Sweeney plan to bypass Christie on N.J. public worker pensions clears first hurdle

TRENTON — A key state Senate committee on Thursday approved legislation to ask voters to revise the New Jersey constitution to require the state ratchet up contributions to the public pension system. The constitutional amendment relies on a big economic unknown: That the state’s natural growth will drum up at least $600 million a year in… Read the rest of this entry »

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Sweeney pushes forcing bigger N.J. pension payments by changing constitution

Senate President Steve Sweeney. file photo by Art Gallagher

TRENTON — State Sen. President Stephen Sweeney introduced legislation Monday that would cement state officials’ promises to fund government workers’ pensions in the New Jersey constitution. Such a constitutional amendment requiring the state to make payments into the public retirement fund was the expected to be the next step after the state Supreme Court this summer… Read the rest of this entry »

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Four months on Hudson County payroll gets Jim McGreevey lifetime benefits

Former Gov. Jim McGreevey has begun taking his state pension with a little help from Hudson County taxpayers, who will pay for his lifetime health benefits thanks to his recent four-month stint as a county attorney. The decision to allow McGreevey to work for the county for four months and then retire with lifetime benefits has… Read the rest of this entry »

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Sweeney wants federal loan program to rescue public worker pensions

Senate President Steve Sweeney. file photo by Art Gallagher

TRENTON — State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Wednesday the answer to New Jersey’s rising public employee pension debt lies in creating a trillion dollar federal loan program that will help states avoid insolvency, spare millions of government workers from economic devastation and take the pressure off state budgets. The government aid program — which Sweeney… Read the rest of this entry »

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Former Gov. Tom Kean: Christie must confront N.J. pension crisis, report says

Governor Chris Christie and former Governor Tom Kean Sr celebrate the first annual Livingston Day, April 11, 2013. Photo by Tim Larsen/Governor’s Office

TRENTON — Former Jersey Gov. Tom Kean had strong words of warning about Gov. Chris Christie’s recent lack of progress in solving the state’s pension crisis, but said the Republican governor shouldn’t be counted out of the 2016 race for the White House. Visiting St. Petersburg, Fla., to give the commencement address at Eckerd College on… Read the rest of this entry »

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