Stop Paying for Politicians' Vacation, Sick Days

If successful, a new bill in the state Assembly would prohibit local and county officials from cashing in their unused sick and vacation days upon leaving office.

As the legislators debate and amend away down in Trenton, towns and counties across the state will be shelling out approximately $1.8 BILLION (!) dollars in the next few years to retiring government employees who've accumulated unused sick and vacation days.

What is infinitely sadder and much more maddening is that some, if not most, of these jobs are "no-show" or patronage.

Property taxpayers in Union County were victim to this bankrupt system when County Manager Michael Lapolla was politically promoted by Governor James McGreevey to head the Turnpike Authority.

Lapolla was awarded almost $70,000 by the Freeholder board for unused sick days. As the new director of the Authority, Lapolla now earns over $140,000 a year.

In case our readers have forgotten, although we doubt they have: the state budget is in shambles and the Union County Freeholders once again raised taxes this year. With shameless deals such as the one Lapolla got, is it any wonder why?

Cashing in unused sick and vacation days is almost unheard of in the private sector, but the public sector somehow gets special treatment. The hardworking people of New Jersey can no longer afford to be ripped off by public "servants". The new bill, if signed into law, would put an end to this. We congratulate Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr for introducing this bill and urge the Legislature to pass it.