Former New Jersey Governors: Christie’s Pension Victory is “Short Term”; Skipping Contributions “Not a Solution”

NJ.com interviewed two former New Jersey governors –Brendan T. Byrne and Tom Kean – this week, and both weighed in on the court’s recent pension ruling.

Here’s what they had to say, from NJ.com:

Q: The state Supreme Court ruled last week that the state, not the Court, must work out the issue of the state pension deficit. Will this allow Gov. Christie to further kick the can down the road, as some of his predecessors have, or is he obligated to work out a solution?

GOV. BYRNE: Everybody is obligated to work out a solution. The question is will they do it. Kicking it down the road, in the long term, is not a solution. So I would hope Christie will face the issue.

GOV. KEAN: It gives Christie a short-term victory, but only short term. Unless he, the leadership and the unions get down to serious negotiations, the state is in trouble. We can’t continue to have bond downgrades and lack of job creation in the state, and that will happen unless the unions, the leadership and the governor work something out.

Read the rest of the interview, which touches on other state topics, here.

Photo credit: “New Jersey State House” by Marion Touvel – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:New_Jersey_State_House.jpg. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons