The Facts About Bail Reform and Middletown

 

Following up on last night's Candidate forum and blog post concerning Affordable Housing here in Middletown, below are the facts that I put together regarding NJ Bail Reform. 

Tony Perry likes to play to his base by disseminating false narratives and fear mongering on many issues affecting Middletown and unfortunately people gobble it up because they don't know any better.

Bottomline is you can't have it two ways, according to US News and World Reports, New Jersey ranks as the 6th safest State in the Country and Perry constantly maintains how the FBI lists Middletown one of, if not, the safest town in the United States!  

Bail Reform is not contributing to raising crime rates in NJ. As a matter of fact, it's contributing to keep our state safe. Experts from all over the country commend NJ's bail reform efforts and consider it a model to follow.

History of Bail Reform in New Jersey

 

New Jersey’s bail reform was a bipartisan effort aimed at addressing the unfairness of the cash bail system, with Republican Governor Chris Christie playing a key role. Before the reform, individuals charged with minor, non-violent offenses were often stuck in jail simply because they couldn’t afford bail. At the same time, those accused of serious crimes, but with deep pockets, could pay their way out and roam free. The system was flawed, allowing wealth to determine freedom, not risk to public safety.

 

Governor Christie pushed for reform, which led to the passage of the *Bail Reform and Speedy Trial Act*, effective in 2017. It was based on a risk assessment rather than the defendant’s ability to pay. The idea was simple: if someone posed no threat to the community and was likely to show up for trial, they shouldn’t be locked up just because they’re poor. On the flip side, dangerous offenders could be detained without bail, regardless of their financial resources.

 

In 2014, New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment to change the bail system. Christie, along with lawmakers from both parties, championed this reform as a way to make the justice system more equitable. The reform’s primary goal was to ensure that jail time before trial was reserved for those who truly posed a danger or a flight risk, not those who couldn’t afford bail.

 

Why Bail Reform is Good for New Jersey

 

Bail reform has had numerous positive effects in New Jersey. It has significantly reduced the number of people languishing in jail for minor offenses. This not only saved taxpayer money but also upheld the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty. Before reform, many people, often from low-income and minority backgrounds, were coerced into pleading guilty just to get out of jail faster, even if they were innocent.

 

The reform has also helped to reduce overcrowded jails. By focusing on risk, rather than wealth, New Jersey’s justice system has become more fair. Low-risk offenders can continue with their lives—working, supporting their families, and contributing to their communities—while awaiting trial. Meanwhile, those deemed high-risk remain in custody, regardless of their financial means.

 

Additionally, the reform has addressed racial and economic disparities. Previously, people of color and those with fewer financial resources were disproportionately affected by the old cash bail system. Now, the emphasis is on fairness and public safety, not money.

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry’s Anti-Bail Reform Stunts

 

Despite the proven benefits of bail reform, not everyone is on board. In Middletown, Mayor Tony Perry has been one of its loudest opponents. Last year, he made headlines by launching a series of anti-bail reform stunts, arguing that the reforms make communities less safe. Perry’s criticism echoed fearmongering claims that bail reform was leading to dangerous criminals being released, which have largely been debunked by data.

 

Perry’s stance, fueled by a few high-profile cases, led to dramatic gestures, including press conferences and resolutions calling for the rollback of bail reform. However, these stunts were criticized as a colossal waste of time by both legal experts and local residents. Critics pointed out that Perry’s actions distracted from real issues facing the town and were based more on fear than facts.

 

One of the key arguments against Perry’s position is that, despite his claims, crime rates in New Jersey have not spiked because of bail reform. In fact, most studies show the reform has helped streamline the system and made it fairer without increasing crime. Perry’s opposition, therefore, was seen by many as politically motivated and not grounded in the actual outcomes of the reform.

 

Conclusion

 

New Jersey’s bail reform, enacted under Governor Chris Christie, has been a positive force for fairness and public safety. It prevents low-risk, non-violent offenders from being jailed simply because they can’t afford bail, while ensuring that dangerous individuals are detained without regard to their wealth. The benefits are clear: fewer people stuck in jail unnecessarily, less taxpayer money wasted, and a more equitable justice system.

 

In Middletown, Mayor Perry’s objections to bail reform have been criticized as fearmongering and a distraction from more pressing local issues. His dramatic stunts have not changed the fact that bail reform is working and making New Jersey a fairer place for all its residents.

GOVERNOR CHRISTIE'S ADDICTION TO SELF-PROMOTION NO EXCUSE FOR TAKING MONEY FROM WOMEN AND INFANT CHILDREN

(Trenton) — Today, as Chris Christie appeared before the legislature in Trenton to discuss the annual budget, the Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee John Currie slammed him for apparently funding a multi-million dollar drug addiction advertisement campaign featuring the governor with monies meant to feed women and infant children.

“The governor has zero credibility talking about budgetary matters. But it is shocking that he -- quite literally -- has been promoting himself by taking food out of the mouths of women and children. He continues to treat the public treasury as though it exists for him to promote himself, and that's not right. He's cost our state millions already,” said Chairman Currie.

“Most everyone agrees that addiction is a growing concern that must be addressed, but the way to do it is not by secretly skimming funds from programs targeted at New Jersey's most vulnerable families,” Currie added.

Yesterday, a news report exposed the governor for paying for television and radio advertisements in which he is featured with money from the state's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. That program provides low-income families with resources for food and heath care.

Trump's VP Choices

The American Conservative on Chris Christie:

Christie is staggeringly unpopular in his own state, he is widely disliked by most Republicans, and ever since he endorsed the nominee he has become little more than a punchline for jokes about being held hostage by Trump. He adds nothing to the ticket electorally, he brings with him his shoddy record as governor, and on top of it he knows only slightly more about foreign policy than Trump while holding the most predictably hawkish views. Adding Christie to the ticket might keep a few foreign policy hard-liners from voting for Clinton, but it would probably come at the expense of alienating a nontrivial portion of Trump’s core supporters. By Christie’s own admission from a few years ago, he isn’t qualified to be president because of his lack of preparation on foreign policy, and that remains true today. Christie would be a comprehensively terrible choice, and so it is entirely possible that he will be Trump’s selection.

CANTOR: GOLDEN’S TRUMP SILENCE ONCE AGAIN HIGHLIGHTS HIS CONFLICTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
April 21, 2016



HAZLET- On the heels of Donald Trump’s victory in the New York Republican Presidential Primary, Monmouth County Democratic candidate for Sheriff, Jeff Cantor, today questioned why Monmouth County Sheriff and County Republican Party Boss, Shaun Golden is refusing to let people know whether he stands in support of Trump for President. Trump has already been endorsed by the head of the New Jersey Republican Party, Chris Christie, as well as by Golden’s fellow Party Boss, Ocean County’s George Gilmore.

