By The Staff | The Save Jersey Blog
Democracy? Not in this state, Save Jerseyans. It’s a Plutocracy for, and by, the public sector unions and their allies.
Exhibit A: An economically ruinous pension amendment bill (ACR-109) which would MANDATE quarterly payments, regardless of other fiscal and economic factors, cleared the Democrat-controlled Assembly Judiciary Committee on Monday. Tom Bracken of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (hardly a hard-line conservative since he’s backing the gas tax hike) recently went so far as to describe the proposal as likely to bring about “economic Armageddon” in New Jersey.
But when Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) showed up with other opponents of the measure to testify, Chairman John McKeon muzzled them. O’Scanlon and others were not allowed to offer testimony; public comment is customary before bills advance beyond the committee stage to a vote before the general assembly.
“Legislators should always be permitted to speak on behalf of their constituents at legislative hearings,” said Assembly GOP leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) after the incident. “As the Republican budget officer, Declan O’Scanlon has thoroughly researched the pension issue and should have been heard in the hearing yesterday.”
The measure will appear on this November’s ballot. You can count on HEAVY special interest Super PAC funding to guarantee its passage.
Fast-tracked legislation isn’t unusual in Trenton when a union – or a boss, as was the case with last summer’s controversial EMT bill – want it done. That doesn’t make the process any less offensive or injurious to taxpayers shut out of the process.
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