Chris Christie Was In Town Today
I was at work, but evidently other folks were able to go
MIDDLETOWN — New Jersey cannot succeed unless it follows fiscal discipline and enacts education, health-care and pension reform, said Gov. Chris Christie to over 200 people who weathered Wednesday’s snowstorm to attend a “town hall-style” meeting in the township.
Rather than nibble at smaller problems that will not solve New Jersey’s fiscal woes, Christie told the crowd at VFW Post 2179 that he believes it is important to find a solution to the high cost of benefits for public employees.
“Other politicians made you promises they couldn’t keep,” Christie said. “I’m the guy who has to be here when the party is over.”
The reality is ugly. What the politicians have saddled us with is criminally obscene.
And they get public works projects named in their honor.
Paid for by us, naturally.
Quote of the clip:
Policeman: “My salary went up 2%. And after the increase in my healthcare costs went in, do you know how much my check went up Sir? $4. How am I supposed to live on that?”
Gov. Christie: “Here’s the difference. You’re getting a paycheck. And there are 9% of the people in the state of NJ who are not.”
Nanny State, People, Politics | Mr. Bingley | 
January 26, 2011 8:26 pm
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Spot on, Governor. Every time I grouse about the office, I tell myself that I’m luckier than a lot of other folks.
He’s not, strictly speaking, very amenable to many of the issues I like, such as firearms, but he is just so AWESOME when it comes to fiscal realism, that I’d vote for this guy in a heartbeat.
NJ as a state is not firearm friendly, but at least he’s making the right moves economically.
I admire Governor Christie for consistently, respectfully and truthfully presenting facts about the difficult economic challenges we must confront together. What a contrast to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, now swanning through Davos crying “woe are we” to whomever will listen. Apparently the union has enough money to pay for it.
I agree, Skyler. This is the big battle we need to fight right now. I’ll take his squishy 2nd A views as long as he keeps focused on this like he is.
Did that cop come off as a complete moron or what?
[…] CHRISTIE EXPLAINS THINGS: “Here’s the difference. You’re getting a paycheck. And there are 9% of the people in the […]
“Did that cop come off as a complete moron or what?”
Yes. He should count himself lucky he got his union-mandated 2% raise!
The median pay for a New Jersey cop is $90,672 annually. So this cop is wondering how he can live on ONLY $90,676 in 2011? He’s got to be a Democrat.
For pay, see
Did that cop come off as a complete moron or what?
“Moron” is a bit more pejorative than I was thinking, but “spoiled,” “entitled,” and “arrogant” came to mind.
Major D,
The cop was worried about his paycheck…so he could make a decent living. I would be mono-focused too. It doesn’t make anyone a moron.
The down side of not paying something for unused sick leave is that the employees will then burn it all (meaning overtime to fill their slots). A better way would be to pay something like 25% of the unused leave at retirement and/or a cap on unused sick leave.
Yeah, sounds like a guy who is heavily involved in the union. He is flat, year over year, with a good paying job and a pension that a private sector employee would kill for. He should thank his lucky stars every morning. And then we should thank him once he hits the streets. It’s one of those quid pro quo thingies.
Of the 91% of NJ residents who still hold jobs, there are probably a significant number or even majority who saw their paychecks go DOWN this year.
And this cop is complaining that his raise wasn’t fat enough?
The fact is, NJ police officers are the highest paid in the COUNTRY with a median pay of over $90k/year plus great benefits.
He was living on $4 less the year before, so I don’t know why he can’t get by this year.
My heart bleeds. My health insurance went up $100 a month and we were told today that there will be no raises.
Take a stab at how much I’m willing to have my taxes go up to pay for some Public Employee Union member can have their raise, free health insurance and defined benefit retirement plan.
This guy needs to come to CA where it’s more like 12% of the state that isn’t working and we have a number of metros that are still leading the nation in foreclosures. Man up, dude!
Policeman: “My salary went up 2%. And after the increase in my healthcare costs went in, do you know how much my check went up Sir? $4. How am I supposed to live on that?”