With New Jersey’s June 7th Primary date looming and the Republican nominee for President far from decided, Trump’s many controversial positions have forced Golden’s position as Republican Party Boss to again come into sharper focus in conjunction with his position as the County’s highest ranking law enforcement official. This is just the latest conflict of interest brought on by Golden’s positions as both County Republican Party Chairman and County Sheriff.

“Donald Trump has advocated for advanced torture methods, called for a wall to be built to discriminate against people and even said at one point that women seeking abortions should ‘be punished,’” said Cantor. “Donald Trump’s hateful, bigoted positions have been very clear from the outset of his campaign for President and it is well past time for Shaun Golden to work through his conflicted interests as Party Boss and County Sheriff and let us all know whether the Monmouth County Sheriff believes Donald Trump should be our next President. The fact is that in his ‘day job’ as County Sheriff, Shaun Golden is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and safety for over 600,000 Monmouth County residents, so his party politics are not my concern.”

This conflict has long been an issue, even within Golden’s own party, as evidenced by statements made during Golden's recent run for Republican Party Chairman by former Monmouth County Prosecutor and President of the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club, John Kaye, former Monmouth County Republican Chairman Fredrick Niemann as well as Manalapan Township Republican County Chairman Steve McEnery and Freehold Township Republican County Committee Chairman Anthony Graziano.

Former County Prosecutor Kaye said that holding both the Chairman and Sheriff’s positions: “ . . . would immediately create conflicts for our Freeholders and vulnerabilities for our candidates that put everyone at risk . . . This is because the Sheriff’s office is part of the county government and subject to the Board of Freeholder’s review for funding. “

Former Chairman Niemann wrote: “You are either an elected official or a party leader. You can’t do both. To do both is an inherent conflict of interest.”

At the same time, McEnery and Graziano cited numerous potential ethical conflicts in Golden serving as Party Boss and Sheriff and they wrote: “ . . . he will, among other things, be seeking approval for various necessities tied to the County’s largest Department, including its budget, from the very same people who will be looking to him for support, endorsement, and financing during election cycles.”

**********

Jeff Cantor has been in the U.S. Army, both active and in the reserves, since 1985. He has served our country around the world, including deployments to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. After starting as a Private First Class, Cantor rose through the ranks and has earned the rank of Colonel in the Army Reserves. Jeff Cantor has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (3rd award), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2nd award), Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal (2nd award); He has also been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Combat Action Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.

Jabba the Trump & His Slave Christie

My son passed along this cartoon to me. It was drawn by his cartoonist friend, Jim Shaw, and my son thought that I'd get a kick out of it. He was right. I think it's a clever and inventive parody of the apparent Donald Trump/Chris Christie relationship. Evidently, I'm not the only one who thinks so. 

Jim's cartoon has gone viral after Star Trek's Mr. Sulu, George Takei, posted it to his very popular Facebook page. 

If you wish to see more of Jim's work you can check out his Facebook page Will Draw For Food.

Who Contributed To Chris Christie's Failed Presidential Campaign? NJSpotlight's Interactive Map Will Tells Us

NJSPOTLIGHT created an interactive & searchable map that allows us to see who and how much an individual contributed to Chris Christie's failed presidential campaign.

There were more than 4,400 donors to Christie for President and the Super PACs. The lion's share of Christie's money came from New Jersey -- $7.3 million -- and neighboring states. However, Christie also got at least one donation from every state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, except for Hawaii, New Mexico and North Dakota.

You can do a search of contributors a few ways; you can do a search by name, state, town or zip code. So if you want to see whether or not Governor Christie had  any friends in Monmouth County or Middletown contribute to his campaign you can do so easily.

I found several prominent Middletown residents who contributed to ‎Chris Christie or one of his Super PACs. Look and see if you can find anyone you know on the list.

NJ Watchdog: Christie hopes CNN debate begins comeback

On the ropes, Christie hopes CNN debate begins his comeback

With his White House run on the ropes, Chris Christie came out swinging Wednesday night at the prime-time Republican presidential debate on CNN.

Instead of duking it out with the other 10 GOP hopefuls on the stage, the New Jersey governor aimed his blows at opponents who weren't present -- President Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic-controlled legislature in his home state.

“In seven short years, this president has stripped away their trust and faith and belief that the next generation will have a better life,” Christie declared in his opening statement. “He’s stolen that from us, and when I’m president, I’m going to take it back.”

He also urged the other Republican candidates to unite against Clinton for her support of Planned Parenthood.

“We shouldn’t be fighting with each other,” he said. “She’s the real opponent.”

And Christie identified himself as an “outsider” – like Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Firorina – explaining that he is a Republican in a blue state.

“I’ve vetoed 400 bills from a crazy liberal Democratic legislature,” he said.

While Christie tried to play nice with his GOP opponents, there were numerous skirmishes between other contenders. Front-runner Trump exchanged sharp barbs with Fiorina, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Rand Paul.

But when Trump and Fiorina started criticizing each other’s track records in business, Christie interrupted with a crowd-pleasing line.

“You’re both successful people – congratulations,” he scolded. “You know who’s not successful in this country? The middle class who’s getting plowed over by Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Let’s start talking about those issues tonight and stop this childish back and forth between the two of you.”

The question is whether Christie landed punches enough to keep his campaign off the canvas. Positioned on the far end of the stage, a half-hour passed between questions posed to him by moderators at one point.

The governor entered the debate needing to score points with viewers to revive a campaign that’s taken a beating in public opinion polls.

Earlier this week, Christie fell to 11th place with only 1 percent support among GOP voters in both the ABC News/Washington Post and CBS News/New York Times polls.

The story is online at http://watchdog.org/238568/christie-cnn-debate/.

Running 4 Years Too Late, Christie Wasted His Summer On Campaign Trail

In light of tonight's 2nd GOP debate I thought that I'd post an OpEd that ran earlier this week in the Newark Star-Ledger on Chris Christie and the 2016 election. The piece was written by my friend Joshua Henne, president of the political consulting firm White Horse Strategies.

Running 4 Years Too Late, Christie Wasted His Summer On Campaign TrailBy Joshua Henne

It's hard to be "telling it like it is" when clearly no one cares what you have to say. That's precisely the lesson Gov. Chris Christie learned this summer.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Four years ago, Gov. Christie was basking in the limelight and pushing away big name donors from Wall Street to Iowa who journeyed to New Jersey on bended knee, begging him to jump into the presidential race.

Flash forward to today. The scantest of media contingents trek to his events. Gov. Christie didn't make the Koch brothers' five-candidate list and barely made the first GOP debate by the hair of his chinny chinny chin. After squeaking onto the stage, it became painfully clear that Fox News didn't give a flying fig he was even there. Gov. Christie clocked an anemic six minutes of airtime, logging merely four questions – the first being a full-frontal assault on his failed fiscal gubernatorial record. Other times, moderators used him as an angry wind-up toy for split screen slap-fights with Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee.

