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Former State PBA President Tony Wieners said it best: those of us in law enforcement are conservatives with Democratic needs. We are an anomaly in politics. We are the round pegs in square political holes. We want pensions and large capacity magazines for our guns. We want the death penalty and we want great benefits paid for by our employers. We don’ t want to hear about sanctuary cities but, damn it, where is our collective bargaining? We want to see an end to the arbitration cap, but we want Trenton to support the Second Amendment.
When all is said and done, however, we need elected officials who are going to fight for our pensions and our paydays. That is the entire purpose of the State PBA. We don’ t fight for those other issues because those issues don’ t put food on our tables, pay our mortgages, put the kids through college or ensure we can retire without worry.
Despite our real, day-to-day needs for the salary, benefits and retirement that every law enforcement officer deserves, some of our own members are doing their best to undermine the PBA within the political process. As we saw a few years ago, some political“ experts” among us will tell you they know better. I now call them the False Facebook Prophets.
I’ d be happier never mentioning it ever again, but does anybody remember“ Cops for Christie?” They were an interesting list of political“ experts,” cops from across the state none of us should ever forget. Some on those“ experts” profited from their blind allegiance to Chris Christie. The vast majority of us did not.
“ Cops for Christie” worked well against the PBA. They helped Chris Christie spread the myth that he was a“ part of law enforcement” and that they knew better than the PBA about all the great things Christie would do for us.“ Cops for Christie” certainly did some great things for us. Let’ s not forget to thank them for the 2-percent cap, Chapter 78, binding arbitration caps, county budget caps, an unfair PERC, the Civil Service waiver that created Camden Metro, pension funding cuts, etc. The list goes on, but I think you get the picture. They urged thousands of our members to ignore the PBA endorsement. I’ d submit that it didn’ t work out too well for the rest of us.
I have heard many complaints about Phil Murphy’ s pick for lieutenant governor. Yes, we vividly remember her name and its attachment to Chapter 78. It’ s not easy to forget, but let me be very blunt here: You wouldn’ t have ever known her name and there never would have been a Chapter 78 if it wasn’ t for“ Cops for Christie” and the political“ experts” who knew better than us about who to support for governor.
So once again these“ experts” prefer the other candidate for governor.“ She’ s a cop,” I hear. They told us the same thing about Christie.“ She’ s a union member,” I hear. Yes, but a strangely silent one for the past almost eight years.
I happen to know she is a very nice person to be sure, a smart woman and a great public speaker. But let’ s check her platform and how it will impact your profession. It wasn’ t hard to find; it’ s on her website. It includes transferring the management of the Police and Firemen’ s pension system to a risk-bearing entity, moving current public employees into a cash-balance plan, capping sick time, forcing shared services( consolidation) and reducing our current healthcare plans. Shortly after the primary she said,“ I’ d rather see layoffs than tax increases.” That sounds like the same agenda we have had to survive for the past eight years.
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The False Facebook Prophets do a lot of complaining about us behind their keyboards. But I haven’ t seen them in Trenton fighting to preserve your pension, benefits and collective bargaining rights. I haven’ t seen them at political events fighting for our members to friend and foe alike. I haven’ t seen them lobbying on critical law enforcement legislation in Trenton either. Much like Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Boogey Man, their concept of the politics and the best candidate for our members is entirely make-believe.
You didn’ t need to hear it from me that there is no perfect politician. We can agree on that. You don’ t have to vote for whoever the PBA endorses, either. We can agree on that, too. But if you don’ t want to listen to our political advice this time and you want to vote against Phil Murphy, then please make a copy of your pay stub this week. Sock it away someplace safe where you can find it in four years or maybe even eight years. Give me a call and let me know how it worked out. I’ ll be there to say I told you so. Again.
I’ m sorry I can’ t help you find the perfect politician. Let’ s all agree they don’ t exist. If you are looking to have someone fight for your future, your paycheck, your pension and your rights without fail, then follow the State PBA into the political arena. It remains our privilege to fight for each and every one of you every single day. I’ m certain the mission isn’ t much different today than the day this organization began. We do it for you and we do it in the memory of those incredibly brave individuals who chose to organize the New Jersey State PBA in 1896. d