And people in the private sector are supposed to support schmucks like this? Sorry, I really respect the people in uniform for the job they do, but its quotes like this that make me think maybe they are a little too insulated from the lives of the people they protect.
My sister is a policewoman and pretty much has a desk job. She is earning $110k and she has her pension and barely pays anything for healthcare. Meanwhile, my two brothers can’t get jobs after losing theirs over the last two years and all my sister can do is complain about her healthcare costs.
Public unions need to get real otherwise they will be swept awayt.
Actually, that’s 9% of the citizens of New Jersey who should be getting a paycheck that aren’t. Factor in people too young to work, or on Social (In)Security, disability, etc., and you could be talking 25% or so not “getting a paycheck.”
I wish Christie would run for POTUS.
Cristie is so frigging awesome! I know he says he won’t run in 2012, but someone just like him, that lives in the economic reality the rest of us do, needs to.
This IS the truth that people all across America want (and NEED) to hear. They want a straight shooter like Chris C. that can articulate it sooo well.
Re Roy in Nipomo’s comment: Why can’t police (and teachers, etc.) just have a certain number of sick days per year (use or lose), and if they exceed them, take vacation days, and if they exceed those, apply for short-term disability? This arrangement is standard in the private sector.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tom Foreman, Norsu, Andrew Hofer, S Huges, todd brooks and others. todd brooks said: Ex. of Fiscal Realism: Gov. Christie (NJ) "Here's the diff. You're getting a paycheck…9% of the people in NJ are not" http://bit.ly/elDt1g […]
Maybe someday, like in 2020, but he needs to prove himself by staying the course in New Jersey first.
Typical of public sector union memebers. They have received free benefits and pay increases for so long that they do not understand that they are not natural.
Christie is just laying it out for the people of NJ. The party days are over and the bills are due. It had to happen and adults man up and pay them back.
This officer lived fine on his earlier salary. I get tired of hearing people say that we all need to sacrifice but they never extend those sacrifices to public employees.
And when the officer said “I’m also a taxpayer” in a sense he’s really not, is he?
His salary is completely funded by taxes, so in a limited sense any “tax” that he pays is in fact just a reduction of government outlays of private sector taxes.
My actual take home salary has dropped 20% in the last two years after flatlining for the two years before that. These people who complain about small raises can cry me a river.
BTW, What happened in congress in 2006 that preceded this economy?
[…] videos have gone viral due to his frank speaking on the fiscal crisis that his state faces. Here’s another example of a politician determined to confront the hard choices that as a nation we must […]
Correct, Mr. Bingley. Government employees who pay taxes are simply recycling money. It’s all accounting, intended to please our betters who demand more taxes.
Think about it: if, say, Federal government salaries were reduced by the amount of Federal taxes they pay, AND Federal taxes weren’t collected from those salaries, what is the difference?
Answer: To the Federal employee, none. Their net pay would remain the same. Uncle Sugar would have more book keeping to do, but, hey, why else hire all those accountants and lawyers?
Is this practical? Probably not. I offer it as a thought experiment, to both support your though, and emphasize the fact that virtually all government “services” (including law enforcement) are really overhead costs. Government produces nothing (with a few –and rare! — exceptions), and consumes much; it is supported by producers, through taxes.
Lefties will argue this point into the ground, saying that “providing services” is a “product”. That’s a matter of redefining the term “producing”, and incorrectly so.
PS: To those what disagree with me…..I’m a government employee.
I appreciate an honest politician, one that is articulate, can think on his feet and tell the TRUTH as unpleasant as it may be. He needs to seriously help us address our Presidential problem.
I wish Christie had asked that cop what his salary was, and what his pension-for-life-padded-by-overtime-pay was expected to be.
I still say the cop was a moron. I do appreciate the job they do too but to complain that your raise is too small in this economy, please.
It is really sad to see a police officer who has been turned into a moocher.
While I agree the cop’s statements were emblematic of the attitude of many “public servants”, its also just human nature. I know several people in the private sector who can’t understand why macro-economic realities affect their individual circumstance. People who can’t understand why their not getting a COLA when the company has cut spending to the bone to avoid layoffs. Again, seems more pervassive in the public sector (especially postal service) but I’ve seen it elsewhere.