Now, Gov. Christie is in peril of not even making the next debate. CNN's latest national polling has him outside the top 10 looking in. If I declared for the GOP nomination this afternoon, we'd literally be tied within the margin-of-error.

It's been over two months since Gov. Christie entered the race – not with a bang, as was long the plan, but with a whimper. When Jeb Bush announced his candidacy, he immediately jumped 6 percent. Donald Trump spiked 11 percent. Gov. Christie slid from 4 percent to a mere 2 percent. In Iowa, he's dropped down from a lackluster 5 percent in the spring to a near-non-existent 1 percent. Gov. Christie even fell to tenth-place in New Hampshire, where he's all but established residency with 20 visits since 2013.

Clearly, every single nomination path Gov. Christie thought he'd have to himself has been closed off worse than access roads to the George Washington Bridge. Gov. Christie's solitary pitch was as the sole viable option who'd stand a chance in a general election. But this rationale only worked compared with an uninspiring 2012 field.

Today, his opponents trump every advantage Gov. Christie thought he had. Twice elected governor of America's largest swing state, Bush's family dynasty enjoys deeper ties to the identical money men Christie was banking on. Normally, with so many snowbirds and retirees, a Northeastern governor could fare well in the Sunshine State. Facing Bush – and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio – Gov. Christie has no shot.

Gov. Christie believed he had a lock as a fresh voice for a bright GOP wave. However, Sen. Rubio – without speaking a single word – stands for a new generation by virtue of his life story as the son of immigrants. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the sitting executive – of a swing state – who balanced the budget and presides over a diversified economy on the mend. And as a blue state Republican who cut pensions and rammed through union-busting right-to-work legislation, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has Gov. Christie outflanked on using workers as piñatas.

Truly "telling it like it is" in New Jersey would mean ticking off the litany of Gov. Christie's abject failures over the past half-decade: a record-breaking nine credit downgrades on his watch; leading the nation in foreclosures, while the rest of America was on the upswing; consistently lagging the region and country on joblessness; ignoring crumbling rail and road infrastructure, putting not just commute times, but lives in jeopardy. It's been an absolute mess.

With no accomplishments, Gov. Christie can only cling to a personality-driven campaign. Even here, he trails Trump as the unhinged guy who spouts crazy stuff. And there's only room for one delusional, misogynistic, bombastic carnival barker with an inflated sense of self who helped usher in dark days for Atlantic City.

When it comes to pulling the trigger on an electoral run – especially for "Leader of The Free World" – it's all about timing. Gov. Christie is four years too late and already quite a few dollars short. People simply don't like or respect him. If this governor was truly "telling it like it is," he'd admit he has no chance. Christie only rationale for running is enjoying the travel and perks...and it's a heckuva lot better than staying home to deal with the mess he's created.

NJ Watchdog: Citizen groups sue Christie over campaign security costs

Three citizen groups are suing Chris Christie in an effort to stop the New Jersey governor from using state funds to pay for the cost of security travel during out-of-state campaign trips as he runs for the White House.

New Jersey Working Families, BlueWaveNJ, New Jersey Citizen Action and six individual plaintiffs filed the suit Friday in Mercer County Superior Court. The complaint alleges Christie violated his fiduciary duty by failing to reimburse the State Treasury for the bills incurred by the state police Executive Protection Unit during his frequent political trips.

Christie press secretary Kevin Roberts did not respond Friday afternoon to a request for comment.

EPU travel costs have soared with Christie’s political ambitions, totaling $1.3 million since he took office in 2010, according to New Jersey Watchdog’s analysis of documents obtained through the Open Public Records Act.

Overall, more than $1.1 million in travel costs were charged to American Express cards issued to the governor’s office. But Christie refused to release the Amex statements or other accounts of the expenditures.

Earlier this month, a court decided Christie can hide those records from the public. Based on secret evidence, Judge Mary C. Jacobson ruled that details of past expenses for food, lodging and transportation requested by New Jersey Watchdog could create a potential security risk for the governor in the future.

The full story is online at http://watchdog.org/234983/christie-campaign-security-costs/.

Move Over and Make Some Room

NJ Watchdog: Christie promises to 'tell it like it is,' but hides truths in NJ

Chris Christie declared his candidacy for president Tuesday, promising America that he would “tell it like it is.” But his track record in New Jersey shows the governor has often gone to great lengths to hide the truth from taxpayers.

“We are going to tell it like it is,” Christie proclaimed in a gymnasium packed with supporters at Livingston High School. “The truth will set us free.”

In contrast, New Jersey Watchdog and other news outlets have gone to court on numerous occasions to try to win release of public records the governor and his administration have refused to disclose.

Judge Mary C. Jacobson is deciding whether to order Christie to turn over nearly $1 million in American Express bills racked up the governor’s state police security team. Christie’s office is arguing that records of those past expenses would reveal secrets that could put the governor at risk in the future.

“I’m not convinced it is essential to the governor’s security to withhold details,” said Jacobson during a hearing last month in Mercer County Superior Court.

Christie is also fighting the judge’s order to turn over a copy of a high-tech media list that his office assembled at taxpayers’ expense. The list is an integral cog in a publicly-funded publicity machine that launched him into the national spotlight and towards a probable run for the White House in 2016.

The Christie’s administration’s biggest secret may be its failure to fully investigate or pursue allegations of a $245,000 pension fraud that implicated Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. The controversy began when Guadagno was Monmouth County sheriff in 2008, the year before she first ran for lieutenant governor as Christie’s running mate.

As sheriff, Guadagno allegedly made false and conflicting statements that enabled her chief officer, Michael Donovan, to improperly collect an $85,000 a year pension in addition to his $87,500 salary, as first reported by New Jersey Watchdog in 2010.

In May 2011, the attorney general’s Division of Criminal Justice began a criminal investigation at the request of a state pension board. But the probe was riddled by a major conflict of interest. Though Guadagno is a former deputy director of DCJ, Christie did not use his constitutional power to appoint a special investigator or independent prosecutor.

Stonewalled by DCJ and the governor’s office for nearly two years, New Jersey Watchdog sued the state in 2013 for records of the investigation and its outcome.

The investigative news site won a partial victory in the trial court last year when Jacobson ordered DCJ to reveal some of the documents it sought.

The disclosures showed that DCJ only generated six pages of investigative records before closing the case in June 2012. The probe appeared to be virtually non-existent; there were no records of interviews or statements from Guadagno or witnesses.

