New Jersey Supreme Court sides with Christie on pensions

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Faux News

New Jersey's top court sided Tuesday with Gov. Chris Christie in his fight against public-worker unions over pensions, preserving major cuts meant to stave off a budget crisis -- and giving the governor a win as he weighs a Republican presidential bid.

In a 5-2 ruling, the state Supreme Court said there wasn't an enforceable contract to ensure full payments to workers, as unions had argued there was. The court overturned a lower-court judge's order that told the Republican governor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature to work out a way to increase pension contributions for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

"That the State must get its financial house in order is plain," Justice Jaynee LaVecchia wrote in the majority opinion. "The need is compelling in respect of the State's ability to honor its compensation commitment to retired employees. But this Court cannot resolve that need in place of the political branches. They will have to deal with one another to forge a solution to the tenuous financial status of New Jersey's pension funding in a way that comports with the strictures of our Constitution."

She noted that the state is obligated to pay individual retirees their pensions. That's not in danger this year, but unions say the funds could start going insolvent within the next decade.

FULL story at link.



June 2, 2015: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie answers a question during a summit in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP)

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/09/new-jersey-top-court-sides-with-christie-on-pensions/

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Broken promises to the workers. Happens all the time.

[gopiscrap]

1. Of course they did

he rigged the court. Christie and his cronies are as crooked as they come.

[rocktivity]

5. Christie's Supreme Court isn't any more independent

than his ethics commission is:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6802492


rocktivity

[sweetapogee]

6. there are

3 republicans, 2 Independents and 3 Democratic Judges on the NJ Supreme court, 7 total.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_New_Jersey

[Wilms]

8. The Dems are down one judge right now.

The temp is a repub-appointee. That explains the 5-2 split.

[sweetapogee]

10. sorry

My statement is in error but my conclusion is not.

There are 3 Ds, 3Rs and 1 Ind.

At least one of the Ds must have voted with the Rs.

[Wilms]

11. You may want to double check that.

You can look up the decision, note the judges that voted in the majority, look up their affiliation, and come up with the correct everything.

[marym625]

2. Christ!

We're just becoming a horrible nation

[valerief]

3. Hey, at least they didn't tax the wealthy more! That's the most important takeaway. nt

[Historic NY]

4. NJ would vote him in again because they're morons....

[happyslug]

7. Here is the actual opinion

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/supreme/A-55-14BurgosvState).pdf

[colsohlibgal]

9. Nobody With A Pension Is 100% Secure

If the oligarchs can take it they will. So it might be prudent to find a source of shopping carts, old boxes, and supply of used cans.

[Jim Lane]

12. Apres moi, le deluge, says Christie.

He can get away with underfunding pensions now as long as everyone due money during his term gets paid. Then, after he leaves office, the fund runs dry and the state suddenly has to find a huge amount of money to make up for all the shortfalls of the Christie years.

But, hey, Christie's numbers look good. What does he care about the state's long-term fiscal health?

[MFrohike]

13. "That the State must get its financial house in order is plain,"

No point in reading the decision after this line. This is the real holding. The court claims it doesn't want to get in the middle of the decision-making process by the so-called political branches while it does exactly that by impairing contracts made to retirees. Hypocrisy like this really, really makes me hate the legal profession.

[GOLGO 13]

14. Keep voting against your own self interests and this is what you get NJ.

Now live with what you vote for.