Not only actual snow avalanches, but now an Instalanche! There’s nothing global warmening can’t do!
I think at this point I would rather have the public unions push it to the brink, there will then be backlash which will result in either mass firing and rehiring without union representation or their benefits will be shoved down to a bearable level. mpw
[…] Christie's blunt exchanges with his constituents at town hall meetings would grow tiresome. But this one (via Instapundit) just might be his best yet: Video: Christie Explains to Police Officer Why He'll […]
I wish some brave politician would decertify the public sector unions in his state. Just throw the bums out.
This idiot policeman can’t seem to understand why no one would cry for him and his $4 salary increase. It’s because they’re unemployed, you jackass!
Aaaaannnnnndddddd…..linked by Ace of Spades!
I do think it’s possible this police officer was a union plant. It’s absurd to think he can’t get by without a raise. The only way this would be an issue is if his costs went way up or he was already living beyond his means.
Been with my current private-sectory co. 13+ years. Four of those years consecutively no focal increases, and since 2000 including our recent acquistion by another co. seven RIFs. Never made it past two RIF cycles in earlier jobs.
Unlike the NJ policeman, I understand “there but for the grace of God…”. I don’t take for granted my family being able to live in a decent neighborhood and see a doctor at their office vs. in the Emergency Room.
Color me un-touched by the NJ policeman’s concerns. I’ve helped too many close friends carry out their belongings on that long Last Walk to their cars…furious
One quibble with Christie here:
Christie: “..inflation hasn’t gone up…”
Uh, well, the price of gas has gone up, the price of food has gone up. Most communities I know are trying to INCREASE taxes and levies. Illinois has INCREASED the state tax.
I guess if you are looking to buy a house then inflation is down, but other than that, we’re paying more for the basics of life; a.k.a. inflation.
[…] “Here’s the difference. You’re getting a paycheck. And there are 9% of the people … […]
*sniff*
This guy makes me cry in a good way. Can he be my president someday?
A couple questions: Does the policeman believe he is entitled to an automatic pay raise? Is he more productive? Or is he getting paid more for doing the same job?Perhaps he needs to learn to economize like the rest of us that don’t receive automatic pay raises?
Has Christie tried buying a bag of Eight O’Clock coffee lately? It used to be 12 ounces. Now it’s 11.
Ice cream. Used to be you could buy a true quart. Not any more.
Same thing with a number of other products. Rather than raise prices, they sell you less of it.
Don’t be fooled. Inflation is out there. The companies make sure you can’t see it, unless you pay attention, like Christie.
Les has hit the dirty little secret in the inflation stats that giv’t @ all levels is pushing at us. It’s a low # because the crashing housing market is included. Essentials are all rising (gas, food) but the overall number stays low due to housing.
And the idiot that said we should burn food (ethanol) in our cars should be drawn and quartered.
Big love here for Christie. Hope he goes far.
“The reality is ugly. What the politicians have saddled us with is criminally obscene.
And they get public works projects named in their honor.”
You said it. (I said it foist, though.)
Gov. Christie is a fine man and leader. NJ is very luck to have him.
My heart breaks for those who have lost their jobs. It’s high time that unions start to realize that the party truly is over.
What I would have said to that cop:
“If you are so dissatified with your situation, why don’t you quit, jackass?”
Sure, there’s inflation. That was clearly a slip by Christie, speaking off the cuff.
But in another way it’s also actually a smart thing for him to say, for if the Government “official” statistics say there is no inflation, well, then there’s no justification for any public employee to get a “cost of living” increase.
Christie said there’s no inflation because the geniuses in Washington say there’s no inflation. If anyone thinks that’s wrong (I do), don’t blame Christie, talk to Helicopter Ben Bernanke and Turbo-Tax Tim Geithner.
quote:”The fact is, NJ police officers are the highest paid in the COUNTRY with a median pay of over $90k/year plus great benefits.”