However, Jacobson also ruled DCJ was allowed to keep the findings of the investigation secret. After reviewing the documents in private, the judge determined the state’s interest in keeping the records confidential outweighed the public’s right to know.

New Jersey Watchdog appealed Jacobson’s decision to the State Appellate Division. A date for oral arguments has yet to be scheduled.

Other news organizations have had court battles over public records with the Christie administration. At one point last year, Christie’s administration was a defendant in roughly two dozen public records lawsuits in Mercer County Superior Court.

Meanwhile, after announcing his White House run on Tuesday, Christie travelled to New Hampshire for five days of campaign events. His schedule includes a “Telling it Like it Is” town hall meeting.

“I mean what I say and I say what I mean – and that’s what America needs right now,” said Christie.

The story is online at http://watchdog.org/226723/christie-hides-truths/

Chris Christie Jumps Into the 2016 Presidential Race

If you haven't heard by now shortly after 11:30 this morning, New Jersey Governor (our governor) Chris Christie made it official and announce his intentions of seeking the 2016 GOP nomination for President.

All I have to say is good for him and good riddance if wins. But if he actually wins the presidency  and runs the country the way he has as governor of NJ - God help us, we'd be in a deep of sh*t as a nation.

In the meantime, it's one more clown for the already overcrowded clown car. I'm just telling it like it is...

LMFAO Acronym; Epic Fail On The Part Of Christie PAC

I know this has been all over the progressive blogosphere this week but I feel compelled to post it just
in case anyone might have missed it. Earlier this week Governor Christie announced that he had created a political PAC in order to explore raise funds for a potential presidential run in 2016.


I know a lot of time and energy goes into campaign messaging and choosing a name for a political PAC is no different. A campaign wants to make sure that the message sent to potential campaign donors and those that vote in the primaries reflects a clear vision of what the candidate wishes to convey. In Chris Christie's case it's his tough guy Jersey persona and perceived leaderships skills as compared to that of President Obama's.



Chris Christie named his new PAC: LEADERSHIPMATTERSFORAMERICA.Org

On the surface it's not such a bad name, it conveys a notion of strength for the candidate and the vision of an America that has been lead down the wrong path by a president who has been weak leader in both foreign and domestic policy (neither of which has been the case however).

There is a problem though, Christie hasn't been a very good governor. As stated above, his popularity is all based on his tough guy, Jersey attitude, not his governing or leadership skills. That is why pretending that Chris Christie is qualified to be president makes a lot of us want to laugh.

Sort of like the acronym for his PAC does.

LMFAO

(Laughing My F*** Ass Off)

Op-Ed: A Nomination For Christie Seems More Remote Than Ever

By Joshua Henne

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Gov. Chris Christie was flying high, fresh off a resounding re-election victory and poised to take over the Republican Governors Association. Today, Christie is surely not shedding a tear to see the calendar flip on 2014 — a year that brought brutal Bridgegate headlines and record credit downgrades to the state and finally exposed his distinct lack of accomplishment. Not to mention the looming specter of federal and legislative investigations.

But, it’s Jeb Bush’s recent Facebook proclamation that he’s actively exploring a presidential run that’s truly the cap to Christie’s political fall of Icarus-like proportions. The announcement by Florida’s former governor rips away the final shred of hope Christie had to magically thread the 2016 nomination needle. His sole pitch to voters, donors and pundits alike was that he’d be the only viable option out in the fields of Iowa who’d stand a chance in a general election. However, with an ever-diminishing pool of moderate Republican primary voters, Bush can easily bigfoot the competition.

Twice elected governor of America’s largest swing state, Bush’s tenure was, unlike Christie’s, mostly scandal-free. Moreover, Bush actually has executive accomplishments under his belt. In fairness, Christie has shepherded through a few items, such as bail reform and addiction treatment, but it’s not as though these issues send Republican voters rushing to the polls.


On matters of wider import – especially economic ones – Christie has been an abject failure. On his watch, New Jersey went the wrong way on mortgage foreclosures and consistently trails the nation/region when it comes to joblessness. The state suffers America’s second-lowest bond rating, and a record eighth credit downgrade came after Christie broke his own law by failing to fund the pension trust fund. This last move was particularly damaging. For years, Christie touted pension reform as his hallmark accomplishment, which was supposed to be his calling card to getting things done and working across the aisle. It’s not just that Christie lives up to the old cliché of saying one thing and doing another; worse, he’s said one thing and done absolutely nothing.

Despite selling himself as a tough-talking truth-teller who speaks his mind, in reality, Christie clams up on contentious questions. This past month alone, he’s refused to weigh in on the Keystone pipeline and the CIA torture report. Unlike other GOP likely contenders, Christie waited four full days to chime in on Cuba. On immigration, Bush clearly states his stance, detractors be damned. Conversely, Christie has ducked the issue, even while on a “trade mission” in Mexico.

Christie has burnished a reputation of everything always being about, well, Christie. In October 2011, he commanded the lectern for a 54-minute press conference to say he wasn't running for president. The following summer, he turned his Republican National Convention keynote into a long-winded exercise in self-promotion at Mitt Romney’s expense.

While these moves were rooted in vanity, more egregious is how Christie turned his back on his own party in his home state.

As beloved former Gov. Tom Kean said, the week after Christie’s re-election, “No governor I know in any state has won by 20 points and had no coattails.” Kean would know. In 1985, realizing he was waltzing to re-election, he devoted his post-Labor Day efforts to helping the down-ballot candidates. Flash forward to 2013, when Christie struck a deal with Democratic power brokers to keep their legislative seats safe. Then, this past year, while traipsing across America to raise money for candidates from Maine to the Midwest, Christie left New Jersey’s Republican State Committee in financial despair.

Christie has put his faith in wooing the well-heeled set who pony up the big bucks needed for a national campaign. Yet, the Bush dynasty enjoys longer, stronger, deeper ties to the very fund-raising base and campaign apparatus Christie would need to tap into. These relationships stretch back not only to Bush’s brother’s presidential campaign, but their father’s before that. Heck, Christie owes his own political career to parlaying prolific fund-raising for George W. Bush into a plum U.S. attorney post.

Major Republican donors look for return on investment. Does anyone believe they’ll bet on an undisciplined wild card with clouds over his head? Or will they back the man whose politics they like, whose family they know and who comes off as the adult in the room?

When given the chance to shine in front of deep-pocketed donors, Christie failed to impress. He embarrassed himself with naive answers on how he’d handle Vladimir Putin. He stumbled on Israel in front of Sheldon Adelson’s crowd in Las Vegas. As strong as he is on swagger, Christie comes across staggeringly light on substance.

