The Governor of the State of New Jersey has played a very vindictive card. If you have been following his majesty's hijinx, last week, based on a disagreement about a perceived surplus designated to the State's not-for-profit healthcare company, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the State of NJ shuttered it's non-essential offices and furloughed its employees. Sure, it's budget time, and any surpluses need to be used for the forces of good: increased public services, pension contribution, or, as the Governor wanted, maybe increased medical programs for opioid addicts.
However, because of squabbles between the legislature's views of how the money should be spent, and the Governor's, no budget was passed on June 30th, thereby forcing the LoveGov to shut down the state. Most recently, this happened in 2006 over another petty dispute. Similarly, the Governor then (Corzine) closed State offices for a period of time. After all was agreed upon, that governor reimbursed state employees for the missed days. After all, then, like now, the dispute wasn't over the salary line-item...but of other petty projects within the budget.
This governor said over the weekend, "Don't count on getting paid." And, man, did he come through. NJ State employees who were scheduled to work between July 1 and 3 of this year (including yours truly for one day) were instructed to code the day as "leave without pay." OK, that makes sense. My family was already bracing for a reduced paycheck and thankful that it was ONLY one day of my time (as I don't work the weekends). But today, in addition to confirmation that I wasn't going to get paid, the Governor's office released instructions for those staff-people who intended on using their benefits, i.e. vacation, sick, administrative leave for a long holiday weekend, must now code their time as "leave without pay."
You can't go to State beaches and you can't get paid. Go twiddle your thumbs people of NJ (and tourists...go spend your money elsewhere; the LoveGov hates you too).
What? You're telling salaried employees with benefits that you're not going to pay them for wanting to take the Monday before a holiday off??? I know there wasn't a budget in place during that time, but as I've already mentioned, employee salaries and benefits were not the point of contention, AND they will be fully funded in this approved State budget, resulting in an unallocated surplus for the Governor's pet programs! Also, while the State budget goes from July 1 to June 30 every year, employee benefits reset every year on January 1...meaning that NJ State employees have earned the right for paid time off.
Why would he be this vindictive? Ah, that answer comes in what was left out of the budget: the Governor's pet opioid program. That's right, the Governor signed a budget that didn't include his opioid program...but now, with this extra salary cash floating around, he's likely to scoop it up and use it any way he wants. The fat man now has his cake and gets to eat it too.
But, I guess, when you're a small-minded man, like this Governor is, being vindictive against a populace who increasingly hates you makes sense. He's on his way out and doesn't care about this State's citizens. He's going to do what he wants as he auditions his opioid program for a potential up-scaling at the National level. Yes, watch him grovel to Trump, begging to be the next U.S. drug czar (a russian term that only gets more and more appropriate to use in this political climate). What does he have to lose? His approval rating is the lowest in the State's history. He can't get reelected. He's been demonized for hitching his horse to the Washington D.C. shitshow which is the Trump White House. He's destroyed the NJ pension system. He's increased health insurance premiums for State Employees. His policies have resulted in 10...10 credit downgrades for the state. His actions have not just impacted teachers unions, but police and firefighters, our State's first responders.
The November election can't happen soon enough.
I know they say that "better the devil you know than the devil you don't"...but I think I speak for all of NJ when I say, we'll happily take that chance.
Think I'm overreacting about the Governor phoning it in? Check this out.
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