Monmouth County New Jersey Looks To Privatize Prison System Over "Unsustainable Union Salaries"

In Monmouth County New Jersey, county legislators known as "Freeholders" are looking to privatize the prison system.

Please consider Put shackles on jail costs.

Monmouth County Freeholder John D'Amico last week proposed turning the county jail over to a private operator, saying the union salaries paid to the 300 correction officers who work there are "unsustainable."

That's putting it mildly

The two highest-paid workers in the county last year were corrections officers, who more than doubled their base pay with overtime. Dana J. Townsend and Robert B. Kornett were the beneficiaries of an out-of-control system. In 2009, both of them raked in $186,000 each — $11,000 more than Gov. Chris Christie. And each received more than $98,000 in overtime alone.

More than 200 guards are due to receive the top-step base salaries of $89,000 or $90,500 if the union's proposals are adopted in pending interest arbitration. Last year, 36 corrections officers made more than $130,000 in base pay and overtime, and 150 made more than $100,000.

The abuses of overtime and excessive salaries paid to corrections officers are nothing new. It's time to do something about it. Taxpayers should let the freeholders know they need to bring the wildly inflated costs under control.

Difficult times often call for drastic measures. Privatization of the Monmouth County jail must be a serious option and not merely a bargaining chip to be used against the union.

If you live in Monmouth County New Jersey, this is your chance. Call your "Freeholders" and have all your friends do the same. It is time to rid yourselves of the prison union totally.

There can be no compromises because public union greed knows no bounds. They will come back again, and again and again, wanting more and more and more.

This is your chance to abolish a public union that needs to go. Compromise is not an option.

The vote is March 11. Make those calls now. Your tax rates depend on it.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List