Bush appeals to the growing Hispanic demographic, enjoys deeper donor ties and has a better, less scandalous gubernatorial record. Christie offers decision makers nothing more than a ticking time bomb in terms of both his temper and Bridgegate legal troubles, not to mention a history of not being a team player. It’s clear Christie’s final flicker of hope to catch even a whiff of the GOP nomination has been snuffed out. All that’s left is his face-saving decision not to run due to “family reasons” and to “finish the job” in New Jersey.

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Joshua Henne is founder of White Horse Strategies. Follow @JoshuaHenne on Twitter.

An Important Lesson To Be Learned: Shore Area Democrats Didn't Need To Compromise Beliefs or Principles To Get Elected

It’s been a week since Election Day has come and gone, and while looking over some of the results the other day I stumbled across an interesting tidbit that was intriguing to me. After opting to endorse Governor Christie and the Republican Freeholder ticket rather than support Barbara Buono and the Monmouth County Democratic candidates, the Spring Lake Democrats took a huge beating last Tuesday at the polls.

The Spring Lake Democrats endorse the opposing party's candidates for Governor and Freeholder because they believed it was going to help their local candidates win (at least that’s what they told the Monmouth County Democrats). Interesting enough though, the 3 towns neighboring Spring Lake - Manasquan, Belmar and Spring Lake Heights all elected Democrats locally even though Governor Christie won their towns by the same margin that he won Spring Lake.

Manasquan, Belmar and Spring Lake Heights all supported the Monmouth County Democratic ticket, they chose not to compromise their beliefs or principles and were still able to win. They worked with the opposing party when they had to and didn't cut a political deals with Republicans to benefit themselves. They knew they were doing what was right for their constituents and recognized that they had more in common with their party's platform than the opposing party's.

There is an important  lesson  to be learned here; you can stick to your principles, be bipartisan, work on legislation that is important and beneficial to all without compromising your beliefs or getting in bed with the opposition by cutting deals to help your own electoral prospects.

Spring Lake took the opposite path from Manasquan, Belmar and Spring Lake Heights and voters saw through it.

Well Said Mr. Braun, I'm Voting For Barbara Buono Too!

Yesterday on his blog, former Newark Star-Ledger columnist Bob Braun, who I must say is probably one of the best writers, if not the best writer in New Jersey, wrote a piece stating why he will be voting for Barbara Buono tomorrow.  His reasoning is sound, heartfelt and full of anguish and frustration at establishment Democrats that have stabbed her in the back and abandoned her campaign early on (and during) to unseat Chris Christie as Governor.  These cowardly Democrats,  who thought that they could possibly ride the coattails of Christie's coarse and crude arrogance to an easy reelection this year may instead my be victims of their idiocy. If Christie's coattails are long enough to carry anyone into office behind him, it will be his fellow Republicans that will be taking the ride, not Democratic incumbents. 

It's really a shame, Chris Christie's record is not stellar and leaves much to be desired. If these turncoats would have rallied around and behind Barbara Buono's campaign for Governor from the beginning, Christie wouldn't be sitting with a 20 point lead in the polls with his eyes looking toward 2016. Instead, he'd be on the verge of defeat and looking for a job.

For the same reasons that Bob Braun outline on his blog post (reprinted below) and a number of other reasons of my own, I'm not embarrassed at all  to say that I am voting for Barbara Buono tomorrow too! 

You know what, punk? I’m tired of you, too. I’m voting for Buono.

by Bob Braun

I am voting for Barbara Buono to take New Jersey back from the “bipartisan,” billionaire-funded coalition of bullies, punks and cowardly sycophants who are using the state as a testing ground for a future national assault on the welfare of the poor, working people, and the middle class. That makes voting for Buono Tuesday an essential act of patriotism.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because she acts with dignity and treats people with respect. Frankly, without those qualifications, I don’t care much about the rest. Despite the snarkiness of main stream media and stand-up comics—including those holding public office—I am tired of depictions of Jersey residents as crude, coarse, and stupid—depictions confirmed by a governor who is crude, coarse, and stupid. Or thinks he can gain votes and national attention by acting that way.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because she acted with courage and poise when other Democrats either ran from the Bully-in-Chief out of fear or sucked up to him for what they could gain. She was repeatedly stabbed in the back by party colleagues who care more about their own insignificant futures—where do you think you are going in Christieland, Joe D?—than they do about the future of the state and the nation. I am tired of Democrats who behave like obsequious little fawns whenever the Big Boy is in town.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because she respects those who believe in the life of the mind. Every governor in the past—Republican and Democrat—has supported the efforts of public school teachers to educate our children. But, now, teachers have been bullied, verbally abused, mocked and ridiculed by a man who is a poster boy for how not to behave. Buono sponsored New Jersey’s anti-bullying law—and, now, for all of us, she is the anti-bully.

Cause I gotta tell you–you know what, punk? I’m tired of you, too.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because, if she is governor, collective bargaining will continue to be the way in which disputes are resolved. Because, if she is governor, millions of dollars won’t be spent on religious voucher schools. Because, if she is governor, the headlong rush into charter schools will be stopped so that our neediest children are not warehoused and segregated in the least-supported schools.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because the residents of New Jersey need an independent state supreme court. Have you forgotten Christie removed the only African-American from the court? Have you forgotten he has promised to shape the court in his own image as if he were some sort of Old Testament godhead whose wisdom surpasses those of all others?

I am voting for Barbara Buono because she supports what I—and most Democrats– believe in:

Support for public schools. Fair housing policies that will begin to end the disgrace of racial isolation and segregation throughout New Jersey. A minimum wage. Fair taxes that lower the property tax burden and increase taxes for millionaires. Independence and academic integrity for Rutgers University. Good health care. Pre-school. Women’s rights. Human rights. Strong unions to protect wage earners against the depredations of corporations that already have extraordinary protections. Concern for the environment.

I am voting for Barbara Buono because I know she wants to be governor and only governor. She is not using this position to become president. I fear for my country to think Chris Christie will be catapulted to national prominence by the results Tuesday. I genuinely believe he will use the instruments of government—as he did when he was US Attorney—to move against his political enemies. The Koch brothers want to change our country in frightening ways and, as David Koch said, “Chris Christie is our kind of guy.”

I am voting for Barbara Buono.

A Christie Editorial Analysis: A factual review of the Christie term

By Brian Froelich
Monmouth County Freeholder Candidate


The Asbury Park Press editorial opinion endorsing Christie was disappointing as well as inaccurate. The Press then went on to endorse practically all of the Republican Legislative candidates based on the candidates support of the Christie agenda. So the Press editorial deserves a full response.

The Press’s basic (but factually unsupported) opinion is that Christie’s programs to turn the state around, to contain government spending (at all levels of government), to bringing public employee salaries and benefits under control, and to make New Jersey attractive to businesses again have been largely successful. Yet this assessment seems later contradicted when, in discussing Buono, the Press defines New Jersey’s pressing current problems as property taxes, jobs and a lethargic economy.

