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UPDATED
Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Goucester) Monday announced he's introducing legislation to ban newly hired employees of 17 government-lobbying organizations from enrolling in taxpayer-funded pension systems.
"Our system is burdening property taxpayers far too much, and paying pensions for lobbyists is simply unacceptable," Moriarty said. "In no way should lobbyists be benefiting from these systems at the expense of taxpayers. Clearly, a mistake was made a long time ago to allow this to happen. It's appalling and it's time for it to end."
The proposal would terminate eligibility for enrollment in the state Public Employees Retirement System for newly hired employees of 17 lobbying groups, including the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Association of Counties, the New Jersey School Boards Association and any group designated to manage a special improvement district established by a municipality.
"Officers and employees commencing service on or after the effective date in the bill would no longer be eligible for enrollment in the retirement system," Moriarty said. "Taxpayers have had it and so have I."New Jerseyans will pay pension benefits to a lobbyist earning $191,000 a year, and how he's just one of many non-government workers entitled to public retirement payouts.
The lobbyist is William G. Dressel, the League's longtime director. Taxpayers are providing $1.3 million a year for 62 retired employees of the League of Municipalities, the School Boards Association and the Association of Counties. Celeste Carpiano, who makes $205,000 a year as director of the Association of Counties, will also get a publicly-funded pension as will Marie Bilik, who receives $150,000 as director of the School Boards Association.
None of the people presently covered by the pension arrangement would be affected by Moriarty's legislation.
Dressel said he and the League have long advocated pension reform. He said the legislation should only affect new hires of the 17 organizations.
The League, the Association of Counties and the School Boards Association are privately run groups that were granted pension rights by legislators decades ago. The state government is facing a 2010-11 budget deficit that is approaching $9 billion. The three organizations are funded with $7.5 million in membership dues funded through local and county taxes. The groups lobby for local and county government and school boards.
"Apparently there was a time when legislators were more than willing to give lobbyists taxpayer-paid pensions, but the party is over," Moriarty said. "This bill would be a step in the right direction toward controlling property taxes and government waste. More needs to be done, but this is a common sense start."
– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
