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NEW JERSEY COPS ■ AUGUST 2014
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Kerlin submitted.
Around 2 p.m., Colligan and Donnelly addressed the gathering with some
inspiring comments. Then, they brought
on a guest speaker. Lavin, who retired
earlier in the month, had come to show
his support.
“I didn’t want to politicize their playground, so I called the Rousseau family
and asked their permission,” he stated.
“They said, ‘go for it. Defend our turf.
Represent us.’”
By 4 p.m., the governor had not shown
up yet, but those who had been there all
day had not wilted. “Whatever it takes,”
said Jackson Township Local 168 State
Delegate Frank Cipully, who had been
on site since sunrise. “We’ll be here all
day because we believe it’s sacred
ground and we’re not going to be pushed
around.”
A little after 4 p.m., the governor
showed. He made his something-fornothing speech then told the few who
came to see him that he would have to
cut the meeting short because it was
family dinner night and Mary-Pat was
expecting him home.
Still through his hour-plus remarks
and question-and-answers, the cops,
firefighters and teachers never budged,
never swayed, and never gave ground.
No way up to 12 hours in the sun could
deter anybody.
“We’ll be tired later,” Kerlin asserted.
“We’re all here for a reason and that will
keep us going until it’s done.”
Ground Control
Donnelly suggested that the gathering
would be an opportunity for citizens to
see public workers as the good guys,
“just like they did before Chris Christie
was governor and like they will after he’s
gone.” Citizens got a chance to see just
that on this day.
The final question the governor took
came from a gentleman named Larry
Parker. Cops in Ocean County know
Parker as the former police chief in Long
Beach Township – the youngest chief
ever in the state – and then the chief in
Stafford Township for 31 years. With this
question, Parker reminded the governor
that cops aren’t asking for something for
nothing, that they have given their service every day of work, which he would
still be doing if he wasn’t forced to retire
at 65.
“It’s not a cake job,” he declared. “We
served the public. We dealt in good faith.
We work hard for our communities.
We’re not trying to cheat the taxpayers.
Nobody wants something for nothing.
These are dedicated police officers who
believe in what they are doing.”
Chief Parker’s question drew awakening applause from the 200 at the gathering and then some. The governor
danced around the question, saying
something about how public workers
who have retired don’t have to worry
about their benefits. Parker said the
answer made him feel a little better. Only
a little better.
“I’m concerned about the young officers who are putting their lives on the
line every day,” he explained. “I was trying to represent them. I love these guys,
these cops, and I hope they don’t get
the bad end of the deal.”
Not on this day they didn’t. Yes, the
governor did announce a new round of
pension cuts coming on this day.
“But we didn’t let him go near that
playground,” reasoned Colligan in
referring to the reason why everybody
came. “I don’t know how he thinks he
can do this to us. We’re the citizens. We
pay taxes and it’s time for him to hear
from all public employees. d