In NJ, ‘middle class’ is code for ‘Gov. union worker’ (Opinion)

My grandparents were poor immigrants who rose to "middle class" status. They didn't work for the government because no one wanted "their kind" in the club that is and was government work at the time. My parents were middle class and my siblings and I are all middle class. The backbone of the American economy, right? But when you hear Governor Murphy talk about the "middle class" and how it's been "hollowed out" by the previous administration, he's talking solely about union and government union jobs.

The rest of us can all go to Hell. We don't have a huge lobbying group and well funded effort to elect carpet-bagging politicians like Uncle Phil. I have a neighbor who was a teacher at the time and when I brought up the fact that he would burn through his "pension contributions" in three to five years he stopped talking to me for almost 10 years. Not because I was rude or cursed at him. It was because I was right. But if I had the same deal as him, I wouldn't want to have an in depth, real conversation with someone like me either!

This is the biggest problem in our state and has been for years. There will be more discussion on this in the current budget talks and beyond, between crazy Uncle Phil and the legislature. Even Senate President STEVE SWEENEY(!!!) realizes that the current system is unsustainable and is leading us to fiscal Armageddon in our state and is leaning toward moving to a 401k plan for government workers.

If you don't believe me, read some of the facts in this excellent article by our own renowned statehouse reporter Michael Symons. I realize it's a dry subject and no one likes bring it up at a summer barbecue with their "state worker" friends or relatives. So just forward Michael's article to them. He won't care if your neighbor or brother-in-law doesn't talk to him for ten years!

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