As reported by Bob Braun on nj.com, within months after more than 160 of its police officers were laid off, Newark erupted into a spasm of violence, including the killing of a policeman and one day when 13 people were shot, one fatally. But did the layoffs lead to the violence? And what does the
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Atlantic City Public Safety Director Quits In Pension Dispute
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, Atlantic City’s public safety director is stepping down after 17 months amid a dispute over the pension she received from her previous job. Christine Petersen’s last day will be Friday.
According to her resignation letter obtained by The Press of Atlantic City, Petersen said she did not want to …
NJ Owes Thousands Of Corrections Officers Back Pay
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, the state must pay thousands of corrections officers back pay for their participation in a pilot program that last 10 years beyond its experimental phase, a Superior Court judge ruled. If the ruling is allowed to stand, the state will be responsible for millions of dollars in compensation for …
NJ Judge Files Lawsuit Against New Pension And Health Benefits Increases For Public Workers
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, New Jersey’s public worker pension and health benefits increases should be revoked for state judges because they unconstitutionally slash their salaries and undermine judicial independence, a state Superior Court judge claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The complaint, filed by Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale, who sits in Hudson …
Unions Halted Donations For Legislators Before Vote To Overhaul Pensions, Benefits
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, three major public worker unions’ committees stopped donating to state lawmakers while the legislators, who face elections in November, were preparing to vote on a landmark overhaul of pensions and health benefits.
The Communications Workers of America, New Jersey Education Association, and AFSCME zeroed out what had …
Nearly 7 Months Later, Laid-Off Newark Police Officers Receive Back Pay
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, nearly all of the police officers who were laid off by the Newark Police Department last year have received checks for their unused vacation or compensatory time, nearly seven months after it was due.
The city has paid $142,551.90 in back pay to 133 former officers over the past …
Towns Must Provide Explanations When Hiring Less Qualified Workers
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, municipalities hiring from a civil service list have to give a “legitimate” reason for skipping over a candidate in favor of one who placed lower in test ranking, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
The 4-2 decision reverses a practice that labor experts said had given too much power …
Jersey City Employee Unions Challenge Layoffs
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, unions representing Jersey City municipal employees have filed an appeal with the state Civil Service Commission, challenging some 100 layoffs the administration has carried out so far this year.
The city changed titles of politically-connected employees to avoid laying them off, kept temporary employees on staff for longer …
NJ Imposes Harsher Penalties For Killing K-9
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by nj.com, people who intentionally kill police dogs or dogs involved in search and rescue operations are now facing stiffer penalties in New Jersey.
Governor Chris Christie recently signed legislation that mandates minimum five-year prison terms, with no chance of parole, for such offenders, who also will face fines of up …
Pensions To Strain New Jersey Revenues
By Donald C. Barbati on
Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by mycentraljersey.com, New Jersey’s new pension reform will save state and local governments millions of dollars now and billions of dollars over the ensuing decades. But then there is the hard part: actually paying the pension contributions for nearly 800,000 state government employees and retirees. Although New Jersey will have to pay less …