You know, it's remarkable what someone can do in elected office when they don't give a rat's ass about things like personal charm or being liked or even being re-elected. For example, New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie.
New Jersey is in a fiscal mess. Now, to be fair, it's not the worst state financially -- I think California takes that cake -- but Joisey is in big trouble. Christie ran for office on a no-nonsense platform to fix that mess.
And the big guy is as good as his word. He's currently expecting his state to run about $11 billion short of the money it needs for the next year -- and that's out of a budget of $28 billion. (For those not up on your math, that's about 40% short of what they need.) So Christie didn't take an axe to the state's spending.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, And sometimes you don't need someone who looks like a leader, but like a plumber, or a truck driver, or a mover, to do the dirty work, the hauling, the heavy lifting.
Christie was elected to office in November of 2009, and his term isn't up until January of 2013. He isn't running for re-election right now. One gets the impression that he isn't going to give that possibility a second thought for a few years. He's too concerned with the here and now.
The people of New Jersey elected Christie their governor, and he's doing exactly what he promised to do. And unless he's impeached or something, he's going to be the governor for the next few years.
We need a lot fewer politicians who look good on cameras, and a lot more who understand what needs to be done, and how to do it.
Christie is a Republican, but there's no reason why one party has to hold a monopoly on common sense and responsibility.
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Comments (4)
Christie is a Republican... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Falze | February 15, 2010 11:43 AM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Christie is a Republican, but there's no reason why one party has to hold a monopoly on common sense and responsibility.
True. NY's in a deep hole, also (although our budget is something ludicrous like $120 billion and we're currently running about NJ's budget short). About the only one trying to stop the bleeding is the mostly irrelevant accidental Gov. Paterson, a Democrat. He doesn't have a heck of a lot of power, though, and the Dems have a dominant majority in both houses of the legislature. Still, he's been talking like he "get's it" for a while...nobody's listening, though. Except for rich people fleeing to FL, of course.
1. Posted by Falze | February 15, 2010 11:43 AM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on February 15, 2010 11:43
2. Posted by bobdog | February 15, 2010 1:12 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
AP is pumping a story today that says states have used up all their stimulus money and are now facing enormous budget deficits, loss of the 250,000 teacher jobs "saved or created", declining tax revenues, hideous unemployment benefit payments and tanking real estate tax revenues.
Sounds like the only possible answer to pull us back from the brink of certain disaster is...wait for it...wait for it...ANOTHER STIMULUS PLAN!
As I recall, that's the reason North Carolina and Texas said they didn't want federal bribes in the first place. And there was an almost identical impact from Kash for Klunkers.
You just can't fix stupid.
For another 9 months or so at least...
2. Posted by bobdog | February 15, 2010 1:12 PM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on February 15, 2010 13:12
3. Posted by cstmbuild | February 15, 2010 2:42 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
This is sad, but funny. There is a projected $11 billion shortage and the democrats wonder why the Repub Gov is declaring an emergency. One democrat wants to know why the state isn't using their $500 million dollar "rain day" fund before freezing/slashing spending.
Lets see, if they spend the whole $500 million that leaves a shortage of only $10.5 billion. Well, that "rainy day" money will surely save their bacon! Absolutely no reason to sut spending. Spending that cushion takes it from a 39.3% short fall to only a 37.5% short fall. THEY ARE SAVED, stupid Republican, can't even figure that out! /sarcasm
3. Posted by cstmbuild | February 15, 2010 2:42 PM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on February 15, 2010 14:42
4. Posted by The Exposer | February 15, 2010 10:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
His (current) term ends in January 2014, not 2013.
4. Posted by The Exposer | February 15, 2010 10:36 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 15, 2010 22:36