| An Open Letter to the Teachers
of NJ |
I am the proud product of our state’s public education
system. In fact, my late mother was a dues-paying member of the
NJEA. I know firsthand that one of the main reasons many of our
schools rank among the best in America is because of our dedicated
teachers and educational professionals who work hard every day to
give our children the learning experience they deserve.
Like
you, I am fully committed to supporting New Jersey’s kids, teachers
and parents to make sure our children receive a first-class
education so they can pursue limitless opportunities once they
graduate. Our state’s teachers are charged with one of the greatest
responsibilities one can have, and they deliver each and every day
for our kids.
But lately, there has been some misinformation
circulated falsely, by supporters of Governor Corzine, suggesting I
would attempt to diminish or take away teachers’ pensions and
benefits. Let me be clear - nothing could be further from the
truth. The claim that any harm would come to your pension
should I be elected Governor is absolutely untrue. It is a
100% lie. Your pension will be protected when I am elected
Governor.
Right now, the Trenton-based
leaders of the teachers' union are literally spending millions of
dollars of your union dues to falsely attack me on television and
through slick mailers. This is nothing but an attempt to
poison me in your eyes so that you will vote for four more years of
Jon Corzine and his failed policies. Just so I am clear,
what they are saying about my intentions to hurt pensions or lay off
teachers is absolutely, 100% untrue.
Here are the
facts:
- I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom.
When elected, I will make education funding a top
priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our
children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In
these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper
resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom.
Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept
federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's
educations. Education is a priority and this money is
critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children
the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education
dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too
often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs
with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It
is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will
work to secure a steady source of funding for all education
programs.
- I will protect your pensions. Nothing about
your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in
order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we
must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and
investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to
our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in
the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and
lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers,
future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close
unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its
promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to
cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties
have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is
responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension
dollars.
- I will not end collective bargaining and will
safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including
teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard
for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of
self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker
is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open,
honest, and fair deliberations.
It’s true that times are
tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and
every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has
funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot
revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and
academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at
risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy.
Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to
make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue
and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some
issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering
the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children
a quality education is critical to their future and I know we
wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless
commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to
clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans
to support our state's teachers.
Thank you for your service,
and best wishes on a great school year.
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