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TagsInsurance executive is a supporter of Senate President Steve Sweeney
BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
An NJEA video advertisement claims that George Norcross will be the main beneficiary from the proposed pension and health care reform package that Senate President Steve Sweeney has pushed.
On Wednesday, Governor Chris Christie’s office announced that a final agreement on the reform bill had been reached between Christie, Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and the Republican Legislature leaders.
At a Trenton news conference, New Jersey Education Association President Barbara Keshishian called Sweeney and Christie’s bill proposal “an insult” to teachers “and an abuse of the public trust.”
“This proposal doubles the out-of-pocket payments for pension and health benefits for the average teacher — from $4,600 to $9,100,” Keshishian said to NorthJersey.com. She claimed that a teacher receiving an average salary of $66,000 would pay 14 percent of their salary with the increase.
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Norcross, insurance executive and chairman of Cooper University Hospital, says the NJEA’s attacks come from his support of three of Christie’s education reform ideas. Philly.com reports this is the first time Norcross has ever taken a public stance on the matter.
Norcross said to phillyburbs.com, “It’s indefensible when we’re aware that 87 percent of Camden schools are failing, yet eight miles away in Cherry Hill my children are getting a quality education.”
Norcross called the NJEA claims that his firm Conner-Strong would make millions from the benefits reform proposal “inaccurate” and “unsubstantiated” and said about $700,000 of the business’ $1 billion annual revenue comes from insuring New Jersey workers.
NJEA officials say that one provision, which has since been removed, would have benefitted Norcross’ insurance business. They also mentioned a part of the proposal that would limit worker’s access to out-of-state medical care, which they said should aid Cooper Hospital, according to the Asbury Park Press.
The Courier Post reports the NJEA spent over $6 million in 2010 on advertisements attacking Christie's budget cuts and education reform ideas. In 2011 so far they have launched website millionairesforchristie.com, which implies the governor is only concerned with the rich.
