newjerseynewsroom.com

1. N.J. voters can look forward to hearing about Gov. Christie’s mean-spirited and cruel budget vetoes
(Opinion/Commentary)

... Sweeney’s anger was genuine, his bitterness and frustration spilled over out of his sense that he’d been used by the Governor to steer the ground breaking but politically risky pension and health benefits ...

2. New Jersey has taken a wrong turn with Gov. Christie's budget cuts
(Opinion/Commentary)

... average worker pay rose by 2.1 percent. I’m equally disappointed by Senate President Sweeney’s tirade about the governor. Something doesn’t smell right. If you play with fire you get burned. If you ...

3. A genuine Sweeney tirade is trouble for Gov. Christie
(Opinion/Commentary)

... with education reform, is no sure bet. The conciliatory tone of the governor’s office response to Sweeney’s diatribe is not part of a pre-orchestrated political gavotte, as some would have us believe. ...

4. Vindictive Christie an easy target for Sweeney’s acid tongue
(Opinion/Commentary)

... politician called another a “prick” and a “rotten bastard” – in public at least and certainly not on the front page of The Star-Ledger. Some speculate that Sweeney’s outburst was a carefully choreographed ...

5. Senate Democrats to attempt overrides of Christie budget vetoes beginning Monday
(N.J./State)

... Oliver (D-Essex) announced the Democratic-controlled lower house also will hold summer sessions to seek override votes but the dates have not been announced. Reacting to Sweeney’s announcement, Senate ...

6. Christie’s budget cuts to be addressed by N.J. Assembly
(N.J./State)

...  “Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s string of obscenities and derogatory comments launched at Governor Christie were shocking and offensive enough, but to compare Governor Christie to a cold hearted ...

7. Is Sweeney trying to shake loose from Christie after deal on N.J. pensions and health benefits?
(N.J./State)

... for his comments. “Senate President Sweeney’s comments were unbecoming for someone in his position and he should immediately apologize for his remarks that he now admits were over the top," Rick Gorka, ...

8. N.J. Democrats show what they stand for with proposed state budget and millionaires’ tax
(Opinion/Commentary)

... spending plan of their own. Here’s what is being proposed [The actual list of changes has not been posted publicly although the press has been briefed and Senate President Sweeney’s office confirmed ...

9. Sweeney: 'I failed in my responsibility' on gay marriage vote
(N.J./State)

... for political calculations is over. Never, ever again will I allow that to happen," he said. Sweeney’s remarks came at the end of a speech supporting the controversial pension and health care bill. He ...

10. Sweeney asks that N.J. charges against protesting union activists be dropped
(N.J./State)

... again on Monday when the full Senate is prepared to vote on Sweeney’s bill (S-2937) and the Assembly Budget will hold a hearing on the lower house version of the proposal at 10 a.m. in the Statehouse Annex. ...

11. Unions plan Statehouse rally to oppose plan to make public employees pay more for health benefits
(N.J./State)

... nothing at all to implement cost containment strategies we know can save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” Rosenstein told The Star-Ledger. Sweeney’s chart, for example, shows that in the final ...

12. N.J. Senate Committee approves bill to force cities and towns to share more public services
(N.J./State)

... Senator Sweeney’s bill could reduce the costs of shared services and consolidations, produce municipal savings and promote relief for our property taxpayers. “Other provisions of the proposal, however, ...

13. Christie-Sweeney N.J. pension and benefit reform hopes to save state $120 billion
(N.J./State)

... and the pensions and health benefits of lower and middle-income workers would be protected. Bloomberg.com reports Christie and Sweeney’s plan is trying for 80 percent funding of the pension system within ...

14. Nomination of Anne Patterson to the N.J. Supreme Court not a major political dispute
(Opinion/Commentary)

... in September. Christie initially ridiculed Sweeney’s offer, suggesting that it amounted to an attempt by the Senate President to select associate justices and reminding him that such power belonged exclusively ...

15. Christie and Sweeney use inflated data for N.J. public worker health insurance contribution
(Opinion/Commentary)

... Christie has proposed that New Jersey state and local public employees contribute 30% to the cost of health insurance. State Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney’s proposal moves more gradually toward the 30% goal ...

16. NJ League of Municipalities says proposed public employee health coverage bill could cause problems for local governments
(N.J./State)

... officials, League Director Bill Dressel outlined the organization‘s problems with Sweeney’s proposal that would require employees to contribute to their health coverage. The proposal would also require ...

17. Gov. Christie and 40,000 CWA workers hit impasse on health insurance
(N.J./State)

... average 22 percent of the premiums. The plan is less than both Christie’s and Democratic Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney’s reform ideas. Both want workers to pay up to 30 percent of their premiums, ...

18. Local N.J. governments could lose aid if they do not accept shared public services
(N.J./State)

... actually met.” There are presently over 600 shared public services involving local governments and school districts in New Jersey. Sweeney’s effort to increase the number is the third in a series of ...

19. N.J. reaching crisis over public worker health benefits
(N.J./State)

... 30 percent level upon retiring. Sweeney’s plan, S2718, uses a sliding scale of 12 to 30 percent, based on income. After introducing his bill to the Senate, he has received bipartisan support. Christie’s ...

20. N.J. split over Gov. Christie's proposed budget
(N.J./State)

... about Christie’s proposal, one-third about Sweeney’s, and one-third were told both had proposed similar changes. All were told these changes would triple costs for most public workers. Among voters learning ...