30,000 in NJ protest state budget cuts

[Ponce]

30,000 in NJ protest state budget cuts
Public employees, nonprofit groups face cuts
Thousands of people fill the street near the New Jersey Statehouse on Saturday in Trenton, N.J., to protest Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget cuts.


updated 4:25 p.m. PT, Sat., May 22, 2010
TRENTON, N.J. - A crowd estimated at 30,000 to 35,000 people gathered Saturday near New Jersey's Statehouse to protest Gov. Chris Christie's proposed budget cuts.

State police, who gave the crowd estimate, said no problems were reported.

The crowd is believed to be one of the largest ever to protest in state history. It was mostly comprised of public employee union members and several community and nonprofit groups that would lose some or all their funding if Christie's plans are adopted.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37295084/ns/us_news-life/

[Twisted Titan]

The crowd is believed to be one of the largest ever to protest in state history. It was mostly comprised of public employee union members and several community and nonprofit groups that would lose some or all their funding


People would actually be responsible for providing their own means of sustainabilty

Imagine that.


T

[Horn]

Greece II?

The similarities to N.J. are many.

[mick silver]

we all know it coming to a town near us all .. the show that keeps giving

[Grand Master Melon]

NJ is a beautiful state, it is too bad it is full of and has run by morons.

[k-os]

I don't understand how anyone can protest budget cuts. But I guess I am just completely opposite to the people protesting. If I were in NJ, I would protest these protesters.

[Horn]

Well if you went packin, that would cause some chaos, k-os.

http://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/-ec51294fcb91855f_large.jpg



TRENTON -- N.J. Gov. Chris Christie today shrugged off Saturday's record-breaking Statehouse protest, saying it had "absolutely no effect on me."

The Republican governor said he hoped the 30,000 to 35,000 protesters "had a good time, and I hope that it helped to spur Trenton's economy."

The crowd, mostly from public worker unions and other progressive groups, flooded the capital on Saturday to rally against Christie's proposed budget cuts and property tax proposals. Speakers, including New Jersey Education Association president Barbara Keshishian, said the protest was also a warning to Democrats -- who have traditionally received backing from organized labor -- not to serve as Christie's "accomplices."
More coverage:

• Record crowds flood Trenton to protest against N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, budget cuts

• Live coverage: N.J. public workers arrive for noon rally at Statehouse

• N.J. rally against Gov. Chris Christie's budget cuts could draw 30K, organizers say

• Public worker unions plan massive rally in Trenton against Gov. Chris Christie's budget cuts

• Hundreds of N.J. librarians protest $10.4M proposed budget cuts

• Complete coverage of the 2010 New Jersey state budget
Asked about the warning, Christie said "good try" and disappeared into his office without taking further questions.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/gov_chris_christie_not_impacte.html

[MNeagle]

I don't understand how anyone can protest budget cuts. But I guess I am just completely opposite to the people protesting. If I were in NJ, I would protest these protesters.


I would guess many of their jobs might be at stake...

[jaybone]

Gov Christie has read Sun Tzu, I am certain of that.
He has managed to allow the unions to make themselves look like a bunch of spoiled children, letting his enemy destroy themselves.
The more they whine about givebacks, the more they alienate the abused taxpayers.
The only ones that support the public workers are public workers, their families, and those that get more from the gov't than they give in taxes.

The fact of the matter is that taxes cannot be raised in NJ without the serious risk of some sort of popular revolt.
And without massive tax increases, there are either going to be massive pay cuts or massive layoffs for all publicos.

I say let them all go home.

[jaybone]

I don't understand how anyone can protest budget cuts. But I guess I am just completely opposite to the people protesting. If I were in NJ, I would protest these protesters.


I would guess many of their jobs might be at stake...


ALL of their jobs are at stake if they do not drastically cut spending at all levels and immediately.

What Christie is asking for right now is nothing compared to what the average private sector worker has already given up.

It is too bad that the public employees are having to pay the price now for things the scumbag politicians did in the past, but alas that is the way it is going to have to be.

I can't really blame somebody for accepting a sweetheart deal, or making a big stink trying to hold on to that deal, but this state is toast, the sooner everybody figures that out the better off.

[Twisted Titan]

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie today shrugged off Saturday's record-breaking Statehouse protest, saying it had "absolutely no effect on me."





Let them march all they want, as long as they continue to pay their taxes." -Alexander Haig, U.S. Sec. of State, June 12, 1982.



T

[Trinity]

Taxes should be raised on all public employees. 50 percent minimum. Any public employee who earns more than 100k should be in the 90 percent tax bracket. Any public employee who earns more than 125k should be tarred/feathered/imprisoned.

[kregener]

Taxes should be raised on all public employees. 50 percent minimum. Any public employee who earns more than 100k should be in the 90 percent tax bracket. Any public employee who earns more than 125k should be tarred/feathered/imprisoned.


Ouch.