Not true at all. Both the Nassau County and Suffolk County police departments on Long Island (New York) make in excess of $120,000.00 per year not counting benefits. That is with only 7 years of service.When I retired from the NYPD in 1994 after 25 years of service, my top salary was Just under $48,000.00 for a job with 20x the danger and 10x as much work. We were not allowed to cash out sick time, did not get our birthdays as a “paid holiday” (what nonsense is that?) got fewer paid national holidays, did not get uniforms for free (including replacements) and worked an average of 25 days more. There are a few departments who do even better – including smaller municipalities on Long Island who are guaranteed 5% MORE than Nassau County makes in order to draw “better” cops, and do even LESS work in the bargain than Nassau does.
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So this cop grouses that his pay went up only $4….So he should be happy it didn’t get cut…This cop is living in a world of unreality…Live on the same standard you did in previous months idiot…fagetboutit you bozo!!
I must say: I have made a mess….
More Christie porno please
[…] a New Jersey property tax-payer, I say ‘Amen.’ Mesmerizing stuff. This was written by markadams99. Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2011, at 23:42. Filed under […]
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by TorahMike and Tom, Todd Cooperider. Todd Cooperider said: Check out http://coalitionoftheswilling.net/?p=11921?bctid=763052194001 […]
At least his paycheck WENT up after factoring in his health care costs. I haven’t gotten a raise in 4 years AND my costs have increased.
I may be alone here, but I really hope Gov. Awesome does NOT run for POTUS in 2012.
Remember that he won only because Corzine was insanely corrupt. If he leaves prematurely, NJ almost certainly flips back to D.
Instead, we need him to succeed wildly from concept through execution. Then other states will fix their problems, and then we’ll be better off AND develop a deep candidate pool.
Sigh, and we’re stuck with Quinn here in Obamnois……..
THANK YOU for posting this! Your site rocks!!!
Steve
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
Thanks, Steve!
I love this guy. We sorely need someone like Christie in the White House.
Jeff, I agree with you. I don’t want him running for POTUS. I want him to stay here in NJ and keep doing these townhall meetings so that we can get our State Legislature to have a fiscally conservative majority. We desperately need that to tackle the budget disaster.
[…] a job, sorry you have to hear this reality from me, the first guy to tell you the truth. Christie informed the guy that the fact is politicians who had come before him made promises that they couldn’t […]
Here in Arizona, I recently got my first (private sector job) raise in 4 years of excellent work. Ask me how I feel about this policeman and his attitude. He is blessed.
I like it!
You’re getting a paycheck, so quite farking whining, ya union commie jack wagon!
HEH! 😀
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Joe Gelman, elessard10. elessard10 said: Chris Christie talking real. Never heard him talk b4: http://coalitionoftheswilling.net/?p=11921%3Fbctid%3D763052194001?bctid=763052194001 […]
Ask me how I feel about this policeman and his attitude. He is blessed. Nope, he is just used to feeding at the government teat and is ignorant of what the ones who pay for his feed are going through. mpw
I love the reality of Governor Christie. Here in NJ, we have the wherewithal to say what needs to be said. Let’s get past the fear of this reality and help great leaders turn the bus around. All of us are broke and it surely isn’t the governor’s fault, eh?
I make less money today than I did when I was 23 years old in 1987. I have never received any sort of retirement benefit except what I could save and put away for myself. For the last ten years, 100% of my health insurance has been paid out of my pocket by me.
I don’t want to hear any whining from an over-compensated civil “servant” about how I’m not raising his salary fast enough for his comfort.
We need to lay off all the government employees, eliminate their bloated pensions and give them a taste of the real world.
I hope someone is able to identify the whining cop and publish what his real salary is per year. You know, like what happened to the whining teacher who tried lecturing the Gov.
Even just seeing the cop from the back I can tell he is not suffering from being too poor to keep up his donut supply
About time someone told government union employees that the toughest day at work is better than the best day job-hunting.
It’s about twenty years past time for the people of every state, city, and county to give their employees the PATCO treatment. Ronald Reagan showed us how to handle public sector unions. If they don’t like it, they can take their skills elsewhere and try to make a living by providing services that their customers are willing to pay for.
