that handcuff local officials trying to control spending. He then opened the floor to questions. A few were softballs, including the declaration by Clara Nebot of Bergenfield that Christie is "a god" to her relatives in Florida. But borough teacher Rita Wilson, a Kearny resident, argued that if she were paid $3 an hour for the 30 children in her class, she’d be earning $83,000, and she makes nothing near that. "You’re getting more than that if you include the cost of your benefits," Christie interrupted. When Wilson, who has a master’s degree, said she was not being compensated for her education and experience, Christie said: "Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it." Some in the audience applauded. Christie said he would not have had to impose cuts to education if the teachers union had agreed to his call for a one-year salary freeze and a 1.5 percent increase in employee benefit contributions. "Your union said that is the greatest assault on public education in the history of the state," Christie said. "That’s why the union has no credibility, stupid statements like that." Surrounded by reporters after she spoke, Wilson said she was shaking from the encounter, and worried she might get in trouble for speaking out. Christie has outlined a "toolkit" to address New Jersey’s property taxes, which on average are among the highest in the country. The centerpiece is a proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a 2.5 percent cap on the annual increase in the local property tax levy, which is the total amount of taxes collected each year from towns, school boards and county government. "What it’s going to do is impose discipline on every level of government," Christie said, adding that 30 years of previous efforts by Trenton to control property taxes failed. Christine Beidel said she was worried that Christie was trying to control local communities' ability to raise money at the same time cuts in state aid to the borough could force the local library to close. "You’re cutting and cutting and cutting and there's no way to make up the difference," she said. Christie told her that unlike the federal government, the state cannot print money. He said that under his proposal, a community could exceed the 2.5 percent cap if the increase is approved in a local referendum. Margaret Schak, who was mayor of Rutherford in 1976, asked about the state program that "freezes" the amount that senior citizens who meet income requirements have to pay in property taxes. The program, created in 1997, provides a rebate to offset any increase a homeowner pays. Christie said he wasn't cutting the program, but he was temporarily preventing newly eligible seniors from enrolling. He also said he was going to change the program from a rebate paid in the late summer or fall to a tax credit put on the tax bill the following spring. That means Schak, who said her rebate was about $2,400 last year, will not get a check this year and instead will have to wait until 2011 for the credit to lower her tax bill. The meeting at the parish gymnasium of First Presbyterian Church on Ridge Road is the third Christie has held to tout his property tax plan. He urged the audience to contact their state legislators to support the package. "It is time. It is time for us to take the next march in the battle of change," Christie said. "It’s not about Republicans and not about Democrats, it's about New Jerseyans and who's going to be left in the state if we don't do this." E-mail: jackson@northjersey.com
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This guy is kicking ass and taking names. I love it.
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