Bergen County Education Association president Joe Coppola closed a memo to union members with the following prayer:
"Dear Lord this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."
Of course Mr. Coppola is saying it was just a joke. Riiiight, we all know that if Governor Christie had joked the same way about anyone in the teachers union no one on the left would be laughing.
NJEA (New Jersey Education Association) President Barbara Keshishian was quick to respond.
"NJEA condemns the inappropriate 'prayer' contained in a letter sent by the NJEA Bergen County regional offices and our Bergen County affiliate. Language such as that has no place in civil discourse. It was intended as humor, but it is not funny. Our ongoing discussion with Gov. Christie is centered on serious issues of significant importance to the state, and that must be the focus of all our conversation. We deeply regret that the 'prayer' reference was included in the letter, and we apologize to Gov. Christie for both the content of the 'prayer' and the lack of respect it demonstrated.
"I will be reaching out to Gov. Christie's office to apologize personally on behalf of all NJEA members."
Chris Christie’s response to the “prayer” and NJEA’s apology and his response isn’t all that forgiving:
"I’m sure there are teachers all across New Jersey who, when they learn about this today are going to be ashamed," said Christie, at an appearance in New Brunswick. "I wonder what the children of New Jersey will think when the leadership of the teachers union is praying for the governor to die?"
Christie said he was aware of Keshishian’s statement of apology. He said he didn’t view the joke as a threat, but rather a wish.
"They have finally lifted their veil," said the governor of the NJEA. "I don’t think this is a threat. I think it’s a wish. A wish in some ways might be more perverse than a threat."
As Christie goes about bringing NJ’s spending back to some resemblance of reality, expect the greedy public sector unions to get uglier and uglier. They simply refuse to let the gravy train end.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: CBS News
Via: North Jersey.com