Awesome exchange, from last Tuesday in Rutherford:
While President Obama continues to disparage businesses and corporations in his rhetoric, both subtle and blatant, it’s refreshing to see another leader stand up to “greedy public employee unions” who either think that money grows on trees; or who think their special interest group are the only ones who shouldn’t have to tighten their own belts during a time of economic recession:
A largely friendly crowd of about 150 people turned out in a church gymnasium to hear Christie deliver a half-hour talk that trashed greedy public employee unions and state laws that handcuff local officials trying to control spending.
He then opened the floor to questions. A few were softballs, including the declaration by Clara Nebot of Bergenfield that Christie is “a god” to her relatives in Florida.
But borough teacher Rita Wilson, a Kearny resident, argued that if she were paid $3 an hour for the 30 children in her class, she’d be earning $83,000, and she makes nothing near that.
“You’re getting more than that if you include the cost of your benefits,” Christie interrupted.When Wilson, who has a master’s degree, said she was not being compensated for her education and experience, Christie said:
“Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it.” Some in the audience applauded.
Christie said he would not have had to impose cuts to education if the teachers union had agreed to his call for a one-year salary freeze and a 1.5 percent increase in employee benefit contributions.
“Your union said that is the greatest assault on public education in the history of the state,” Christie said. “That’s why the union has no credibility, stupid statements like that.”
Surrounded by reporters after she spoke, Wilson said she was shaking from the encounter, and worried she might get in trouble for speaking out.
More blunt straight talk, please!
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
Christie is awesome.
Love it!! Sure hope this continues.
And later it turns out she is actually making $86K/year, plus benefits with a high value. I was ready to hit her over her pride in her master’s degree and why she thinks that is worth endless money. She should know that a master’s in education and $3 will buy her coffee most places.
I know many teachers who have their Masters degrees from a puff university with emphasis on the teachers. Their salary increases are an insult to the taxpayer. But my view has always been that a 3D grade teacher with a Masters degree is over-qualified. If the teacher from New Jersey doesn’t like the compensation, then she should take her Masters degree into the private sector…and they will pay her what she is REALLY WORTH!!!
Mr. Boomer:
Very well said. I am retired military, with a Masters Degree in Economics, and teach part time at a local community college and your comment on her Masters degree and the private sector are 100% correct.
I tell my students that life is about choices and those choices will have an economic impact on your life. If she doesn’t like the situation make another choice. Once again, very well said.
The Democrats, the unions, the anarchists – how have we survived? This guy is great! What an awesome figure he cuts!
I’m a New Jersey native now retired in Florida. I used to brag about my hometown and the great education I got there, so did all the alumni, but now I have only contempt for it. The Super of Ed there pulls down almost 300K a year and the population of the town is less than 20,000.
In Florida, seldom does a week go by when I don’t run into retired gov employee from NJ living on false disability claims, in the gym, on the golf course, in the bowling alley, as young as in their 40s. It’s the unions that have allowed this to happen and Christie has to find a way to stop it. It is driving NJ broke.
I love this video for it shows this man has the backbone to tell it as it is, even if it does piss off a woman who thinks she is entitled to more of something that isn’t hers to start with.
Christie is a rapidly rising star. In this day, it is simply amazing what common sense and integrity will do for a politician since they have become such rare commodities in the political sphere.
I don’t think this teacher would have ever had a chance to exist in the classroom back in the day – pre-1960. The only reason she has survived is because of the thuggery of the union supporting her. That thuggery is real and scary. She is a direct reflection of it. Ugly. Sad.
All the best to Mr. Christie.
She lies! Rita Wil$on actually earned $86,000 last year.
She almost makes as much as a College Professor does here in Wichita, if you don’t add her retirement package and health insurance policy. Makes me want to shed a tear that she isn’t getting more… of a kick in the ass out the door for being incompetent just like what happened to the Teacher’s Union for one school in Rhode Island.