Illinois vs New Jersey

Raise my taxes raise my taxes.

These people get more ridiculous every day.

Anyone who doesnt see through this nonsense is a fool

Quote Originally Posted by KOAJ:

johnny - you should come to NJ...

"it's for the kids...you're voting against the kids"

very proud of my state leading the way out of this mess through referendum. Ill and Cali will be bailed out at some point probably

The kids, yeah right.  east coast teachers have had it good for a LONG LONG time. Everyone is tightening up lets face reality. My good friend was a teacher in NYC public schools. He took a year sabbatical PAID. All he had to do was take a couple college courses that in theory would benefit his classroom work.  He taught 8th grade health for goodness sake.

Would you like a year off with full pay?

the teachers union in my town refused to sit down with the town council/board of ed to discuss pay cuts or any form of give back by the unions....only town employees that refused to do so

Guess what, they axed teachers jobs to make the budget work

Get rid of tenure and that would be a good start

follow it up with getting rid of pensions for new hires and renegotiating pensions that are in place

And what did you give up?

Any of you, what have you given up to help your community,county or state? Have you offered to pay more taxes to help out? Afterall you want others to give wages , pensions or benefits to help you, your community, counties and states by lessening your tax burden. How about these people who have negotiated their wages , benefits and pensions in good faith? Is it fair that they give up things so you can benefit? Isn't that "redistribution of wealth" ,the same thing you righties bawl about on here everyday? Sounds a little socialistic to me.

I agree that things need to be done but you don't take from those that have already earned their benefits and pensions no matter how absurd they are.

Are you serious?  Lessening the tax burden?  There is no lessening involved here, we are asking our govt(s) to live within its means.  You are expecting tax payers to pay more and receive less to pay for these inflated wages and ridiculous pensions that were negotiated not in good faith but as a buy off for political support.  We shouldn't have to pay more for less because of crooked politicians and Union leaders.

Instead you are asking us taxpayers to pay more in taxes and fees to receive less in servies and benefits, or worse borrow the money and then pay for interest ontop of these outrageous abuses of the pension system.

If you don't wanna cut their pension, then have the other participants pony up more of their paychecks to help fund the pension and then modify the pension they can receive to 60% of their final years salary not including OT.  Public servants should NOT be getting rich off of tax payers.