[…] U.A.W., Unions, Video, Washington DC, White House, Whites, Youtube Our first flick comes from The coalition of the swilling: (H/T to HotAir.com’s resident Beta […]
Whaaam whaaaa.
Physicains have seen medicare cuts which have cut their income in half. How are we suppose to live? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
You make adjustments, you idiot.
I am in the private sector and I have not received a pay raise in 4 years. This year I had to take a pay cut but am still garateful I have employment. This union mentality of entitlement is typical. I used to be part of the steelworkers union and all the union reps were low life lazy shit disturbers.
Whining cops drive me nuts. When our brave soldiers and sailors are killed in battle, do all the others take a day or two off to attend their funerals? That’s what happens here in New England when a cop dies. Do the Taliban take the day off when they kill a soldier? Do the criminals take the day off when the cops do? Do soldiers get gold-plated pensions and survivor benefits?
Get back ta work, ya mugs!!
Christie is the only politician I know that isn’t afraid to speak the truth instead of blowing fairy dust up your butt.
PLEASE run for President!!
[…] Chris Christie explains reality to a government employee. He points out that earlier politicians made promises they new they could not keep. […]
I’m not sure if anyone else did the math, but if a 2% raise just barely covered an $8K increase in his medical plan contribution, he makes about $400K/yr. Not exactly on the edge of poverty!
The fact is that Christie lays it out so a third grader could understand it. As more and more people hear babies like this guy whining to Christie, the more they will realize that the situation is very dire and some will get downright pissed about it. I would tell this guy welcome to reality, but he is only tasting the first bit of it. now he needs to swallow a chunk and find out what it feels like to be behind in bills on a fixed income with a home that he is underwater on.
I almost feel bad for this guy. Even after Christie straight talk, he still doesn’t get it. When times were tough for our family, we cut cable, no cell phones, no vacations, no eating out… These are luxury items and not necessities. When he wonders how he is going to do it, Christie said it best “Make Choices!!” like all of us private sector workers have been doing for years. He needs to broaden his circle of friends and stop feeling sorry for himself.
[…] […]
Let’s not talk about your raise. Let’s talk about how much you make, your benefits and pension.. all of which is probably better than 90% of those taxpayers that pay for this.. The bottom line which Christie didn’t say is you are over paid and the party is over. If you don’t like it.. this is America. … you have choices. Go leave and get another job… I am sure the 10% unemployed would like to take this job you complain about. Christie is Great .
[…] coalitionoftheswilling.net/?p=11921 Posted by Scruffy @ 10:28 am :: Uncategorized Comment RSS […]
[…] http://coalitionoftheswilling.net/?p=11921 […]
[…] Chris Christie lays it out plainly again. This time to cops. This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← Um, hello? LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
[…] video comes from New Jersey blogger, Coalition of the Swilling (via Glenn Reynolds) who has a lot more on Christie’s appearance. LikeBe the […]
Find job communicating the truth Gov. Christie. It is about time that we have someone who is honest and looking to solve the financial quagmire most states and federal gov’t are facing. Eliminate the entitlement mentality across our society and rebuild from a new beginning.
i would love to hear back from that self-centered cop when he gets laid off. I’d be very curious to see how flexible he would be when he is finally in the same boat as so many of the rest of us.
Find job must have been a Freudian slip. Meant to say Fine.
[…] Go to video here. […]
Thank you Chris Christie for doing your job lets hope everyone else gets with the program, country club time is over! Sacrifices have to be made so union officials get on board! God Bless our country!
Oh, his paycheck only went up a few bucks? Boo hoo.
In 2010 I made 4,000 under my base salary thanks to mandatory time off.
..but I’m happy and thankful that I still have a job
Wow! Can you believe after Christie gave that long explanation that the cop came back with essentially the same question? What a complete drone, completely set in his entitlement mindset. The governor is trying to tell everyone they need to open their eyes and objectively look at the financial problems they are facing and all the guy can think about is gimmee, gimmee, gimmee. I don’t know if there’s any getting through to someone like that.
Chris is only saying what others are afraid to say. I deeply respect this very honest politician…and I despise politicians normally. Chris…KEEP IT UP. You are trying to undo what others have screwed-up.