I hope he does try to reign it in....

Really seems like gold to me.

Keep it going Christie.

I can honestly say that I wish I was surprised.

I figured I was not going to like Christie (he looks like a d-bag and he's a republican) but if he tries to reign in this kind of wasteful spending than I can get on board...of course I am sure there is plenty of cronyism in his administration as well.

Jersey shenanigans watch: Gold in them thar sewers!

Published: Monday, February 22, 2010
Trentonian.com

Gov. Chris Christie blasted the operations of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission up in Newark and Jersey City over its out-of-control spending.

Spluttering in indignation, Christie said the executive director of the sewerage operation has a salary of $313,000 a year ? a lot higher than the $175,000 a year he, Christie, gets paid as governor.

?If I look envious,?? Christie said, ?It?s because I am. That?s significantly more than I?m making to do this job?.

He jibed: ?We?re obviously not paying on merit over at the PVSC.?

He brought it up because he wants veto power over the spending practices of the commission.

The commission, created in 1902, has found a way to turn sewage into gold.

Its 600 employees are among the highest paid public employees in the state. Eighty on the commission payroll draw salaries topping $100,000 a year.

The executive director, Bryan Christiansen, gets $313,000 year.

And when he leaves the job, next month, he?ll be eligible for a pension of at least $140,000 year.

The commission handles waste from 1.5 million residences, 290 industries and 4,000 businesses in parts of Essex, Passaic, Bergen and Hudson counties.

Its budget is $164 million, with $46 million being allotted for employe salaries.

Unfazed by the crap he?s getting over high salaries and political cronyism, Commissioner Frank Calandriello ? who also happens to be mayor of Garfield ? said the commission has ?tightened its belt,? reducing its payroll since 2005 to 593.

Also in the high salary bracket are the plant operations superintendent, at $201,496 a year, and the clerk for the commissioners, at $190,000 a year.

Joseph Ferriero, the former Bergen county Democratic Party chairman who was convicted on corruption charges, was the commission?s attorney in 2007. He raked in a fee of $59,573. His conviction on mail fraud charges did not involve the sewerage commission.

One former director retired on a pension of $132,000, another on a pension of $92,500 a year. The legend of King Midas has been brought to real life at the Passaic sewerage commission. In the fable, everything Midas touched turned to gold.

At the Passaic sewerage commission, everything they touch turns to gold, even, uh, you-know-what.

? Retired veteran newsman Vince Zarate of Bordentown covered New Jersey state government for the Star-Ledger.