Well said, bravo. Social Security currently has a trust fund worth $2.7 trillion and it's always earning interest. In spite of the claims of the right wingers and libertarians, the SS trust fund is real and those special issue treasury bonds are just a valid and real as the treasury bonds that US citizens and foreign governments hold. The SS trust fund treasury notes are backed by the full faith and credit of the US government, as are all treasury bonds. The SS trust fund is just as valid as all treasury bonds or our currency. Just raise or eliminate the SS wage tax cap and SS will be good for generations. As it stands now, Bill Gates only pays SS tax on the first $110,100 of his humongous income. There is no SS crisis, even after 2033, SS could still pay 75% of benefits even if nothing is done. SS never really goes bankrupt.
In 1978, George W. Bush told the Texas Observer that SS would go bankrupt in 10 years. He lied then and he lied in 2005 when he tried to privatize SS.

If anyone's dividing this country, it's OBOMBER and his goons on the left. We need to get rid of these stupid entitlement programs as they're only enslaving future generations. Those on the left are always shouting "Tax the rich!" but America already has the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Utter nonsense, just like the rest of these rants you post.

So whats your agenda Bob? What do you need? Because it sounds like you want something and you want someone else to give it to you like most left wingers! Do you think that the government is the best entity to spend your money? The people who think this are the people who probably have their hand out waiting for the government to give it to them. Do you want to know the real reason why the democrats can pull in 50% of the vote in this government, its because about half of the people in this country don't pay a dime in taxes and about 25 - 30% get money back from the federal government! Here are a couple of quotes from Thomas Jefferson... you remember him, the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence. "I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious" and "Most bad government has grown out of too much government".

How about Benjamin Franklin another founding father..."When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." We are heading in the wrong direction, big gov't is not the answer a smaller more efficient gov't is the answer. That is what I believe conservative republicans stand for, its not about making the rich richer and the poor poorer, its about making a fair and equitable system that makes the whole country better. I don't know about you but a poor person never gave me a job. Gov't is out of control and it needs to be reigned in. You talk about "public workers, especially teachers and cops" as being the little guy. Do you know what these people make? They aren't the little guy... are you crazy. I know teachers that make 75 to 80K a year and then have a substantial pension to boot! Police officers that make 100-130K a year and collecting a million or 2 in pension after retiring... little guy...yeah right! I believe in capitalism and free and open competition. Its funny that you talk about Bernie Madoff and Social Security in the same sentence because you know what the quintessential ponzi scheme is Social Security! You know who owns more of our 15+ trillion $'s in debt... its not China! It's us the federal gov't owes us approximately 6 trillion dollars, they borrowed it from other social programs! So, if this government goes into the toilet, which is the direction it is heading, who is going to get screwed, we are.

The wealthy don't care if the Tea Baggers kill Soc. Sec. and Medicare (because they're wealthy). The rich guys just want to keep their tax breaks. Romney pays a lower rate than his maid does.

Well said, Bob, but the right-wing-nut comments above show that Faux News brainwashing supercedes common sense.

Typical liberal BS.The top 5% earners pay over 50% of all the taxes. 49% of all households pay NO taxes. Ironically Obama (who greatly expanded the food stamp program) grew up with Welfare and his Aunt ,an illegal immigrant from Kenya, living in Boston collected social security disability benefits for over 30 years. Social security is a pyramid scheme. The very first lady to collect, never paid into the system.It will go broke.
Back to public workers.Yeah, we taxpayers love to pay for cops to retire in their 40's with a 6 figure pension and 6 figure payout for unused sick and vacation pay.Go to N.J.watchdog.org to see a list of public workers with 6 figure pensions. Jumped 28% from the year before and that doesn't include the health benefits and 6 figure payout for unused sick and vacation pay. Wasn't it In Parsippany where 3 cops each got over $300,000 for unused sick and vacation pay. I believe the town actually had to borrow the money to pay off these guys..There are literally thousands of cases like this.
Christie doesn't have a problem with the teachers, it's with the teacher's union that yearly takes in $125 million in dues. Which is really taxpayer money. See what's bankrupting Europe? Public worker entitlements.

I just notice something, Bob has something in common with all the people he mentioned in the title to his article. He's turning Americans against each other! How ironic!

Bob, like so many libs, is quickly finding out that America is tired of the $pending and want it reigned in.
Bob, like so many libs, is having a bit of a hissy fit about it too.

You base your opinions on what, Bob? Inserts from the latest DNC campaign flyer? I used to be liberal. I became a social worker. I still hold many liberal positions. I've worked in the public sector for over 32 years working with those on welfare, the homeless, child abuse/neglect, the hungry, etc. No one here has any idea how much waste, fraud and abuse there is in the system. It would shock even the most conservative here. And I'm talking about both sides of the system. Clients and workers. My agency could have easily lost 1/3 of the work force with no loss of service to clients. The clients? Probably fraud and abuse in a good third to a half of all that is spent.
The "attack" on the public sector and social programs is well deserved. My opinion is based on first hand experience. In the streets, thousands of cases, 32 years.

Whiting folk said: ".....about half of the people in this country don't pay a dime in taxes and about 25 - 30% get money back from the federal government!" Oh yeah, those terrible retirees on fixed incomes who pay little or nothing in INCOME TAXES should be taxed some more. These poor people that you are bashing do pay sales taxes, excise taxes, gas taxes, wage taxes, if they are still working and property taxes, if they still own a small shack. What a sad commentary on this country that people often working 2 or 3 jobs still don't make enough to pay income taxes while CEO pay skyrockets. I think you mean the rich corporations of which some pay no income taxes some years and still manage to get hundreds of millions in refunds. No way do US corporations actually pay the actual 35% rate. There are so many loopholes and legal tax dodges that they never pay the 35% rate and often pay 0%. But hey, that's OK because the rich must be rewarded and poor people must suffer some more according to right wing blowhards. During the Eisenhower years, the top marginal tax rate was.......91%. The economy was booming and everyone's boat was rising even though the filthy rich were paying a much higher income tax rate. The official income tax rate for the super rich was 91% but the effective tax rate after loopholes was 51%. Hey, I would be for the top rich people paying a 51% top marginal tax rate. Right wingers want to punish the poor and reward the rich.

With a liberal yell,
They cried more, more, more.
With a liberal yell,
They cried more, more, more.....
MORE, MORE, MORE

Ask not what you can do for your country,
but ask what more can your country give to you for "free".

Reagan lowered taxes in 1981 but then he raised taxes almost every year after that. Reagan was a big tax raiser as governor of CA. As president, Reagan almost doubled the wage tax. Within a few years of his presidency, Reagan almost tripled the national debt. Notice how right wingers accuse you of being a commie if you dare disagree with their nonsense. It's that old Joe McCarthy routine. Sorry, after 1981, Reagan RAISED taxes many times. He had to raise taxes because his tax break for millionaires was a massive revenue loss.

Republicans are for the "working man"

Democrats are for the " I don't want to have to work man".

The reason I stopped reading the Asbury Park Press and the star Ladger is because of writers like this Bob Griffiths person. I am sure that many feel the same way about Archie Bunker Sholty.

I guess the patch wants to turn away readers also.

Why is this jerk featured as the "Local Voices"? Obviously he's a democRATic hate monger who rants and raves making no sense. Hey Patch get rid of this guy. He makes the Patch look no better then that rag Asbury Park Press.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The One Percents are loaded $$ and barring any new campaign finance laws,those super pacs will fund GOP politicians that protect the rich (from a fair tax code) ,while doing very little that benefits the middle class or the poor.Dems fight to give common folks opportunity, so that people that work hard will be able to obtain the American Dream.

"john 57 "and "too much to say " it must be fun living in your fantasy world. first off the recession and meltdown that nitwit bush left us with including 8 % and climbing unemployment is the reason more people are on food stamps.reagan increased the debt ceiling 18 times as well as giving 4 million illegals many of whom were felons amnesty. if reagan was around today the republicants would be calling him a socialist. reagan's voo doo economics are the same as today's useless bush tax cuts. faux news has you all trained well. set the middle class at each other's throats while romney laughs all the way to his swiss bank. yes romney the gov who presided over the 47th out of 50 states in job creation . hey at least he was better than gov walker who is 50 th out of 50 states in creating jobs. sometimes i think you ancient republicants just need some of the activia yogurt jamie lee curtis needs to have a bowel movement to clear the s##t out of your heads.

here are some words from your saint ronnie "we,re going to close some of the unproductive loopholes that have allowed some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share" - ronald reagan

want a few more numbers ? here are dem presidents v.s rep presidents in non govt job creation ..... reagan created 16 million jobs ..... carter 10.3 million jobs ... clinton 22.7 million jobs (no wonder why republicons did a witch hunt on his sex scandal they sure couldnt mention his jobs record) .... daddy bush 2.9 million jobs..... bush jr in 8 yrs 1.7 million jobs (the sad sack of job creation) . to sum up for you johnny 5 or whatever your name is between 1980 till 2009 3 republican presidents combined still created 2 million fewer jobs than clinton did in 8. translation republicons dont do this" job creator" thing very well at all do they johnny?

and moe (formerly of 3 stooges fame) corporations are paying less now than they were when miami vice was on tv. ireland had a booming economy a few yrs ago with people leaving here to get jobs there. then the conservatives took power. result? ireland has a 14 % unemployment rate 30% among youth with zero economic growth. the suicide rate is out of control . if romney wins in nov ireland will be our future.

" just braying" do you remember when teachers, public employees , school bus drivers, planned parenthood and pbs crashed the stock market, wiped out our 401 k's, took trillions in govt bailouts, spilled oil in the gulfof mexico , gave themselves billions in bonuses and laundered their money in the cayman islands? yeah me neither

Thank you for understanding of what the United States has become. Your simple explanation of the attacks on working families is dead on. The only problem is the Democrates are deaf or dumb or they have lost their spine. Your explanation should be on the lips of every democratic politician especially the President but they are no where to be found.

Why is it that the liberals overwhelmingly throw blame on everyone but their own people and when they can't show facts, they start name calling? Its simple math people! Although, by the fact that our kids math scores are WELL below those of other industrial countries due to the uber-liberal "nobody fails because it would make them feel bad" policy, I can understand why many can't figure out the simple math...

Very well stated Mr Griffiths. Unfortunately, most people ignore facts and stand by their ideology, even when it is to their detriment. You only need look at the comments to witness just how well the strategy to divide is working.

"By removing this exemption for the 6 percent of Americans in this income category we ensure that the other 94 percent will have retirement security for decades to come." Unless what I get back from SS also increases accordingly, this is just another tax in my opinion. We are all taxed enough...why should people who work hard and earn more be responsible for this poorly run government agency?

SS is a 77 year old success story. It has not missed a payment in all those years through wars, recessions, economic ups and downs. The GOP, libertarians and right wingers have been predicting the downfall of SS for 77 years. In the 1930s, the GOP was saying that SS would lead to socialism, communism, totalitarianism, blah, blah...sound familiar? In the 1960s, Ronald Reagan said that Medicare would lead to a loss of freedom, socialism, blah, blah, sound familiar? If not for SS, many seniors would be completely destitute and out in the gutter. SS is not just for seniors, it also includes survivors' benefits and disability insurance. And the notion that the government is selectively going to default on the SS trust fund treasuries but will honor the treasury bonds that banks, foreign countries and US citizens (like me) hold is prepsoterous. If the US government selectively reneges on the SS treasury notes held by the SS trust fund, it will threaten the whole monetary system and undermine all the other traesury bonds held by millions of Americans and many other entities.

yes joe ss was successful until reagan and the gop began plundering it in 1985.

tonite the faux news drones will be tuned with full attention to sean hannity a multi millionaire who will instruct them on how to think about things. drug addicts like rush limbaugh another mega millionaire will be worrying about paying 3% more in taxes. like that guy said during the hindenburg crash " oh my God , the humanity"

you should not be allowed to write.
I am SICK of paying union dues whether I want to or not. It's UNAMERICAN, just like you. You should go live in Europe with the rest of your liberal friends.

Stacey is the new censor. She doesn't believe in free speech. It's unAmerican to have a different opinion from Stacey or to disagree with Fixed News. She is SICK of union dues but HAPPY to get the raises and benefits that her union fights for. Stacey, there are plenty of non-union jobs with lower pay and no benefits. Your union fights for you, for better work place conditions, better pay and benefits. I guess you hate all those things and would rather have lower pay, no benefits and be at the total mercy of a vindictive boss. Stacey is unAmerican because she's against free speech, freedom of association (unions) and wants to deport certain American citizens to Europe for no legitimate reason.

Hey! It's another Bob Griffiths letter. It must be summer vacation at Clown College.

"Elizabeth Warren for United States Senate."

YES everyone has diffrent ideas & why & who the ecomony is the way that it is right now & all of them have some good points.. BUT the bottom like is we al REALLY want the samethings at the end of the day. & What is distrusturbing is the Greed.
I have worked most of my life since I was 15. I now have teenagers & want to get back to working fultime again ( after only working parttime while the kids where younger) The companies stare right in your face without laughing & offer me the same amount of money per hr that I was making 25+ yrs ago ... with no long term benfits, 401k etc... NOTHING... infact PPL are standing in lines " fighting" over 150$ a week jobs some ppl NEED those jobs & will take them bcz there is nothing else out there & NJ unemployement extentions are NO longer exsisting ( even if you have funds left in your account) ... While everything else is costing us more... LUCKLY my husband does ok. BUT there is no such thing as retirement, sending our kids to college etc... Those things have become a thing of the past & its very sad

& when we see & hear of our school Amist & Supers making 160,000-200,000 PLus when we are all stuggling & WE are asked to vote for budgets that ARE not going to our childrens education Or Schools upkeep thats what causes the animosity

Bob,
I thought the press was supposed to remain unbiased. I sounds to me like you can't except the fact that some people have a different opinion than you.
The simple fact is that most folks will collect considerably more from Social Security than they contribute, add to that our government's (both Rep. & Dem.) unpredictable urge to borrow from what seems at the time to be a lot of money and you have a system that may or may not be there in the future. In short it would be in yours and my best interest not to count on SS being there when we need it.
That said, rich, uber rich upper middle class and middle class are all relative terms. Most of us live in a world of 72 degrees, 1000 channels of cable, vinyl siding, smart phones, and although a bit pricey, the finest health care system in the world.
With that said, every single one of us will have ups and downs in our lives. We will gain and loose jobs. Just because someone went to college, works for the town, or scurried under the fence at the border doesn't mean the world owes them. We all rise and fall of our own merits. Although I'm all for Paying-it -forward, forced philanthropy is not the answer.
This great country was built by people that took a chance. They walked through the wilderness in the heat and cold, with insects crawling on them wondering where the next meal would come from, all without smartphones.
In short, man up, get out of your he-man underoos and except that some folks don't agree with you.

well put Stinger. Thank you.

The only threat to Social Security are Republicans who have been bad mouthing it for 77 years. SS will be there for all of us unless some GOPer gets the chance to "privatize" it or turn it over to Wall Street financial geniuses (the same ones who tanked the economy in 2008). The right wing billionaires and a lazy media have done a good job of dumbing down certain gullible fools that SS is broke and won't be there for you. SS is not in crisis, it is in great shape, all they need to do is drastically raise the wage cap or gradually eliminate the wage cap & SS will be good for generations.

I have a little game to play with you guys... I give a nickel to everyone who puts in a coherent statement that pertains to the dissertation that Bob G. put up to us in his blog. Some of you will put effort into the putting together valid arguments with points that are backed up with facts that can be verified. Some of you will just call the other bloggers comments stupid or say things that aren’t true and can’t be backed up. Twenty five of you that work hard will write 20 posts and will get the dollar you deserved by working hard and putting effort into your posts. Twenty five of you will be pretty good and write 20 posts that half are good and you will get the 50 cents you deserve. Twenty five of you will be middle of the road and write 15 posts of which 7 are good. You’ll get 35 cents. Twenty five of you will post once maybe twice and they are awful beyond belief. You earn nothing. At the end of our experiment everyone gets there money we all earned collectively $46.25. I then ask you to put all the money back to me and we split it up equally among the 100. We all get $.46. You tell me what you think about my plan and how these people will start behaving in subsequent blogs where I repeat this little game. PS – I kept the extra $.25 for myself call it government waste.

Thanks Bob. It is amazing how many people are blind to what is really happening. Trickledown effect; someone is turning off the faucet completely. Until you can find a way to put money in the hands of the middle and lower classes the economy will remain stagnated. Those people spending money will be what creates demand for products which creates more jobs. Do CEOs really need a salary of $25 million? Think they could live on $10 million?

Government needs to get out of the way, stop regulating, stop stopping and let the economy work. Capitalism work best when not restrained.

Bob,
Did I misunderstand? Aren't you a reporter or representative of the patch press?

Stinger,
I believe anyone can write a blog on Patch. Many are professionals or business owners sharing information. Gets them some free press. Others think they know something about something and bless us with their wisdom. Bob shares his opinions about politics. Nothing wrong with that. His right. He's opinions would carry a lot more weight if he'd share with us how he came to his opinions. Does he draw on his profession? Formal education? Life experiences? Info packet from the DNC? I asked before. He won't say.

Bob,
My apologies. I was not aware that patch had an open blog of this sort. I thought Patch had gone done the path of Msnbc and Fox news.

Accepted, I happen to feel strongly about Freedom of Speech, it is vital that regardless of our differences we explain our position as informed, concerned, and knowledgable citizens out of true concern for our beloved nation and people. In spite of our expressed love of Freedom of Speech there are those that cannot tolerate a different opinion and that is why Patch plays a vital role in providing and open forum, without prejudice to either side. Patch should be commended for their support of Freedom of Speech, not attacked.

I would like to clarify one thing SSI is not an entitlement program, it’s in the name Social Security Insurance when was the insurance dropped? Most people paid into to this from the first day they worked the vault should be over flowing today but Washington thought our money was their Entitlement fund to pillage and use for special reelection projects. SSI was set up for one thing and one thing only to help people survive after retirement! And don’t blame the Republicans or the Democrats they ALL are at fault here.
And Mr. Griffiths don’t blame the economic woes of our country on the republicans, blame them all but you can’t forget that you put an absolute looser in the oval office, (Your Community Organizer in CHIEF) he surrounds himself with academics and professional politicians who now ZERO about how to run a business or make money all they know is how is the ideology of spending other people’s money” OURS”! BHO had both houses in his pocket for two years and he wasted time and money and did nothing! If he had a clue he could have done great things as the Republicans failed to do when they had control, but they are not in the oval office BHO is and it’s his ball so stop blaming others for his failures! You are definitely an OBAMA ZOMBIOE!

Bob is confused....very!

When Obama care kicks in if you sell your home the government is going to take 3.8% of your profit,along with various other taxes built in to a failed plan.

I am a blue collar public worker, and I work harder than any worker in my field in the private sector. I make less money then they do too. My wife is a teacher, and every night after we help our children with their homework. She spends between a hour and a half to two hours grading papers and making lesson plans. Seven years ago, we were looked down upon by other couples because they were making six figures in the banking, mortgage industry, or whatever was the big thing at that time. Now that these people aren't making that money anymore, it's time to attack the public workers. There are systems in place to discipline and fire non productive workers. Please stop bashing people you know nothing about.

yeah pete capitalism works best when "not restrained" that worked out so good we had to bail them out to the tune of $7.7 trillion dollars for their lack of restraint trading toxic assets back in 2008 . wow its like no one remembers anything before 2009 happened. stacey its simple if you dont like being in a union that fights for you and gets you paid holidays and health coverage just quit. walmart always has plenty of openings. stacey somewhere i,m sure very near you there is a boyfriend or husband in the garage with the door closed and engine running just to make the noise you make just end. berkeley lifer glad to see you got out in only 3 months this time for good behavior. i bet your looking forward to a hamburger on the grill after 3 months of bologna sandwiches at the county. happy holiday.

@ wheres murrow http://www.newsmax.com/GroverNorquist/Obamacare-20-hidden-taxes/2012/06/29/id/443995

Both parties purposely refuse to discuss true long term solutions to NJ's social and economic crises even though they acknowledge the power and validity of that solution. NJ would be truly "business friendly" to the point the state could stop subsidizing corporations to the tune of $825 million. The cost of your home owners insurance and your car insurance will go down. everything would be cheaper to make in NJ. businesses will be paying to come to NJ. With this solution comes jobs in the private and public sectors. There are over 105 economic social and economic reasons why this solution will work. If this solution were in effect in 2010 the State government would have reduced employee related costs by 2.2 billion dollars without layoffs. In 2011, 477 of NJ's 566 municipalities would have cumulatively reduced their employee related costs by $940 mil +/- and the 21 counties, $500 mil +/-. now use this same concept with every school, college, and university budget & the whole Private sector. The above can all be accomplished by giving 100% of NJ's residents, 100% quality healthcare with cradle to grave coverage. The affordable care act won't do that. a single payer healthcare system is "privately provided" by the private sector, and "publicly funded" paid for with a 4.5 - 9% payroll tax and a 1-2% income tax. Single payer way to a progressive welfare reform. The beginning of the end of the unending enablement by government and dependency by the poor

here is another link http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/taxes-going-pay-pay-obamacare-145413745.html

So explain how a 2000 page bill which Pelosi said she didn't even read is not going to railroad the middle class?

Here are some of the new taxes you're going to have to pay to pay for Obamacare:
A 3.8% surtax on "investment income" when your adjusted gross income is more than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint-filers). What is "investment income?" Dividends, interest, rent, capital gains, annuities, house sales, partnerships, etc. Taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to 18.8%--if Congress extends the Bush tax cuts. If Congress does not extend the Bush tax cuts, taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to a shocking 43.8%. (WSJ)

Bob,
If you can't see that Obama is owned by the same globalists and banksters as Bush, Clinton, et al, then you need to dig the potatoes out of your eyes. Google "UN Initiative 21" and really take the time to read and absorb what it means to us as citizens. It is happening right now. Our civil liberties have vanished. Drones in domestic airspace, FEMA camps, "Patriot" Act (renewed under current puppet admin), the TSA and Homeland Secruity... and on and on and on.
Just dismiss it as "crazy"- that's just the way they intended it to be passed off amongst the masses. Remember, the government would never even think of actually lying to us...Right??

Lost in the fog of misinformation spread by the corporate right regarding the Affordable Care Act are a host of protections provided to working-class American Families. One of these provisions that the Republicans ignore is the provision of the Health Care Act that guarantees and expands Black Lung Compensation not only coal miners but also their Widows after the coal miners die slowly from this horrible work related disease. The Coal Companies have supplied considerable money to right wing organizations spreading misinformation about the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The corporate Republicans have supported the Coal Companies against the coal miners and their widows for the last 60 years, somethings never change.

Can anyone give me ONE reason they are better off under King Obama

Obama has lowered taxes, ended the war in Iraq, is winding down the war in Afghanistan, helped to prevent depression #2, started Obamacare and kept that clown Sarah Palin away from the White House.

@ joe r...Obama didnt lower taxes. He didnt end the war in Iraq. He didnt help prevent depression #2. He signed Obamacare but wrote the bill? No knows who wrote it. A group of unelected liberal socialists wrote the bill before obama was even elected.

We still have tens of thousands of soldiers in Iraq, and they are dyig every day. We have tens of thousands of soldiers in Afghanistand and they are dying every day.

Obama is borrowing 4 billion dollars a day just to kep the government operating.

Obamacare is going to ruin the healthcare industry and be one of the major causes of our economic collapse.

Thank god Iraq got fed up with the US occupation and ended the war on the date agreed upon by the puppet bush. obama wanted to keep bases in Iraq only Iraq would have none of it. he didn't end the war he just couldn't continue it in the interests of the profiteers

and the only he depression he prevented was one with the top 1%.

the person (one) that wrote the affordable care act is the same person who wrote the plan for Massachusetts health-care system with a mandate (a republican idea from the Clinton era). he was an executive from the health insurance industry. Duh

Ooh, ooh look at me. I write a crappy liberal blog on The Patch. Boy am I important. Look at me. I am somebody. I am a blogger on the Patch.

Now how many off-shore bank accounts does Romney have to avoid taxation ????

A brilliant essay!

On 6/27 Pete said "Progressive (s) give the villagers fish every day to make them dependent, conservatives give them fishing poles and teach them to fish so they can feed themselves." Actually, from what I've seen over the last three decades, I would have to say that "Conservatives give them fishing poles and tell them to go fish so they can feed themselves, after the conservatives have already used nets to take most of the fish out of the pond."

TEACHERS and POLICEMEN have evolved into the Upper Class!!! Wake up, America!!!
Fact: a Kindergarten teacher in Stafford Twp. brings in $137,000/year.
Fact: a Barnegat Policeman makes $80+/hour overtime to sit in a car while construction is going on around him.
We're being bullied into thinking they SHOULD be earning this money!!!

DHS: OH please, spare me the anti-union anti-public sector worker garbage. If that teacher, BIG IF, is earning that much, then maybe she has been teaching for 47 years and has advanced degrees and she's teaching in a very super rich school district. Only a small fraction of NJ teachers are getting $100K. Please stop the stupid nonsense. The average teacher salary is no where close to $100K. DHS is another teacher hater. If you think most teachers are earning $100k, then go ahead, get an education and become a teacher. Police risk life and limb every day to save lives. They never know if they will end up dead or disabled for life at the end of their shift. Meanwhile, in the real world, billionaires nearly destroyed our economy and nearly brought on great depression #2. Teachers and policemen are the upper class? So what are Bill Gates, Michael Dell, the Koch brothers and the Waltons? If you think policemen have it so cushy and are making too much money, then become a cop. Just a jealous jerk.

DHES, I dont know where you get your info from but they dont even come in the same town as the truth.

What teacher do you know that makes 137$G a year, that is ridiculous. Unless they are an administrator. Not even a regular run of the mill person would believe that. Teachers (who are just teachers and hold no other positions) are one of the lowest paid jobs in the state.

Secondly, this paper has been over this 1000 times but we always get someone writing the same thing over and over again. The Construction company pays for officers to stand by at their construction sites, not the police dept and not the town! You have a problem with it bring it up with the construction company.

If you want more money... GO TO SCHOOL. Stop complaining. And just to get the question out of the way, I am neither a teacher nor a police officer. I just cant stand when people put ignorant false statements up.

Let's bash teachers and the police, basically middle class workers, because they are earning outrageous wages??!? Wow, that is so wrong headed. The top one percent have succeeded in having lower class workers fighting against each other. Meanwhile, top hedge fund managers and the Wall Street geniuses who landed us in the great recession earn $137,000 a day. If this country has sunk to the level of demonizing and swiftboating teachers, the police and other public sector workers as financial elites then we are truly doomed.

Conservatives are handing out fishing poles? Hey, that's socialism.

ALL the parties are for there own interests,,The healthcare bill read it some time its like a loaded potatoe its get everything in it (To give the politicians in each state everything they wanted) The best deal is the illegals they get all health care free ,you cant tax them if they have no insurance they have no social security # own nothing ,no leins can be placed against them, Take jobs , go to our public schools we get taxed for it based on eg. lets say $10,000 a student it costs to educate x 100 illegals ==1,000,000 tac that on to your property tax plus the extra you get charged at the hospital....lets stop the bleeding of our money,,Create manufacturing jobs.shut the border down, if more people had real full time jobs they probably would have health insurance...Thats the person i want for office instead of a clerk at the white house who keeps giving everything away to every other country & there citizens .US first ...I guess thats a hard concept to grasp for government......

anyone who believes that either party is for the "middle class" is a blind sheep who either went left or right at "their" mature moment. Neither party helps the middle class. NEITHER.. The Dems are slaving for the poor and immigrant vote and the repubs are for the rich, super rich and blind sheep middle class citizens that think they are on the level of the first rung of the rich.. Wake up... The parties have pit all of us against each other. They should do away with the parties and all should have INDEPENDENT THINKING there's a thought?????

Whacky Bob loves big government as long as the democraps are in charge. I bet whacky Bob didnt like big government under Bush. Democrats hate war, the military, the FBI, the CIA, homeland security, the attorney general and all government security agencies only when republicans are running them.

As soon as the dems take over, Clinton or Obama, then every war is justified and all the secret agencies and intrusions on our personal lives and freedoms are somehow okay. Right BOB?

Mr. Griffiths don’t blame the economic woes of our country on the republicans, blame them all but you can’t forget that you put an absolute looser in the oval office, (Your Community Organizer in CHIEF) he surrounds himself with academics and professional politicians who now ZERO about how to run a business or make money all they know is how is the ideology of spending other people’s money” OURS”! BHO had both houses in his pocket for two years and he wasted time and money and did nothing! If he had a clue he could have done great things as the Republicans failed to do when they had control, but they are not in the oval office BHO is and it’s his ball so stop blaming others for his failures! You are definitely an OBAMA ZOMBIOE!

Mr. Bob Griffiths
Bravo, I believe. I am out every day signing up new voters, especially in Brick. Don't let the hate of the rich stop you from talking. I have to stop at OC Dems in TR for more Voter Registration forms. I tip my hat to you Bob Giffiths.