...as in, closing budget deficits without raising taxes. Basically, with a knife and a middle finger:
NJ Gov. Chris Christie appeared in Williamsport, PA in support of GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett on Tuesday. Christie talked about he closed a $2.2 billion deficit without the help of the Democratic legislature and even told a joint session of of the NJ legislature that, 'You left a budget on my doorstep, and the doorstep of the people of New Jersey and you thought you were going to get them to pay higher taxes to fix it. I just signed an executive order, I fixed it by myself. Thank you, have a nice day."
Check out the 2 minute mark for the quote above. Go to the 4:20 mark to hear Christie explain what a "millionaire's tax" means to Democrats, and what happened when they tried to pull it on him. Best thing is to sit back and watch it all; stick around for the final twenty seconds, when a spectator says, "you know, Tom Corbett was OK, but Chris Christie..well, everyone I talk to hope he runs for president in 2012..."
And by the way, even after Christie cancelled the soon-to-be $6 billion dollar ARC Tunnel into New York, sending Democrats and liberal columnists (such as Krugman and Herbert) into an apoplectic fury, he's still polling at...51% in the state formerly known as "Blue Jersey".
An intellectual paradigm shift, forced through by the fattest Republican New Jersey has ever seen. Whod've thunk it?
2 comments:
Hate to disagree with my fellow conservative, but in this case I have to.
Conservatives believe in rewarding success not failure. But when Christie closed last year's budget deficit, he did so on the backs of well run schools by pilfering their surpluses.
Christie did indeed veto the millionaire's tax, but the choice was between that and property tax increases on mostly suburban homeowners. According to the League of Municipalities, property taxes are now up on average 28% across the state - a direct result of Christie's cuts to property tax relief.
The Christie budget has forced property taxes higher and increased other taxes as well, including one on hospital beds.
Valid point, Mike. And I do think the legitimate pressure from the right you exert is an important step in keeping Christie honest. There are certainly areas where Christie does keep unfair burdens on the average citizen - for instance, the bogus little cap-and-trade scam initiated by Corzine that makes millions for the state, and is recouped by the utilities via jacked-up electric bills paid by citizens and businesses. But I don't think Christie is ready to( or feels he can afford to) let go of any revenue streams yet, and he probably believes in a state like "Blue Jersey" he can get away with this one.
It's wrong on many levels, and I appreciate you pressing him on it. And yet I do cheer-lead for Chris Christie, because right now, he's the best we have. It is the force of his personality - and his abrasive/populist way of doing business - that is forcing through many of the positive changes we are seeing in the state today. It is the example he is setting - a bold attempt to fix a failed state - that will lead to similar efforts on local levels everywhere, and perhaps even on a national level. The fixes will not be perfect, but at this moment of virtual national despair, a nation who was resigning itself to bankruptcy now sees a ray of hope for making it right again. And that ray is in fact governor Christie.
Once he gets some of the heavy lifting out of the way, I too will fight to push us to the right. Me, I won't be happy until I can help turn Jersey into Texas East.
But in the meantime, I'm taking the Fat Man's back...
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