Asm. Brian Bergen (R-25) stood up during the recent FY2022 budget “debate” and shared a personal revelation (which didn’t come as news to those of us who’ve been following along for years): that most of Trenton’s insane budgeting and fiscal craziness are attributable to the fact that most of the legislature works – or worked – for a government check.
“It came to me, like an ephiphany, it came to me. You know, the majority party has 52 members. Of that, 23 of you are public employees. 23 of you are public employees,” Bergen explained. “Another 4 are professional legislators. Another 3 on top of that draw public pensions. 31 of you live off of the public dime.”
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The State Senate naturally provides similar examples to the ones cited by Bergen in the lower chamber.
Just this Monday, The Jersey Journal profiled long-time Democrat State Senator Nick Sacco’s massive “retirement” income and other goodies…
“The 74-year-old Sacco has received $269,730 for unused sick days from the North Bergen School District spread over the past five years, documents obtained through a public records request show.
Before he retired, Sacco was making $269,060 a year as the district’s director of elementary and secondary education. According to the records, Sacco cashed in 601.5 sick days at his retirement. Per district policy, he was eligible for one half-day’s pay — roughly $450 — for each sick day he took.
The figure, not wildly outrageous by Hudson County standards, is in addition to the $220,000 he receives annually in his teacher’s pension payments.”
Sacco’s pension haul is in addition to the nearly $100,000 extra he reportedly made in 2020 from three combined other sources: the legislature ($49,000), his North Bergen mayor gig ($40,000; he was grandfathered in after the ban on dual office holding), and officiating weddings ($6,800).
Many New Jerseyans could only dream of a $315,800 “retirement” draw.
Sacco’s piggish behavior goes well beyond his income stream. Governor Murphy has twice vetoed a mandatory minimum elimination bill purportedly because of an amendment championed by Sacco to remove the manadatory 5-year sentence for official misconduct. Why does Sacco care? His girlfriend’s son reportedly had a no-show job in his town (North Bergen) and subsequently got hit with four criminal charges related to the position.
Want to know why this state is so expensive, Save Jerseyans?
Meet Nick Sacco! He’s the poster boy of everything that’s wrong with the New Jersey political establishment.
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