Governor Christie Won’t Compromise On Sick Leave Payouts [AUDIO]

Don’t expect Governor Christie to change his mind, and support a democratic proposal to cap unused sick day cash payouts for retiring public workers at 75 hundred dollars. Last night on Townsquare Media’s Ask The Governor Program, Christie said taxpayers in towns all over Jersey already have to kick in hundreds – and sometimes thousands of dollars for these sick leave awards, and if he were to agree to the proposal the democrats want, “that’s adding another 3 and a quarter billion dollars- 3 and a quarter billion on top of what we’ve accumulated already- I mean this should be the end of it right here…the gift for not getting sick is not being sick – and you should not get paid for it – people in the private sector don’t get to cash out their sick leave – this is out outrageous!”

• Watch a replay of Ask The Governor

The Governor then said “this is a matter of principal for me and for the Lut. Governor – our view on this is that zero should mean zero – and I’m not going to give in on this one – I’m sorry – and they’re wrong…it’s a criminal expenditure of money – when people are complaining to me- rightfully so – about the lack of certain funds in the state- we can’t do this and we can’t do that -this is money that we’re just throwing out the window.”

He also said the argument that public workers are counting on sick leave payout money for their retirement is ludicrous, because:

“These are all people who get a taxpayer funded pension- we’re already paying them to retire- now we got to pay them for this? Sorry- I’m not compromising on this…I know it’s hard for them to admit when they’re wrong, but they’ve got to.”