With the New Jersey Senate scheduled to consider an agenda on April 28th, 2011 that excludes the elimination of sick leave payouts to public employees, Senator Kip Bateman (R- Somerset) said Majority Democrats are defending waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars:
"By failing to schedule a vote on the elimination of jackpot sick leave payouts for public employees, the Majority continues to defend the indefensible," said Senator Bateman. "It is totally incomprehensible why they would go to such great lengths to protect this sort of abuse of the taxpayers."
Bateman noted that the Majority's so-called "sick leave reform" legislation (S-2220) actually preserved payouts for future employees, and did not reduce payouts for current employees by requiring them to draw down on time already accrued.
"Sick leave not a bonus for retirement or a supplemental source of income- it is to afford employees the ability to recover from illness," he stated. "Local governments like South Brunswick should not have to borrow hundreds of thousands or, in some cases, millions of dollars to cover this lavish benefit for those who serve the public."
According to The Star-Ledger, South Brunswick borrowed $525, 000 to pay 18 retiring employees for unused sick and vacation time.
"Once again, the Senate is meeting with no plans to help reduce the cost of government," Bateman said. "It is no wonder that our property taxes are the highest in the nation when Trenton Democrats call common-sense reforms like this one 'garbage'."
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