The New Jersey Education Association (teachers union) is running television and radio attack ads against Governor Christie claiming among other things he decreased taxes for millionaires (in fact he did not increase taxes on the highest income earners).
For years NJ politicians including governors (mostly, but not all, Democratic) gave more and more to the teachers and other unions and received their support in return. For most of those years the various governors found they could not keep those promises as well as the promises made to other groups so they simply did not fund pensions or retiree medical benefits. One governor used what previously had been put aside toward retiree medical liabilities to fund property tax rebates.
Today those costs have hit the wall with a resulting crisis. Where should we direct our anger and frustration? The logical answer would be against those who made promises that couldn’t be kept or intentionally were not kept. Those who mislead and who traded promises for votes. Instead the anger is directed against the person telling the truth and attempting to make corrections. You may not agree with all his choices for tackling the problem, but at least he is doing something.
Voters rarely reward the truth and hard choices if they think their Ox is being gored and as a result we have the massive problems of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and growing deficit spending. We tend to like easy solutions and are comfortable knowing a problem can be solved without adversely affecting anyone, at least anyone in our generation.
Of course in NJ the NJEA is building its case to oust Christie in the next election. How dare he challenge the pedestal upon which teachers stand.
The problem is that pedestal is crowded. Not only are teachers up there, but us senior citizens, police officers, firefighters, doctors, hospitals, the poor, children, even public radio and planned parenthood. It appears the only segments of society standing at the base with little hope of elevation are insurance companies and the “wealthy.”
I long for the day when I hear a politician tell the truth, “Don’t worry, we can fix this we are only going to take it from the other guy.”
Hmmmm, isn’t that who we have been voting for all along?
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