Even the Star Ledger, which endorsed Christie while (at least figuratively) holding its nose, admitted that his achievements are “only modest” at best and miserable when compared to his “measurable failures”. They called some of his agenda a “catastrophe” and his budget claims “fraudulent”. They found his ego entertaining but damaging. In sum they considered him “overrated”. In the end they perversely, but not without reason, blamed limited Democratic Party support for Buono for their Christie vote.

Bob Braun, one of the most respected reporters and opinion writers in New Jersey, wrote a scathing analysis of his former employer’s opinion supporting Christie.

So let’s look at the facts.

First, nobody in their right mind would think that this state is turning around! Our unemployment remains regionally high and our employment growth anemic. High paying jobs in key industries (like pharmaceuticals, high tech, etc) are leaving and being replaced by low wage service jobs. Foreclosures in New Jersey are some of the highest in the nation. The office vacancy rate in Monmouth County, for example, is over 30%. One large high tech building, that alone represents 2 million square feet, has stood vacant for years. And Christie’s billion dollar subsidies to attract business have been largely fruitless. Whatever “clear signal to the business community that it is welcome in New Jersey” that the Press believes Christie has sent has clearly not been received.

From a finance point of view the results are similarly poor. Our bonds, already lowly rated, have been downgraded again. One study called Christie’s budgets “structurally unsound”. And a recent New York Times article detailed and criticized his budget “gimmicks”. Even the Wall Street Journal is not impressed with his financial antics. In 2012 they wrote; “The proposed use of dedicated revenues—a form of revenue often called a one-shot—has increased threefold since Mr. Christie's first budget in 2010, and is nearly seven times as much as he put in last year's spending plan”.

In short there is not a scintilla of evidence that anything that Christie has done is having a positive economic effect. And he has bet the ranch, so to speak, that online gaming will bail him and us out of this hole in the future.

Regarding specific projects, his gamble to support the gaming industry in Atlantic City (e.g. Revel) and the failed Meadowlands Shopping Mall crapped out. And Christie passed on the one project that would dramatically improve the regional economy in both the long and short term. The Hudson Tunnel would have created an economic asset with a hundred year lifespan and doubled river crossing rush hour capacity. It would have created thousands of short and long term jobs, raised home values and tax revenues, and brought a regional economic boom. But he wouldn’t bring his Press praised negotiating skills to get it done. His mishandling of the faulty $400 million federal education application was clearly inept.

The Press listed the merger of UNDMJ and Rutgers as a specific accomplishment. It is an incredibly bad idea that only a politician, but no reasonable business person, would endorse. UMDNJ is a financial and managerial disaster. Combining it with an already large complicated (and even challenged) institution before it is running smoothly is a clear error. I am a strong supporter of Rutgers President Barchi. But a merger at this point is expensive and puts both institutions at unnecessary risk.

And Christie has really done nothing to contain spending at any level of government. His state budget is back to Corzine levels largely as a result of raising pension fund payments back to the more responsible Corzine level. His 2% local spending cap scam has more holes than Swiss cheese. His cuts to education, town aid, and property tax rebates just made it more difficult for towns and middle income home owners. The best evidence of his present failure is that NJ debt, tolls, transit fares, electricity bills, tuitions, and property taxes (by 20%!) have all gone up while home values and ratables have gone down. His overly aggressive revenue projections have forced him to defer payments to future years increasing future budget pressures.

Public employee salaries and benefits are clearly an issue that needs more attention. But most towns and Boards of Education have been tackling this problem on their own out of sheer necessity and local pressure. And both Democrats and Republicans (and even unions!) at the state and local levels have been successfully making progress on this problem.

Even with some issues during and after, by most reasonable judgments Christie did his job during the Sandy Storm. The Press credits his popularity to this effort. But only since Katrina has simply doing your job during natural disasters been considered a high standard.

Finally, and even after labeling it disrespectful, the Press was especially supportive of Christie’s “style that has resonated… with a majority of New Jersey residents”. While that may be true it will still be considered unfortunate by many that the Press confused talking tough with talking straight and bullying with statesmanship.


*********************
This post is from Brian Froelich's blog located on Howell Patch

Buono Campaign: Christie Can't Hide His Failed Economic Record

For Immediate Release:

The Buono for Governor campaign released the following statement in response to the Christie campaign's latest ad:

"The Christie campaign's attempts to prop up his failed economic record ring hollow among the 400,000 people looking for work, the middle class families burdened by his 20 percent property tax increase and the students dealing with the devastating consequences of his $1 billion cut to education. 

"New Jerseyans are tired of his excuses and want a vision for a New Jersey that lifts up everyone rather than favoring millionaires and corporations."

- David Turner, a spokesman for the campaign

BACKGROUND

CHRISTIE'S NEW JERSEY COMEBACK NEVER HAPPENED

Star-Ledger Editorial: "Compared With The Rest Of The Country — Even The Rest Of Our Region — We Haven't Restored Nearly As Many Jobs Lost During The Start Of The Recession. Which Makes Gov. Chris Christie's Gloating Lately About The Jobs He's Created That Much More Insufferable." [Editorial, Star-Ledger, 4/7/13]

Asbury Park Press Editorial: "The Jersey Economic Comeback? Never Happened." [Editorial, Asbury Park Press, 8/19/13]

Bloomberg On Christie's Economic Record: "So Compared To The Country As A Whole, New Jersey Has Faltered Since Christie Took Office." [Bloomberg, 8/15/13]

CNBC: Christie Would Be "Unlikely To Point To New Jersey's Standing In Our America's Top States For Business Rankings. It Has Declined Since He Took Office In 2010" Falling From 30^th To 42^nd In 2013. "But he is unlikely to point to New Jersey's standing in our America's Top States for Business rankings. It has declined since he took office in 2010. That year and in 2011, New Jersey finished 30th overall. In 2012, the state plunged to 41st. For 2013, it drops another spot to 42nd." [CNBC, 7/13/13]

THE FACTS – HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE REGION, BOTTOM OF THE BARREL IN JOB CREATION, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY 400,000 NEW JERSEYANS ARE LOOKING FOR WORK

New Jersey's Unemployment Rate Of 8.5% Was The Highest Among Its Neighbors By Nearly Half A Point. In August 2013, New Jersey's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5%. New York's was 7.6%, Pennsylvania's rate was 7.7%, Delaware's was 7.3%, Maryland's unemployment rates was 7.0% and Connecticut's was 8.1%. [BLS.gov, Accessed 9/20/13]

·     From January 2010 To August 2013, New Jersey's Unemployment Rate Dropped A Point, From 9.7% To 8.5%, While The National Unemployment Rate Dropped 2 Points, From 9.8% To 7.3%. [BLS.gov, Accessed 9/20/13]

