The Senate president's 'bribery' clash with the New Jersey Education Association proves a point, but we're not sure which one it is.
Bribery? Extortion?
No way!
Typical New Jersey political sleaze?
Yes, but that's not criminal.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is not a prosecutor. Until he gets his law license, New Jersey's most powerful ironworker should leave public corruption charges to the experts.
Gov. Chris Christie, the former corruption-busting U.S. Attorney -- even during his many virulent feuds with the New Jersey Education Association -- wouldn't think to charge the teachers' union with federal crimes because they MIGHT NOT make some political contributions.
That's pretty much what Sweeney, D-Gloucester, called for at an unusual press conference Wednesday, as NJEA members picketed outside his district legislative office in West Deptord.
These events are so much from a parallel universe that we don't know where to start.
It's admirable that Sweeney is standing up to the mighty NJEA when it's wrong. The NJEA is usually the biggest campaign ATM anywhere for Democrats and select Republicans lawmakers. Sweeney has clashed with the NJEA before but, he's been making nice with public-sector unions before his anticipated 2017 gubernatorial run. Until Wednesday, that is.
The clash is an outgrowth of one attempt to cozy up to the unions. Earlier this year, Sweeney pushed a state constitutional amendment requiring the New Jersey to fully fund its lagging public worker pension funds. If voters approve, the state would have to make its pension payments quarterly.
The proposed amendment is woefully bad. Approval would likely force the state to borrow the pension money a couple of times each year, so encumbering cash flow that other state budget items would be hacked. New Jersey hasn't met its future pension-funding obligations, but you just cannot constrict state finances so disruptively.
Sweeney hasn't disowned his awful idea, but the Legislature must approve the public question by Monday for it to go on the November ballot. What upsets the NJEA is that Sweeney hasn't posted the bill, recently expressing the view that New Jersey might be unable to afford both the pension mandate and some still-unsettled tax-cut "sweeteners" apparently needed to pass a gasoline tax increase for the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund (TTF).
Fiscally, Sweeney's position is responsible. But, he created the quandary by proposing the pension amendment in the first place. Citing the missing TTF numbers, the Senate president and other supporters should abandon the idea for this year.
Why don't they? That's what brought on the so-called "threats" from the NJEA, as well as the state Fraternal Order of Police. Sweeney says union leaders warned top Democrats that they'd withhold their contributions unless lawmakers OK the pension question by the deadline.
An ultimatum? Sure. A criminal bribe or extortion attempt? Doubtful.
The sound of mixed messages is deafening. Sweeney decries the NJEA's tactics but, in doing so, he seemingly admits the union has the clout to throw an election by not supplying its customary campaign cash. Only by withdrawing the pension amendment can he make a clean break with oversized NJEA influence.
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