Christie, Christie, he’s our man. If he can do it Connecticut can
And that’s my question of the day. If Chris Christie can cut a budget deficit of $11 billion dollars with his first budget … why is it Connecticut anguishes over a “projected gap” of $3 billion. Why is it the only way they could close the current gap was with smoke and mirrors. I’ll take one of these, please. Hat tip to Hot Air for this one.
I draw your attention to the latest Chris Christie video that outlines his achievements in his first six months in office. I also remind you of how Democrat legislators and state unions screamed in unison decrying the cuts as draconian. I remind of you of the personal hits Christie took in the press. And yet he went ahead.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OVAXxP0B0Y&feature=player_embedded
More to come, but I wanted to make our 7PM deadline. Again … I’ll take one of these please.
UPDATE: Ok, here’s the article by Keith Phaneuf that stirred me to post the Christie video. Phaneuf writes that Republican candidate for Governor Mike Fedele is firm on not raising taxes to cut a $3 billion dollar projected deficit … but as Keith writes, less certain on how to do it.
“I don’t think it’s possible and I think it’s irresponsible,” [Democrat John] Geragosian, co-chairman of the legislature’s Appropriations Committee said. “Mike Fedele knows better than all of the other candidates out there what the options are.”
Geragosian and his committee attempted in March 2009 to identify nearly $1.4 billion in potential annual budget cuts. That exercise was launched after lawmakers reacted angrily to a new, two-year budget proposal from Rell that would have been more than $2.7 billion out of balance based on nonpartisan legislative analysts’ estimates.
The committee’s report would have closed six community colleges, two regional campuses for the University of Connecticut and two prisons. It also would have chopped between 10 and 20 percent in payments to cities and towns, nursing homes and social service agencies and cut funding for hospitals, child welfare programs, and mental health treatment facilities.
Geragosian said the report, which wasn’t recommended by his committee, would have been rejected by the legislature, and if Fedele tried to impose deep cuts on the poor and disabled, he would face similar opposition.
No legislature and governor effectively have cut even $1 billion from the annual projected cost of maintaining current programs.
And yet that’s precisely what is happening in New Jersey. Governor Christie has called for pay freezes for teachers. “Do it for the children”, he said. I love it. we’ve been hearing that from the CEA to justify raises for years. And called on residents to reject budgets if they don’t. But that’s not all. From Governor Christie’s office:
Bill S2 makes various pension system changes, S3 requires contributions toward health care benefits by public employees and S4 makes changes concerning payments to public employees for unused sick leave and sick leave injury in State service.
Just recently he has asked school superintendents take pay cuts from their considerable six figure salaries.
Christie said New Jersey “may lose some” superintendents because of the salary cuts, but “if that’s their basis for going, goodbye.” He said he hopes other states will follow suit by reining in pay, and he believes the caps will calm down the competition for superintendents among districts within the state.
Not to mention of property tax cap for cities and towns in New Jersey. But in Connecticut … it can’t be done. I’ll take one of these please.
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By declaring that he would act as if he were a one term governor, Christie hit on the basic problem suffusing our government: more legislative time and energy is spent on building political capital to spend on the next election than there is on simply doing the best job for the American people, be it at the local, state or national level.
It is why I believe in term limits. No matter how good one is, you are not irreplaceable. Tell that to Specter the defector, right? New blood, fresh outlooks, real world experience and minimal ties to special interests is all to the good. Considering the performance of so called "experienced" incumbents, it would be difficult to argue the opposite.
Christie did it. Anyone could do it. Pick your party, it doesn't matter. If the U.S. comes first, then we will be okay. If party trumps country, then we are doomed to become a festering quagmire like Great Britain and other socialist countries are becoming (or realizing they are becoming and taking steps to stanch the bleeding).
Term limits can only come with lobbying reform. Otherwise the junior electeds will get chewed up and spit out by US companies let alone international outfits. They will get raped and robbed of OUR money. No one will survive let alone run as an incumbant. Individual lobbying only and with monetary caps. No more corporate lobbying.
Dims has the right of it. Focus on American success. Then we can float all boats UP. Hold to the high standards of the Constitution and the world shall follow peacefully.
And Christie is leading that charge.
It takes guts to do what Christie has done. Most politicians are selfish, filled up with their own ego and deaf to the wants of the people. Christie listens and knows what is right, fair and needed in order to put his state back on track.
Christie knows the Constitution and is standing up for it. He is running his state like it is needed. Here in CT we have a Governor that waves about like a willow branch, which ever way the wind blows she goes. We need some back bone, strong and resolved to fix CT and we will not see a change until we the people make a change ourselves.
I love the spirit and passion of this guy!!
Actually, Christie is raising taxes and spending in New Jersey. He just has a great spin machine at work to permeate the myth that he's not.
By the way, you can't cut a budget deficit. A deficit reflects expenses. Revenue reflects what you have to spend. Christie has $28.3B to spend plus $1B or so in stimulus. He's spending every penny of that money. You might as well say the budget deficit was $100B because the number is meaningless. You wouldn't say you cut your deficit because you spent $30k in income last year but didn't pay off your $200k mortgage, would you?
Every journey begins with but a single step.
Even if it's a giant step backwards? Uh-huh, I see.
I don't recall NJ being on any forward march, but, hey, if you like it, there's always California. Or Cuba.