The President’s Message
My Real Roadmap for P
NEW JERSEY STATE
POLICEMEN’S BENEVOLENT
ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE BOARD
PATRICK COLLIGAN
State President
MARC KOVAR
Executive Vice-President
Mark Butler 1st Vice-President
Peter Andreyev 2nd Vice-President
Jerry Tolomeo 3rd Vice-President
On the very hour of its release, I had the opportunity to read the Roadmap to
Resolution, the 51 page report of the New Jersey Pension and Health Benefit Study
Commission. We were on a train to Washington to meet with the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, so thanks to Amtrak I had plenty of time to digest it all.
Although I appreciate the work the Commission put into it and the opportunities to
meet with them, I thought I’d come up with my own “Roadmap” for Pension &
Benefit solutions for the governor to use. Their roadmap didn’t resemble the ones we
Patrick
are all used to. This is far less than the 51 pages in their version, and if he has ever used
Colligan
MapQuest, the governor shouldn’t get lost. Unfortunately this map doesn’t lead to
Iowa or New Hampshire. It stays in New Jersey where this road began. It’s where the
journey should have ended in 2011 when he told everybody else on the entire map how swell the ride
went. It’s some old advice, and some new, with the same destination in mind.
Directions:
Andy Haase 4th Vice-President
Henry Werner 5th Vice-President
the Bible and took an oath, we think you
probably should too.
6.5 miles
Kenneth Burkert 6th Vice-President
Michael Pellegrino 7th Vice-President
Domenic Cappella 8th Vice-President
Mark Aurigemma 9th Vice-President
Manuel Corte 10th Vice-President
5.
Please let your appointees on the Health
Benefits Plan Design Committee know we
have some fantastic ideas to significantly
lower the cost of healthcare. You can’t
drive a car with your eyes closed, and we
are about to run off the road. I’ve never
seen that end well. Let’s get to work; we
need to avoid a horrible accident, and you
won’t even let us help steer.
4.1 miles
6.
Chapter 78 increased our contributions
from 8.5 percent to 10 percent. That’s $56
million that has literally been deducted
from our paychecks, but you keep giving it
back to our employers as a “rebate.” It’s
time to merge it back into our PFRS system
where it belongs and continue to ensure
we are a well-funded and financially
secure system.
5.6 miles
7.
It’s been a long ride so far. Stop at the rest
area and pick up a cool, refreshing C.O.L.A.
Our retired members haven’t had any in a
very long time and they kind of forgot
how good it tastes. They’d buy you one
themselves, but it’s been tough living without a raise since 2011.
0.3 miles
8.
The $4.6 billion (so far) in corporate tax
breaks to only 242 companies hasn’t made
this road any smoother or better for the
state (and the experts agree). You are proposing $616 million more in breaks this
year alone. That $616 million would almost
double your proposed pension contributions this year and make the ride a bit
Suggested Routes: Common Sense, Fiscal
Responsibility, Fairness, Respect
Mark Messinger 11th Vice-President
Eugene Dello 12th Vice-President
1.
Make first available U-Turn! The road
you’ve been on won’t help any of us get to
the retirement office!
0.0 miles
2.
PLEASE stop investing in high-commission,
high-fee hedge funds. You hit the $600.2
million dollar mark for 2014 alone in fees
and commissions. (That’s $1.6 million a DAY,
which puts you at the $1.5 billion mark
since you took office!) The percentage of
our pensions in hedge funds is outright
dangerous and the tolls that your donors
are charging make driving on this road
downright irresponsible and unaffordable.
Freeway ahead, take the first exit please.
6.2 miles
Michael Kaniuk Financial Secretary
George Miller Recording Secretary
John Monsees Treasurer
James Crilly Trustee
Keith Bennett Trustee
Richard Kott Trustee
Richard Brown Trustee
Bruce Chester Trustee
Margaret Hammond Trustee
Frederick Ludd Trustee
3.
Luke Sciallo Sergeant-at-Arms
Frank Cipully Sergeant-at-Arms
John Cernek Sergeant-at-Arms
Kevin Hibbitt Sergeant-at-Arms
Ed Carattini Jr. Sergeant-at-Arms
Michael Freeman Sergeant-at-Arms
Bryan Flannia Sergeant-at-Arms
Robert Ormezzano Sergeant-at-Arms
Joseph Biamonte Sergeant-at-Arms
Terrance Benson Sergeant-at-Arms
4
NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2015
4.
Sorry, Governor, two way traffic! When
Judge Jacobson ruled with you in 2014,
you had some cordial words for her: “I am
pleased the court recognized the necessity
and urgency of this decision.” In 2015, she
ruled against you and you called her decision, “Liberal Judicial Activism.” Those are
some harsh words for a conservative judge
that was appointed by Republican Gov.
Whitman. Life is a two-way street Governor; please watch for oncoming traffic or
you might get hit head on.
11.3 miles
Yield to the courts, Governor. We follow
the law and we expect our citizens to follow the law. Since you put your hand on