Picking on State Workers

In Sunday's Trentonian there was a letter to the editor from a state worker who was clearly miffed at the perception that state workers are the reason that state is in financial trouble. The state workforce is not the only cause for Trenton's financial problems however it is clearly a major contributor. And it's not just about how hard people work that matters.



Our state governent employs a tremendous number of hard working individuals who are as dedicated in their jobs as anyone. But this state also employs a large number of people who gained their employment through patronage. And those jobs are often in questionable areas and departments whose value is marginal to the states interests at best. We should have a test where all citizens in the state are given the department name and a 50 word description of its principle functions and reason for existance. And then let the citizens vote on whether to keep it. My suspician is that we would cut state government overnight by a large margin.



Another challenge for state workers is their insistance on benefits long discarded in the commercial business community. Imagine the fact the the people paying the bill are entitled to neither the wage levels paid by the state nor the very generous health and pension benefits enjoyed by state workers. This is courtesy of a public union presence in New Jersey that is at least overly influencial and not in the public interest and at worst downright corrupt (does anyone forget the Governor's ex-girlfriend negotiating with the state while literally under the informal payroll of Corzine himself?).



State workers should relax. If their role and the role of the department is in the public interest, it should continue to serve the people of New Jersey. I suspect that many people have some doubts as to the value of their jobs to the state. In the private sector it is always interesting to see the employees that get most nervous during times of rumored downsizing or layoffs. Invariably, they are people who question their own value to the organizaion and worry that management had finally figured it out.



The letter writer did bring up an interesting point that should be addressed if true. It was alleged that a large nunber of state government workers are commuting into Trenton and other places from out of state. Now, I have a real problem with paying the highest tax burden in the US to enrich another state's populace. And if the answer we would get from these people is that they had to move because they couldn't afford New Jersey anymore, we should let them know that New Jersey can no longer afford them.

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