New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he'll take "more extreme measures" to fix the state's public worker pension system if the Democrat-led Legislature refuses to try to contain escalating retiree costs.
The Republican governor and possible 2016 presidential candidate did not specify what those measures might be.
Christie devoted a portion of Tuesday's budget speech to the state's mounting retiree and debt costs, which are crowding out spending for other programs and services.
Christie took another step at a town hall in Republican-dominated Morris County on Wednesday, by saying he was determined not to allow the state to be hamstrung by these costs.
The 51-year-old governor says the pension system for public employees is underfunded by $52 billion despite wide-ranging reforms enacted during his first term.
Democrats want the state to focus on growing the economy and creating more jobs.
