Local police departments throughout New Jersey have been laying off police officers during the past year.  Most recently, Camden has officially given pink slips to 167 police officers.  Camden has also laid off 68 firefighters.  This latest round of police and firefighter lay offs is only a glance into the dimming financial future of New Jersey's municipal police and firefighters.  Atlantic City police have suffered two rounds of lay offs with only 17 police officers' jobs saved due to union concessions.  The City of Newark has also had to lay off 167 police officers.  However devastating the police lay offs will be to these cities, they are not alone. Many other municipalities across the state have had to do the same.  Municipalities have received less in aid back from the State under Governor Christie forcing municipal budgets to be tightly squeezed.  But that is not where the story ends or begins.

Most recently, in his State of the State speech last week, Governor Christie noted that the PFRS is in jeopardy of becoming bankrupt unless certain actions are taken.  In particular, Governor Christie proposed the following reforms:  raising the retirement age; eliminating Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAS) in times of low inflation; requiring a higher contribution from employees; and ensuring the State begins to make its contributions toward the PFRS. 

While those proposed reforms may sound sensible, the history of the State's behavior sheds a new perspective on the situation.  In late 2010, Sergeant Michael Pocquat from Mount Olive Township (Morris County) sent a letter which was published in the Mount Olive Chronicle eloquently explaining the history of the State's failure to do their part with regard to the PFRS.  In short, Sergeant Pocquat noted that the public was being led to believe the "police and firemen were bilking the taxpayers dry, when the truth is totally the opposite...[t]he politicians bilked your police officers and firemen...." The letter speaks volumes.  It explains how the State, beginning with Governor Whitman along with the other Governors following her took money from the PFRS to balance the budget after granting tax cuts.  In short, essentially the State raided the PFRS.

Additionally, while the laws surrounding the PFRS originally required municipalities to match contributions, that requirement was later repealed. The current Governor's proposal then to require a higher contribution by the police and fire employees seems unfair.  Governor Christie's pension reform proposals may seem rational in order to ensure the PFRS is around for future retirees, but his commentary that "pensions are too rich, and contributions are too small...." seems misplaced.

However, we are in a time of economic uncertainty. Police and firefighters are facing the same public wrath New Jersey's teachers faced last year. Without a proper understanding of the history as outlined by Sergeant Pocquat, many New Jersey citizens would rather side with Governor Christie's proposals and commentary.  Public workers are facing the public who are in fact the taxpayers funding the public workers' salaries. Calls for smaller government and less public workers is the political flavor of the moment not only in New Jersey but across the nation.