New Jersey's Largest Teachers Union Takes Fight Over Pensions To Airwaves
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - With New Jersey's pension funding crisis in court and the state budget now in full debate mode, the New Jersey Education Association is turning up the heat with a new media blitz starting Thursday from Philadelphia to New York. It's costing the union $750,000 a week.
Governor Chris Christie's people call it "misleading attacks and fear mongering" that doesn't get around the math that New Jersey cannot afford to fully fund the pension right now. The NJEA's ad offers its own mathematical equation:
"Over 20 years, teachers have paid more than $10-billion into their pensions. But New Jersey politicians have paid just three," the ad states.
The idea is to put pressure on Christie and legislative democrats to honor the deal they made with state unions.
"It's not a Democratic or Republican issue," says NJEA spokesman Steve Baker. "It's a New Jersey issue and we need to solve it together."
The TV, radio and web campaign is expected to run for several weeks and is costing the union $750,000 a week.