August 2013: 391,667 New Jerseyans Are Out Of Work And Looking. [BLS.gov, Accessed 9/20/13]

August 2013: New Jersey Had Only Recovered 49% Of Jobs Lost During The Great Recession, While New York Recovered 126% And Pennsylvania 78%, And The Nation 78%. New Jersey's peak total non-farm seasonally adjusted employment came in January 2008, at 4,092,200. The low point came in September 2010 at 3,969,800 and August 2013, New Jersey stood at 3,958,700. New Jersey had only regained 49% of jobs lost. New York regained 126%, Pennsylvania 78% and nationally 78%. [BLS.gov, Accessed 9/20/13]

August 2013: New Jersey Ranked 44^th In Job Creation Under Christie, And Lagged Behind New York (23^th), Delaware (39th), Connecticut (38th), Maryland (24th) And Pennsylvania (42nd).  New Jersey's total non-farm employment grew from 3,805,700 to 3,958,700 from January 2010 to August 2013. The numbers were seasonally adjusted. New Jersey's growth rate was 2.81%, lower than Pennsylvania at 3.40%, Connecticut at 3.80%, Delaware at 3.79%, Maryland was 4.70% and New York at 4.77%.  [BLS.gov, Accessed 9/20/13]

New Jersey Poverty Rate Reached A 52-Year High In 2011. Poverty in New Jersey continued to grow even as the national recession lifted, reaching a 52-year high in 2011, according to a report released today. The annual survey by Legal Services of New Jersey found 24.7 percent of the state's population — 2.1 million residents — was considered poor in 2011. That's a jump of more than 80,000 people — nearly 1 percent higher than the previous year and 3.8 percent more than pre-recession levels…. The report — the seventh issued by Legal Services — defines being poor in New Jersey as a family of three making less than $37,060. That's twice the federal poverty rate because New Jersey's cost of living is among the highest in the nation." [Star-Ledger, 9/8/13]

2009 CANDIDATE CHRISTIE WOULD HAVE RUN AGAINST 2013 GOVERNOR CHRISTIE'S RECORD

2009 Christie: New Jersey Suffered From The Highest Unemployment Rate In 33 Years, The Highest Tax Burden, The Highest Property Taxes, Going Up $1k On Average, And Needed A New Governor. "9.7% unemployment, the highest in New Jersey in 33 years, and the worst in the region. The highest tax burden in America on each and every New Jersey citizen. The highest property taxes in America, going up as much as $1,000 on average per household in the last four years. 200,000 jobs now nearly lost, nearly 200,000 just this year. New Jersey is in crisis, we are in crisis because we're taxed too much. Because we spend too much, and because we borrow too much. But you know, hope can be real again in New Jersey if we have a Governor that will come in and make the tough choices to cut spending. Hope can be real again if we cut income taxes across the board and cut business taxes." [Christie, New Jersey Gubernatorial Debate, 10/1/09 (video available)]

2009: Christie Pointed Out New Jersey's Unemployment Rate Was "At Least 0.7 Of A Percentage Point Or Higher Than New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware And Connecticut." "Christie calls Corzine's policies a "failure," and points to the unemployment rate as proof. He noted that in August, New Jersey's unemployment rate was at least 0.7 of a percentage point or higher than New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut." [Herald News, 10/18/09]

2009: Christie Criticized Corzine For Running Attack Ads While The State Was "Facing The Worst Unemployment Rate In The Region." "Calling Tuesday accountability day, Christie criticized Corzine for spending $25 million on negative, attack ads at a time when the state has the highest property taxes in the nation and is facing the worst unemployment rate in the region. Christie said Corzine represents higher taxes, more spending and more government programs." [Eastern Express Times, 10/31/09]

CHRISTIE'S CLAIMS TO CONTROLLING PROPERTY TAXES OMITS HIS CUTS TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAT RESULTED IN 20% HIGHER TAXES FOR THE AVERAGE NEW JERSEY RESIDENT

Philadelphia Inquirer: Christie's First Ad Touted "No New Taxes For Anyone" But Christie "Christie Cut Into Tax Credit Programs, Which Effectively Raised Taxes On Some." "Viewers will see the phrase 'no new taxes for anyone.' But, to balance budgets, Christie cut into tax credit programs, which effectively raised taxes on some." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/2/13]

Gloucester County Times Editorial: "Christie's Flat Out Wrong When He Tells You That He's Not Raising People's Taxes" And He Should Be "Taken To Task If The Full Rebate Cuts Stick And He Tries To Keep Wearing That 'I Didn't Raise Taxes' Halo." "Though we're with him on most of the cuts, Christie's flat out wrong when he tells you that he's not raising people's taxes. Even if municipalities and school districts don't raise property taxes by a single penny, the planned suspension of state-funded rebates until at least April 2011 blows a hole in the wallets of middle-class households and senior citizens…But when Christie wants to effectively take $800 to $1,200 in rebates from so many households, with no guarantee that the funding will return, he has no right to say 'we are certainly not increasing the tax burden we place upon our people ... .' That's simply not true. Christie should be taken to task if the full rebate cuts stick and he tries to keep wearing that 'I didn't raise taxes' halo." [Editorial, Gloucester County Times, 3/17/2010]

5/13/13: Columnist Moran Headline: "Christie Fires Blanks At Study On Rising Property Taxes." [Columnist Tom Moran, Star-Ledger, 5/13/13]

Columnist Tom Moran: Christie, "Faced With A Compelling Study Showing That The Property Tax Burden On Average Homeowners" Rose Nearly 20 Percent "Gov. Chris Christie Lashed At The Author Of The Study While Failing Utterly To Refute The Findings." "There he goes again. Faced with a compelling study showing that the property tax burden on average homeowners in New Jersey has risen by 18 percent since he took office, Gov. Chris Christie lashed at the author of the study while failing utterly to refute the findings. The report on NJ Spotlight, written by Mark Magyar, considered the impact of the governor's decision to reduce rebate payments by billions of dollars. The governor promised during the campaign that he would restore the rebates, but once in office, did exactly the opposite. So even though property taxes are rising more slowly, the burden has grown because the rebates have been scaled back so sharply." [Columnist Tom Moran, Star-Ledger, 5/13/13]

Christie's Record Property Taxes Rose 18.6 Percent In His First Three Years, Compared To Just 6 Percent In Corzine's Last Three Years. "Net property taxes in New Jersey rose 18.6 percent in Gov. Chris Christie's first three years in office, compared to just 6 percent in Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine's last three years in office, a New Jersey Spotlight analysis shows.." [NJ Spotlight, 5/6/13]

