newjerseynewsroom.com

Wants to "cut through the static and myths"

Declaring that he wants to cut through politically charged rhetoric and confusion on potential changes to public employee pension and health benefits, Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) Friday unveiled a new website he said will provide “fact-based information.”

“Public employees are being bombarded with conflicting and oftentimes flat-out wrong information about the pension and health benefit reform proposals that have been introduced,” Sweeney said. “This site cuts through the static and myths to provide a simple, nonpolitical side-by-side comparison. I am confident that when provided with the facts, rank-and-file public employees will come to realize that reform is essential to ensuring they actually can rely on the benefits they have been promised and deserve.”

Sweeney has introduced measures to alter both the public employee pension and health benefit systems.

The pension proposal (S-2696) would recreate the pension system along the lines of those in the private sector, basing the funds on actuarially sound figures and removing politics from their operations.

He also has introduced a health benefit proposal (S-2718) that would require public employees to pay a share of their actual health care premium, but along a sliding scale rate linked to their income to ensure fairness.

The website places both the Sweeney plans and the proposals put forward by Gov. Chris Christie side-by-side.

“Many public employees I have spoken to recognize that reform is absolutely necessary, but have been unable to break apart fact from fiction given the many differing messages they are receiving,” Sweeney said. “Reform should not be something that is feared because of half-truths. To ensure the long-term ability of the system to actually deliver benefits, reform must be fully understood and welcomed.”

The website is: www.njbenefitreform.com.

-TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM