Unused sick pay in N.J. is near $2 billion. Here's what N.J. governor candidates would do about it.
Updated April 17, 2017
Posted April 17, 2017
By Claude Brodesser-Akner and Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
It's an issue that has been unresolved for years: New Jersey, the state with the nation's highest property taxes, still allows government workers to collect large payouts for unused sick days.
Such a system is rare in the private sector. But a report by NJ Spotlight released last last month showed public workers in school districts, towns, and counties across New Jersey are owed almost $1.9 billion for unused sick days when they retire.
The state Legislature passed a bill in 2010 to put a $15,000 cap on payouts, but Gov. Chris Christie vetoed it, saying he wanted to end the practice, not just scale it back.
At least 15 bills have been introduced in the Legislature since then to tackle the issue, but its Democratic leaders have not put them up for votes.
Here is where the 11 Democratic and Republican candidates running this year to succeed Christie as New Jersey's governor stand on how to address unused sick day payouts:
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Modernizing public transit can't wait | Opinion
New Jersey Transit has broken down. Three recent train accidents -- two derailments in the past month and last year's Hoboken train disaster that killed one person -- are results of the current administration's decision to consistently underfund the state's public transportation systems. The consequences of these short-sighted decisions have made it more important than ever for our next governor to make improving public transportation a priority. Our next governor has the responsibility to ensure the safety of NJT riders and realize the economic and environmental benefits provided by modern, reliable, affordable and safe public transit systems.
It may come as a surprise that NJT is the largest statewide public transit system in the United States, serving nearly half a million riders per day by rail, bus and light rail. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, NJT was a national example of quality, efficiency and reliable public transit.
Under the current governor, however, NJT and the infrastructure it relies on have languished. The state has dramatically and consistently cut its support of NJT over the past 13 fiscal years, with the most severe cuts inflicted by Gov. Chris Christie. The current governor also left critical infrastructure upgrades and $3 billion in federal subsidies on the table by canceling a new, critically needed commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River. To cope with ongoing budget pressures, NJT has shifted resources to its capital budget to cover operations, raised fares and cut services.
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Guadagno tries to get GOP rival in N.J. governor's race tossed off the ballot
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on April 10, 2017
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (left) and state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (right) are shown in file photos.
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TRENTON -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli on Monday survived an attempt by rival Kim Guadagno to knock him off the GOP primary ballot.
Supporters of Guadagno, New Jersey's lieutenant governor, filed a complaint that questioned the validity of more than 700 petition signatures Ciattarelli had handed in to qualify for the June 6 primary for the GOP nod to succeed Gov. Chris Christie, who is in his final year in office.
But an administrative law judge on Monday threw out only about 180 of those signatures, which wasn't enough to boot Ciattarelli, a member of the state Assembly from Somerset County.
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Christie Wants More Concessions From NJ Unions to Fix Pensions
Gov. Chris Christie
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Gov. Chris Christie’s administration is holding meetings with New Jersey public-worker unions on a plan to merge the state lottery with the ailing pension system, and legislation could be introduced early next month, Christie said Monday.
The merger would be complex, since it would involve converting the nearly $1 billion a year state lottery into an asset of the $71 billion pension system.
And the effect would be dramatic. By Christie’s estimates, in one fell swoop, the retirement system would go from a funded ratio of 49 percent to a much healthier 65 percent, providing more stability for the nearly 800,000 workers and retirees who are beneficiaries.
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After Derailment, NJ Transit Comes to the Forefront in Gubernatorial Race
The debate over N.J.’s underfunded railways intensifies after second derailment in a year.
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Gubernatorial hopefuls have been weighing in after the derailment of an NJ Transit train at New York Penn Station on Monday, with some using the beleaguered commuter rail service as a cudgel to criticize Gov. Chris Christie for his checkered record on transportation funding.
Although Christie has faulted Amtrak for the latest derailment, critics say Christie also has neglected NJ Transit at a time when ridership has been increasing and capital spending has lagged far behind. Phil Murphy, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a candidate for the Republican nod, both pledged a new course on transportation spending this week.
“For seven years, commuters have seen fares skyrocket and customer service diminish, all while Governor Christie pulled funds from NJ Transit to fill his budget holes and canceled the ARC tunnel to set up his run for president,” Murphy said in a statement. “As governor, I will see that this mismanagement ends and that commuters once again have an NJ Transit that answers to them.”
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Christie Lies Low, but Can’t Avoid Wrath of Commuters
As train delays, cancellations and gridlock set off by a small derailment at Pennsylvania Station stretched into a third day on Wednesday, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey remained largely silent while his constituents screamed. In fact, the governor was far from where the chaos was unfolding, choosing to go to Atlantic City to celebrate the opening of a casino while travelers vented their frustration on social media, on radio call-in shows and on packed platforms.
The derailment on Monday of a New Jersey Transit train did not just cripple New Jersey Transit; it also disrupted service on Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road, the two other rail systems that share Penn Station. But it has been riders of New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-busiest railroad, who have endured the worst travel experiences.
Along with anger, many riders said someone had to be responsible for the missed hours of work, the lost wages, the extra costs from extended day care, the wasted — and increasingly expensive — gas. And many of them set their sights on Mr. Christie.
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NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Murphy Files Over 40 Thousand Petition Signatures
Candidate for Governor Phil Murphy
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New Jersey Democratic candidate for governor Phil Murphy on Monday filed his petitions to run in the primary with the New Jersey Division of Elections. While a candidate only needs to file 1,000 signatures of registered voters throughout the state, Murphy’s campaign filed a whopping 43,042 petition signatures.
According to a statement released by the Murphy campaign following the petition filing, the record-breaking number of signatures demonstrates the grassroots strength Democrats are building to oppose the policies of current Republican Governor Chris Christie and President Donald Trump.
“Everywhere I go Democrats are energized, excited, and ready to take on the Trump-Christie agenda,” said Murphy in the statement. “I am grateful to every person who endorsed our campaign. We’ll harness their energy to build a better state from the middle class out and create more opportunity for all nine million who proudly call New Jersey home.”
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NJ Governor’s Race 2017 (March 27-April 2): The Republican Primary Race Narrows
Though Guadagno has the majority of support from county party organizations, Ciattarelli has been an unexpectedly strong adversary to this point.
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Brendan Byrne, the Governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982, celebrated his 93rd birthday on Saturday. Five former governors — Tom Kean, Jim Florio, Jim McGreevey and Dick Codey – were there to help him celebrate.
Ladies and Gentlemen of New Jersey, we have ourselves a real race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. For a while, it looked as though Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno would coast to victory. She’s remains the front-runner, but Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli has won enough county lines – and raised enough money — to make this a real race. Last week, Ciattarelli won the Hunterdon County line (the last of the counties to endorse). He also qualified for matching funds.
Guadagno has a significant advantage. She has the line in eleven counties, which have 50.4% of the state’s registered Republicans. Ciattarelli has the line in seven counties (43.8% of the statewide GOP registration). Three other counties – Morris, Sussex and Warren—have no line, although Guadagno has permission to use the party slogan in all three.
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