Christie says he will offer more state aid to school districts whose teachers agree to wage freeze

[no_hypocrisy]

After months of criticizing the teachers' union for refusing to sacrifice benefits as the state grapples with the biggest per-person deficit in the country, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is now offering school districts an incentive to force the teachers' hand.

Christie told the The Associated Press in an interview that he will offer more state aid to all school districts whose teachers agree to a wage freeze for the 2011 fiscal year.

Christie said nearly one in 10 New Jerseyans are out of work, but teachers are getting up to 4 percent annual raises — far higher than the rate of inflation.

=snip-

School districts who get the additional aid could set it aside to offset steep cuts in school aid next year. Under Christie's proposed 2011 budget, school districts would lose state aid that equals up to 5 percent of their budgets. For many districts, that will mean layoffs and program reductions.

But if teachers agree to wage freezes, districts could see more than a 7 percent increase in aid. For example, a district that saves $1 million in salaries as a result of wage freezes would receive an extra $75,000 in state aid.

"Maybe that helps to fund another teacher position or two, or a sports program that they might otherwise had to cut," the governor said.
-snip-

From a political perspective, the incentive gives Christie the opportunity to point to teachers who refuse to wage freezes as the reason a school district is getting less state money than it could.

more

http://www.northjersey.com/news/033010_Christie.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Just heard on radio news that Christie is thinking about joining other states that are

challenging Constitutionality of Health Care Reform

[nradisic]

2. Christie is a one-termer....

I am saying it here and now....Christie will end up with a 25% approval rating by the fall and I'm not sure he will ever recover from that...The bull in a China shop approach has already lost its luster and NJ residents will turn on him in droves as services are cut and property taxes go up by next year.

[NJmaverick]

4. The slight silver lining in this horrible mess is it should help keep NJ

solid blue in the up coming elections.

[NJmaverick]

3. Just remember what this asshole is doing

next time someone says that there is no difference between republicans and democrats

[Hannah Bell]

5. more extortion from our "leadership"

[Dinger]

6. And Those Districts Will Agree to Vote For Someone Else

If the pukes and dems don't want our vote, that's fine/ There's somebody who does. Count on it.

[mbperrin]

7. So teacher paychecks will be handed over to management.

The same management that was unable to deal with a downturn to begin. Hmmmm.