Monday, June 27, 2011, 9:34 AM
Bob Braun/Star-Ledger Columnist
TRENTON — Sorry, but there were no “union thugs” on the streets of Trenton last week when the Legislature voted to impose thousands of dollars of new and unexpected costs on a half-million public workers and retirees. And, if the day brought a great political victory by Gov. Chris Christie over big, bad unions, it is likely to come at great cost to just plain people.
People like David Crowell, 70, who was there. A retired teacher from Newfield. He didn’t act thuggish at all. He acted scared.
“I don’t know what the future will be like,’’ said Crowell, who just lost his expected cost of living increases in his pension. His pension, when he’s 80, will be the same as it is today.
Kelly McNeal of Wayne was there, too. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Congo, she now teaches at William Paterson University. She was there with her daughters Ellie, 12, and Sophia, 8. She just lost $4,000 a year. “I didn’t expect that,” she says.
Read full article at http://blog.nj.com/njv_bob_braun/2011/06/braun_pension_overhaul_unfairl.html