Lie to New Jersey Gov. Christie … you goin’ down, down, down
New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler has been relieved of his duties. Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) made it a point to note Schundler provided the correct budget figures at a “Race to the Top” presentation in Washington D.C. Did anyone have a camera focused on Schundler when Christie made that claim?
If not, he must have gotten awful quiet wherever he was if he knew the presentation was being video taped.
From the Daily Record, with a hat tip to Hot Air.
Gov. Chris Christie, reacting swiftly to a brewing crisis over a failed federal grant application, has fired Department of Education Commissioner Bret Schundler.
Schundler was let go by Christie this morning following the release of a video by the federal Department of Education that contradicted Schundler’s assertion that he provided federal Race to the Top grant application reviewers with correct state aid numbers after an error in the documents was revealed.
“I was extremely disappointed to learn that the videotape of the Race to the Top presentation was not consistent with the information provided to me by the New Jersey Department of Education and which I then conveyed to the people of New Jersey. As a result, I ordered an end to Bret Schundler’s service as New Jersey’s Education Commissioner and as a member of my administration,” Christie said in a statement issued at 12:30 p.m. today.
Yeah, it’s pretty bad to make a $400 million mistake, but it’s even worse trying to cover it up.
The video is provided by NJ.com. The DOE panelist asks – at the end of the clip – “Did you have any luck with the financial [data] …” and the answer was “No..” but nobody from the DOE indicated it was that big of an issue at the time, or suggested it would be a problem.
Should someone from DOE stepped up and said, “we really need that information to score your application correctly”. Did not happen here. Should someone from the New Jersey delegation have stepped up and asked for a few hours to go pull the information of the state’s website?
I guess after completing a 1,000 page application and answering hours of questions, maybe they just wanted to go home?
Is this how we really want our government to operate? Sending state leaders to Washington D.C. to beg for money after completing 1,000 page applications?
More about Schundler from Wikipedia if you’re interested.
Bret D. Schundler (born January 14, 1959 in Colonia, New Jersey) is an American politician from New Jersey. He served in the Cabinet of Governor Chris Christie as New Jersey Commissioner of Education until he was dismissed on August 27, 2010.
Schundler was the mayor of Jersey City from 1992 until 2001. Schundler was the city’s first Republican mayor since 1917. Prior to his first run for mayor, Schundler was a Democrat. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 2001, and tried again for the same post in 2005, but failed to secure the Republican nomination. Schundler was the chief operating officer of The King’s College, a Christian liberal arts college in New York City.
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Three cheers for the Gov!
good fire him
Very refreshing! No fake apology, claims of oversights or a newfound desire to "spend more time with his family".
Christie don't play.
Ousted state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler today said he asked Gov. Chris Christie to be fired from the work he considered his “life’s dream,” rather than resign, so he could receive unemployment benefits to pay his bills.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/christie…
Apparently Schundler, "once hailed as a rising star in conservative circles," has gained a new appreciation for taking advantage of federal assistance.
The article chris cites also indicates that he was fired because he refused to resign. Perhaps because he wanted some unemployment income in the coming Øbama double dip recession. Of course the fact that he is reported to have $5000 in his bank account when he and his wife make between $75K and 150K does not speak well for the cost of living in a state that has long been run (aground) by Democrats.
Really Dims? Then why are the poorest states republican states? (Arkansa, Louisiana, Oklahoma, etc)
Are you talking relative poverty or absolute? Tell about the cost of living in red vs. blue states. (I would be homeless in California with my salary)
Camden, New Jersey is one of the poorest cities in the U.S. And strong Democrat party supporters. How's that working out for them?
chris?
Please, none of this back and forth stuff. This is a place to comment on the post, not to discuss the subject back and forth.