(Wayne, NJ) Giving $16 million in raises to some of the State’s highest paid government workers is rubbing salt in the wounds of New Jersey’s taxpayers, said Christian Barranco, a board member of the New Jersey Organization for Economic Growth.

Barranco, who serves as a labor specialist and a liaison to organized labor for the NJOEG, said the raises that Gov. Phil Murphy signed off on this Friday are “an unconscionable act of callous disregard for the people of New Jersey who are struggling to make ends meet in one of the most highly-taxed states in the country.”

Barranco said the raises will have a ripple effect through State and local governments – spurring more pay increases for other government workers and further damaging New Jersey’s strapped public-pension program, which is being crushed under the weight of exorbitant retirement benefits. “All these raises do is increase the financial burden on families and businesses and further worsen the economic climate of the State.”

The salary increases will go to what Barranco labeled as: “fat cats with political connections.” Those include the Governor’s cabinet officials and members of the Board of Public Utilities, who will get a $34,000 salary hike, from $141,000 to $175,000 a year. County prosecutors and Superior Court judges will ultimately get a $24,000 salary increase, phased in over three years; they are currently paid $165,000. Supreme Court justices currently make $185,000 and the chief justice collects nearly $193,000. Other county-level officials, such as clerks and sheriffs will also see their pay increase because their salaries are linked to those of Superior Court judges.

“None of these people need a raise. The BPU meets once a month – that’s hardly an overbearing workload. I don’t see any shortage of people for the positions of judge or prosecutor, and I don’t see a shortage of candidates for sheriff or county clerk,” said Barranco who serves as a labor specialist and a liaison to organized labor for the NJOEG.

“Sheriffs are already very well compensated with six-figure salaries plus pensions and luxurious health benefits that are unseen in the private-sector”, said Barranco. Twelve of the 21 county sheriffs in NJ make close to or more than $200,000 a year – led by Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, who is pulling down more than $260,000 a year in salary and pension.

Barranco is a veteran journeyman electrician and a member of IBEW Local 102, who works a project manager and supervisor on many industrial and energy infrastructure projects in NJ for major companies. He said the pay hikes demonstrate how out-of-touch the political elite are with the average taxpayers.

“The politicians who are supposed to represent us in Trenton have no understanding of what people in the private-sector earn and how much of their earnings go to support a selfish and elitist government.” Said Barranco who pointed out that the per-capita income for NJ is $37,538 and the median household income is $76,126.” The raise alone that the members of the BPU will get is nearly equal to what the average person in this State earns in a year. These raises are a kick in the teeth to working families.”
Legislators and the Governor justified the raises saying some people in the positions that will receive pay hikes haven’t had a raise in a decade. “I’m sure that I stand with the vast majority of people in New Jersey who don’t care that they haven’t had a raise in a decade. There are a lot of working people in this state that have not had a raise in 10 years,” said Barranco – “and no one is lining up to give them a pay hike of $24,000 to $34,000.”

REPUBLICANS SILENT

Barranco said that while he is not shocked at the pay hikes, he is sharply disappointed that the Republicans in the Legislature did not raise their voices in opposition to the increases.
“Where do the Republican legislators that claim to be fiscal conservatives stand on this increase? Where is the outrage over raises that cannot be justified or even responsibly funded by the state government,” asked Barranco. “Once again the people and the businesses of this state are getting crushed by ever-growing government spending and Republican legislators seem incapable of making a credible, intelligent argument and perform the duties that voters in their districts have put in their charge.”