Gov. Chris Christie - Giving a Frank Response to a Teacher pushing Union Talking Points

Gov. Chris Christie Town Hall

Not sure how to link/embed a video not from YouTube/Google.

Anyway, I do not know much about the man's politics, but from everything I have seen he is frank, honest and willing to make sacrifices to bring New Jersey out of the gutter. In my book, I do not care about his politics with those qualities in a leader.

The video is a good illustration of when we elect someone that is not of the political class to start getting things on track at the state level. My favorite part of the video is the beginning when he calls out the questioner (teacher who is obviously beholden to the views of the union) for being rude while we has been answering questions.

He then lays out the facts in a coherent manner that even those educated by these teachers could understand. All without notes or a teleprompter to guide his talking points. Lastly he shows real commitment to the people of New Jersey, not the teachers' unions or any other interest.

I voted for Christie and I agree with what he is doing.
Yes it is going to be painful but our state needs to take drastic action. The state of NJ is broke even with the highest property taxes in the nation. NJ residents pay an average of $7500 per year in property taxes alone. The unions have been draining funds for years.

That video shows how political debates should be, not the rah-rah, put-on-a-show for the cameras, 30 second sound bite.

Clear, consise and to the point.

Christie is nothing but the truth.
I pray for his life!
His ilk is exactly what we need in our governors' offices around the country.

I have new hero. Wow! I didn't know there existed a politician that knew how to stand up to unions. Good luck keeping him as governor guys! I hope he continues to be such a good example!

/Q

I am proud to say I voted for Christie, the unions and the past democratic governors were in each others pockets and drove the state of New Jersey into one of the bigger debts in the nation. Governor Christie is one of the few men that renews my faith in there actually being politicians looking out for the people. The education system in Jersey is not as good as they actually tout it; and the beaurocracy deep in that system has needed reform for a long time.

People need to pay attention to whats going on with the NJEA and the Teacher's Union and how they're the ones screwing over the state and its families.

See, teachers and the other government union goons could care less if the people are Taxed Enough Already.

They do not CARE. They will use their paid off politicians to destroy our country, by the outrageous graft they receive. Just another moonbat amongst the government sychophants. Christie destroyed the argument. Absolutely destroyed it.

Sorry, the government is getting paid now TWICE as much as the private sector.

Tell me, how are we going to continue that and why the hell should we?

Here is the YouTube version OP

While I staunchly support the motifs of Unions whether they be Trade, Labor or Teacher, I must ask myself this fundamental question? If I hate Corporations so much then why should I love Unions so much? Tough questions call for tough answers.

I think we should not interfere in favor or against Unions or Corporations. As long as they obey the law and their participants/employees are part of it on their own free-will then we should maintain a 'hands off' approach. Work for what the Unions fight for but not be in bed with them. You cannot criticize Republicans for being Corporate whores when some Democrats are Union whores. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

No special interest of any sort should have any control of governmental policies or authority. They can lobby or influence, but never have politicians accept donations from them.

As for Chris Christie he has proven time and time against to be a rather non-partisan, common sense man, the polar opposite of a politician.

My God...how do we find more leaders like this guy, he puts every other elected official in this Country to Shame!

reply to post by ownbestenemy


After living through the Jim McGreavy years here in N.J. , I think Cristie's administration is a Breath of Fresh Ocean Air . The Man Speaks the God Aweful Truth when he says our State is experiencing a Financial Budget Crisis along with other States during this recession that presently calls for sacrifices being made by everyone in the State Including the Teachers and their Union . Those who just don't see the Wisdom in his Policies right now deserve to be Ridiculed in Public when they make Fools of themselves in Front of a Camera.......

reply to post by Misoir


My view is Corporations and Unions are two different Mafias trying to extort money out of two different groups..

IMO, NO public employee should be allowed to enter a Union. A group of employees of a Public service, be it Education, Police, what ever.. should be allowed to negotiate wage or benefit increases with the power to threaten the stoppage of a SERVICE that the PUBLIC pays for.

My property taxes pay for Public School. I don't give a damn if you think you deserve two more days of vacation and 5% raise.. bitch all you want.. the second you interrupt the service I pay for at the expense of child education... you should be fired.

The Public should have the right to raise, lower, set wages.. WE being the employer, should have the right to say how many days of Vacation you get, what hours you work, when you work, and what you do.

EVERYONE knows, in many fields the best job to have is a Public or Federal one. You get the best benefits, the best wages, and it's damn near impossible to be fired. In reality a job by a Government should be reflective to a private sector job with relative benefits.

If I were the Governor I would fire ALL teachers at the beginning of next summer and have a 3rd party evaluation of ALL applicants .. institutionalized teachers without true knowledge and skills of their subject would be excluded, newer teachers would be brought in, ALL administrators would be fired and allowed to reapply with evaluation and all unionized, institutionalized Administrators, as well as unnecessary positions would be excluded.

American Education is a joke.. a sick, dirty joke.. and their is NO reason for it.. we pay adequate taxes, we have the means and ability to afford the Worlds best education.. we just need to model ourselves like Private schools. Teachers make less, but the subjects were harder, the teachers smarter, and the administrations are less institutionalized and "standardized."

reply to post by Rockpuck


If the public were allowed to choose salaries, what do you think the outcome of that would be?

Teachers would probably be scraping by on a minimum salary and they'd be glorified babysitters for a bunch of spoiled brats.

That's why unions exist and they're not all that corrupt. I don't know how NJ politics work though.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


LOL

That dude Christie brought the hammer of justice with him to that town hall.

Of course, Christie is still a statist idiot.

I would have fired all the teachers and privatized the schools.

reply to post by The Sword


Honestly... I would bet that teachers would make more. Both sides of the fence (Conservs/liberals) like teachers, and nearly everyone sees them as vital.. I actually think most are under paid, and the ones that have been there to long are over paid. The average 20+ year teacher where I went to school made almost 70k a year.. brand new teachers didn't get a real class room (school was to small yet to packed, they had their offices on carts and pushed them from room to room) had an average salary of 33k a year.....

And it's usually the newer, younger teachers you want teaching your kids .. fresh out of college with new ideas and plenty of enthusiasm. Older teachers are stuck 2 decades in the past and most don't have the same drive or enthusiasm (3 teachers in my family, I've seen it personally behind the scenes lol)

HOWEVER ... I would NEVER support the guy cutting grass making $19/hr .. or school administrators making 100k+ .. or glorified secretaries making 60k+ .. or janitors making $18+ .. or 100% paid benefits, so on and so forth.

Private schools are non-union, especially religious ones.. they make less than public school teachers, but they do it for the love of teaching. Having gone to both Public and Private schools, the quality of Private education is 100% better, because they don't standardize, institutionalize, and the teachers were, in my experience, more involved.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Older teachers can adapt and can be valuable role models to a younger generation.

I see plenty of venom directed at teacher salaries where I live and yet, there's no real dialogue on what they should make. I'm also tired of seeing unions demonized over and over and over by the right-wing folks, many who have probably never been part of a union and could understand less how they work. Not all unions are run like the Teamsters but if you listen to Fox News often enough, you'd think that.

As for the public vs private debate? I got a much better education from Kindergarten up to the six grade at a public school. When I transferred to a private school for high school, I noticed a severe decline in the quality of the education. I was not being challenged by their curriculum. You can't automatically judge schools like this.

reply to post by mnemeth1


Maybe a statist, but at least he is trying to hold to bringing a state out the state of existence. He could have cowed to the teachers union, but he didn't. That I will forever give props for doing so.

reply to post by The Sword


Which all you said was true, except that you are seeing the coin from a different side.

Teachers' Unions are not beholden to the quality education of the youth, but rather the gain of power. This is the problem.

Unions, when told that they need to compromise, will always backlash against those that are asking them to compromise, using the guise of 'its for the children' rouse. I don't buy it anymore. If they were for the children and the education, they would make sacrifices, like everyone else, to continue providing the education.

Guys - what is wrong with you !

The REASON America is in so much trouble is because you destroyed your unions - real wages in the US are below 1980 levels and have been going down for decades - WHY ? Because you outsourced your middle class - you believed the Freidman lies about getting rid of organised labor - the lies that Unions are bad for business - that unions are the trouble. Whenever you hear someone saying this you immediately know they are pure evil.

Unions are the only way - the ONLY way - that workers, thats you, gets rights at work and gets fair pay. Before unions kids were working and living in factories.......the reason you are constantly told that Unions are bad for business is because they effect not business - but profit. Unions are excellent for business - higher wages means more consumer spending power and creates a stronger economy all around. Forcing labor into a race to the bottom is the surest way of decimating your entire economy - and that is EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

Teachers can only ever expect to be paid around $45k at the very peak of their profession - when I look around at the private sector I see people taking in quadruple, figure salaries. What is he saying you should be paid less ?

Every time you attack a salary - it isn't going to come back, its not, America is in a world of hurt. (Because jobs were destroyed by forcing labor to compete with chinese salaries - my god what a travesty). Putting pay freezes on them means it will remain for years, and if it starts there where does it end.

Teachers are always under attack - they are the easiest targets - yet they are the most important profession in our lives, they are responsible for the entire future of the US - and yet they are treated like dirt - comparing them to the private sector is just henious. What does he want McDonald's workers ?

This guy is profoundly rude - incredibly arrogant and really, really stupid.

There are more complex issues at work here people - try and see past the stereotypes of Chicago school bullsht. Countries where unions are strong have significantly better economic and life indicators than the US - you need to start waking up to the reality that he just towing Chicago school theories and is simply wrong. Totally out of order.


Further - he then claims that inflation is not an issue - BUT - costs are going through the roof ! So lets take a look at that - the costs for teachers in their lives are also going through the roof. Simple as that. He raises health - in every country in the western world health is free - FREE - but not in the US, we all manage to pay our teachers in Australia significantly MORE than you guys AND they all get whatever health care they require. So how come we can all do it and you can't - simple - we are more willing to sacrifice personal profits of private corporations via taxes and wages in order to benefit the country as a whole - in the US private profit of corporations is more important than the survival of your nation - its that simple. You have't simply fallen for the spin - you are propagating the lies. Take a look at the rest of this planet - healthy economies, healthy rising wages, free health care etc, etc you are living in the dark ages but through sheer arrogance refuse to even consider that other countries are doing it better - and they are.

Cheers.

reply to post by Aristophrenia


I was in an union once and it was only because of the union that the pay was close to a livable wage. I work at a different place now with no union. The pay and benefits are great but you have no protection from management, especially supervisors/managers with a grudge. Also, because most of the people I work with are refugees, management likes to take advantage of language barriers to scare them into compliance.

There has to be balance. There can be an union that gets the fair wages, benefits and protections that employees need without forcing corporate entities to bend over too much.

I love this argument....workers vs. management. Its always a way to pitch a union. Unions do have their place. Workers should be free to form a union no doubt, but at the same time, should not be punished for not wanted to join or form. Where is the balance?

That is the major question. When a union becomes the funding arm of a political party, they no longer represent the workers as they should, but rather become a money pit for the political party at hand.