Christie gave raises to 27 staff members this year, report says

Christie gave raises to 27 staff members this year, report says
By Salvador Rizzo/The Star-Ledger on May 29, 2014

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie in the last two months gave raises to the staff members who run his press shop, his schedule and his public appearances, according to a report by The Record.

Of the 27 staff members who got their salary bumped, 24 are aides who set the stage at his town halls, handle his image in the media or schedule his events.

Some of the biggest raises went to Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the governor, and Dan Robles, a personal assistant who travels with Christie. Each started receiving an extra $35,000 this year, according to data obtained by The Record.

After leaving government last year to serve as a spokesman for Christie's re-election campaign, Roberts is now back in the governor's office as a deputy communications director earning $110,000 a year. Robles is now the director of planning, making $115,000 a year.

"Changes in salary in the main reflect changes in position, promotions, or expanded job responsibilities for these staff members," Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak told the newspaper. (Drewniak's salary was bumped up nearly 4 percent, to $134,000 a year.)

The Christie administration reportedly declined to provide the data until The Record filed a lawsuit.

Christie handed out the raises for his staff at a difficult time for the state's budget. The Republican governor is dealing with a $2.7 billion shortfall in expected revenue for the current fiscal year and the following one, which begins July 1.

In response to the crisis, Christie said he would cut two payments meant for public workers' pensions — from a combined $3.8 billion to $1.38 billion, which is less than Christie promised under a 2011 pension overhaul he signed, and much less than what financial experts say is needed to be fully funding state workers' retirement plans.

Christie is also planning to delay $395 million in property tax relief checks for seniors and disabled residents by nine months, from August to May.

The salary increases will add more than $338,000 a year to the payroll for the governor's office, unless they were offset by reductions elsewhere in Christie's office budget.

A very gluttenous, greedy Slovenor Chris Christie gave huge raises to 27 staff members all the while he is saying he we can't afford our cops, firemen, teachers and state workers. But note that this fat mother f$#%er is only eating up the hard working little guys wages (those who need it most). These 27 crony staff workers ARE state employees! But there part of the greedy governor's team arren't they. During the last four years we have heard Slovenly Christie complain of double dipping pension scammers (while a few who operate under his protective shadow double dip), we have heard him say that state workers MUST sacrifice out of necessity (while he and his cohorts, sate employees all, profit and yes, they too will receive pensions), we have heard his take on all sorts of austerity measures, which are not called austerity measures but are cloaked under other guises (we shall now come them Christerity measures) while he protects the super wealthy 1% of NJ and helps huge mega corporate monguls (like the Rockafeller Corporation) record breaking tax breaks that lead to huge profits, and these only list a few. Its time the fat rat in Rhino's clothing gets unclothed so the public can see him for what he really is: A BIG FAT DIRTY RAT!!!! Keep your hands off our pension funds and benefits!