Former Atlantic City PBA President Blasts NJ State PBA on COLA

Former Atlantic City and Ventnor City, New Jersey PBA President Don Hurley has responded to recent comments made by the New Jersey State PBA … where he is calling out the state PBA for their overall lack of support regarding the elimination of cost of living salary increases for public safety officers … which has now entered its 14th year.

There are many retired members who are dealing with significant financial difficulties as the cost of living in 2025 versus their year 2011 dollars, makes it hard to live on.

Most public safety officers do not qualify for social security, so their pension is all that they have to survive.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney led the effort to take away the public safety officers cost of living increases.

Christie broke his word, which he gave in writing to public safety officers. Christie broke his word on his second day in office, after promising public safety officers that he would never cut their benefits.

Here are Don Hurley’s public comments in its entirety. It is blunt in nature as follows:

I cannot believe how feckless and weak the leadership of The NJ State PBA has become in the years since my retirement.
They have been virtually absent during this crisis and hardship for our members, which was created by bad former actors in government involving our long suspended COLA. Now our State PBA is even resorting to misleading our members, while suggesting that restoration of the COLA will somehow affect the solvency of our pension fund, when the Cost of Living Adjustments to our members are funded by the municipalities we retired from, as they well know. With little help from our State PBA the matter has finally reached a serious level of attention from the NJ Legislature. For the first time in nearly 14 years our members are being offered hope, action and some relief from this egregious 14 year freeze. This is largely due to The NJ FOP, supportive NJ legislators of today and members like retired Police Detective Ken Buck, who was critically injured in a gun battle with a violent suspect, all whom are not content upon leaving our vulnerable retired members behind. The NJ State PBA should lead follow or get out of the way. Their silence and absence until now is disgraceful. Fraternally Yours, Don P. Hurley (Ret) PBA President Atlantic City PBA Local 24 & Ventnor City Local # 97.

NOTE: Don Hurley is the identical twin brother of Harry Hurley.

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