By David Kilby, Staff Writer
MONROE — Gov. Chris Christie spoke of his reform proposals, and local residents spoke out mostly about state aid disparity, at another Town Hall meeting with the governor at the Villeroy and Boch Company warehouse on South Middlesex Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.
The room was filled with about 400 people as Gov. Christie shared the progress the state has made in reform, even in spite of what he called the “do-nothing” Legislature.
He said over the 18 months he has been governor, New Jersey has lost more public sector jobs than any other state.
Whereas many municipalities may have struggled to stay under the enforced 2 percent tax levy cap this year, he said only 14 municipalities asked to exceed the cap.
He also said he has only begun his attempts at reform. He is seeking to get rid of the policy that “rewards” New Jersey public employees with extra money “for not getting sick.”
He said the state pays $875 million in sick leave liability, which could easily be reduced if the state didn’t provide employees with compensation for sick days they didn’t use.
”If you have extra sick time, you should be able to donate it to someone who really needs it. That’s the kind of thing Americans do,” he said.
He also said he was concerned about the New Jersey pension system, which is $54 billion in debt, saying the issue needs to be addressed because people plan their lives around their pensions.
With things staying the way they are, by 2020 there will be no money left for pensions in New Jersey, he said to the crowd.
To help reduce the pension debt, he has recommended raising the age of retirement from 62 to 65 as well as recommending all public employees put 8.5 percent of their wages toward pensions, among other recommendations.
In his health-care reform proposal, he suggested creating more competition in the health-care plans offered to public employees. He said currently public employees can choose from only three different plans — a great plan, a descent plan and a poor plan — and they’re all the same price.
He also suggested making everyone pay 30 percent of the cost of premium for healthcare products. If everyone paid that flat amount, he said $320 million would be saved this year.
He criticized New Jersey politicians for proposing grand plans at the expense of the taxpayer. He said in the eight years before he was governor, taxes were raised 115 times.
”Someone gets stuck with the bill in the end. Now is the time to put pressure on the Legislature,” he said.
He said to get the changes he is proposing, New Jersey needs 41 votes in the Assembly and 21 in the senate, then just one person to sign the reform legislations — that person being him.
Paul Gentile, a member of the Citizens of Jamesburg and Monroe United who has been active in finding a way to keep Jamesburg students in Monroe Township High School, had a chance to speak at the meeting.
”We’re with you,” he said to Gov. Christie. “However, many challenges are against us.”
He went on to explain how incoming Jamesburg students will not be attending MTHS mainly due to the “crazy state aid formula” that gives Monroe $198 per student and subsequently puts a greater burden on taxpayers.
”We need real reform,” Mr. Gentile said. “We need your help to break the bureaucracy.”
”The school funding formula, in my mind, is ridiculous,” Gov. Christie responded.
He said the 31 Abbot districts, or school districts in poor areas, receive 60 percent of the total state aid given out to all districts in the state.
”That kind of disparity can’t continue,” he said. “This is a failed legal theory, made by a bunch of lawyers in black robes, who think that more money equals better education.”
He said the current state aid formula “has failed not only the kids getting underfunded but also those getting overfunded.”
”The fight has been engaged,” he said, adding the current state bureaucracy is “huffing and puffing in the corner” because it finally has someone saying ‘no.’
”Our district is very responsible with our money,” said Jill Demaio, of Linwood Street in Monroe, adding Monroe School District came in $600,000 under the 2 percent tax levy cap in its budget for 2011-12, but it still was turned down by voters because of a 21-cent tax rate increase.
She said other FG districts, the district factor group Monroe falls under in the state aid formula, are getting thousands of dollars per student in state aid.
”It (the state aid amount) is hurting our students,” she said. “My son has 30 students in his second-grade class.”
Gov. Christie responded he has been trying to change the New Jersey Supreme Court — through the appointment of three new members — so the state aid formula could be changed.
”When I say I want to change the Supreme Court, now you’re experiencing why (I want it changed),” he said. “I feel and sense your frustration. I can’t give you a satisfying answer right now. But I can say next year I will work on the state aid formula so it’s fair for everyone.”
He said he has been arguing about state aid for years.
”You’ve seen the result of that by me getting my head beat in week after week after week by the teachers union who doesn’t care if Monroe gets $200 or $2,000 as long as they get their 4 percent salary increase” and the many other benefits union members receive, he said.
Cindy Paglia, of Buckelew Avenue in Monroe, asked if the governor had any plans to limit the terms of elected officials, and the crowd clapped after her question.
The governor said he has proposed legislation that would prevent public officials from holding two offices, and he has said there should be disclosure of all public officials’ salaries.
He added that in his former job as federal prosecutor for New Jersey, he put 135 politicians in jail after exposing their crimes.
He closed by telling a story about his mother. He said when she was ill in San Diego, he took an overnight flight from Newark and skipped a day of work to see her.
When she saw him, she asked what he was doing there, and he said he wanted to see her.
”Why aren’t you at work?” was her mother’s response, he said.
Then she added, “There’s nothing unsaid between us.”
”When you’re in a trusting relationship, there’ll be nothing left unsaid between you,” he said to the crowd. “As you trust me as your governor, there is nothing better you could give to me.”