·     5/12/13: Star-Ledger Editorial Headline: "Christie's Bogus Spin On Property Taxes." [Editorial, Star-Ledger, 5/12/13]

CHRISTIE CUT NEARLY $1 BILLION FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE LARGEST PER PUPIL SPENDING CUT IN THE NATION – WHICH NJ SCHOOLS STILL HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM

Christie's $820 Million In Education Budget Resulted In 81 Percent Of Districts Planning On Cutting Staff, And Of Those 42 Percent Saying They Expected Class Size To Rise As A Result. "The school's dilemma marks a statewide trend as districts say aid cuts have meant staff reductions that in turn have led to larger class sizes. A survey by the New Jersey School Boards Association last summer, conducted after Gov. Chris Christie slashed school aid by $820 million, found 81 percent of responding districts said they intended to reduce teaching staff. Of those, 42 percent expected class size to rise as a result. … With a 2 percent cap on property tax increases coming next year, class size may increase further, West Orange School Superintendent Anthony Cavanna said."  [Star Ledger, 11/28/10]

·     Christie's FY11 Education Cuts Were The "Largest Yearly Decline Of Any State" Of Public Per Pupil Spending. "Per pupil spending for public elementary and secondary education fell in fiscal year 2011 – the first ever recorded annual decline, according to Census Bureau data released today. In all, the 50 states and the District of Columbia spent $10,560 per student, with more than three-quarters funding salaries and employee benefits. The decline represents only a 0.4 percent reduction from 2010, but it's the first year-over-year decrease since the federal government began recording data in 1977. Public spending fell by $873 per pupil in New Jersey, the largest yearly decline of any state, followed by Illinois (-$860) and Maine (-$820). A total of 21 states reported spending drops from 2010." [Governing.com, 5/21/13]

NJ Spotlight: Schools "Actually Received More In Overall Aid" In Fiscal Year 2010, And Now "Districts Are Getting Close To Returning To Those 2010 Totals Under Christie's Latest Budget, But The Financial Wounds Were Deep" And "Few Would Say They Have Healed." "It's not easy to tell whether this is the most generous education budget in history or one of the most egregious, given the rhetoric coming from both sides in the debate. Actually there is a bit of truth in each. The governor is in full reelection mode, pitching the state's investment in school aid as the highest ever. And strictly by the numbers, the amount is indeed the most the state has directly paid. But that's hardly the full picture. In fiscal 2010, schools actually received more in overall aid, helped by an additional $1 billion in federal stimulus money. The year after, without that help, Christie made deep aid cuts to schools, leading to unprecedented layoffs and decimated programs. Three years later, districts are getting close to returning to those 2010 totals under Christie's latest budget, but the financial wounds were deep and with a 2 percent tax cap in place since then, few would say they have healed." [NJ Spotlight, 4/09/13]

The FY14 Budget Would Leave 477 Schools, Or Just Over 80% Of Schools With Less State Aid Then They Received The Year Before Governor Christie Took Office. "The vast majority of NJ school districts have yet to recover from Governor Christie's $1.1 billion cut in state aid in his FY11 budget.  A new analysis by ELC shows that, even with the Governor's slight aid increase proposed for the FY14 State Budget, 477 districts will remain below the level of state aid they received the year before the Governor took office. In the 2010-11 school year, Governor Christie cut state aid to districts in an amount equal to 5% of their total operating budgets." The New Jersey Department of Education said there were 590 school districts in New Jersey. [Education Law Center, 4/4/13; New Jersey DOE, Accessed 9/2/13]

CHRISTIE'S CLAIMED HE BALANCED FOUR BUDGETS, WHICH WAS CONSTITUTIONALLY REQUIRED

PolitiFact: "New Jersey's Constitution Requires A Balanced Budget Every Year." [PolitiFact, 8/28/12]

Wall Street Journal Political Diary: "For Instance, Mr. Christie's First Large Ad Buy Touts The Four Balanced Budgets He's Signed, As If The State Constitution Didn't Require A Balanced Budget…" [Political Diary, Wall Street Journal, 5/7/13]

PolitickerNJ: Christie Claimed Four Balanced Budgets During His Term But "By Law The State's Budget Must Be Balanced, So Christie Has Not Had A Choice." "The release also links to articles refuting the governor's claims that he has presented four balanced budgets during his term.  By law the state's budget must be balanced, so Christie has not had a choice." [PolitickerNJ, 5/1/13]

New Buono Campaign Ad: He Wants To Be President, She Wants To Be Your Governor

If you haven't seen it yet, the Buono campaign released their first TV commercial the other day for the general election. It's entitled "Your Governor". The ad talks about what we already know.

Chris Christie isn't running for Governor, he is auditioning for the 2016 presidential primary. He would rather focus on pushing his radical agenda than focus on fixing the problems facing our state.

Check it out.

NJ WATCHDOG: Lt Gov Debate - Snooze or Big News?

For Immediate Release:


The upcoming debate between New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and challenger Milly Silva could be one of the most boring political occasions of this election year.

Or it could be one of the most revealing events yet. It all depends on what questions are asked Friday evening at Kean University in Union.

For three years, the GOP lieutenant governor has dodged inquiries about her involvement in a pension scandal, first reported by New Jersey Watchdog.

False statements by Guadagno as Monmouth County sheriff enabled a top aide to improperly collect $85,000 a year in retirement pay in addition to an $87,500 salary.

The controversy is the focus of a hush-hush state criminal investigation that began in 2011. Guadagno, Gov. Chris Christie and the attorney general have all declined comment through their spokespeople.

Despite an abundance of public appearances and photo opportunities, Guadagno has never held a press conference, as noted by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Katz. The debate could put her on the spot for the first time.

Democrat Silva may be reluctant to tackle Guadagno on pension issues.

A newcomer to the political stage, Silva is executive vice president of 1199SEIU – a labor union that represents nearly 400,000 workers in government and the private sector.

The other person who could bring up the pension issue during the debate is the moderator, Luke Margolis of News 12 New Jersey.

As a public service, New Jersey Watchdog offers a step-by-step primer on the Guadagno pension affair, along with documentation. Click on the links to see the supporting records:

1) In 2008, then-Sheriff Guadagno hired Michael W. Donovan Jr. as “chief of law enforcement division” at a salary of $87,500 a year. She announced the appointment in a memo to her staff. The sheriff's official website identified Donovan as "sheriff's officer chief," supervising 115 subordinate officers and 30 civilian employees.

2) Donovan was already collecting an $85,000 a year state pension as a retired investigator for the county prosecutor. While double-dipping is often legal in New Jersey, this case was different.

3) Since the position of sheriff's officer chief is covered by the pension system, Donovan should have been required to stop receiving benefits, re-enroll in the retirement plan and resume contributions to the pension fund.

4) Instead, county payroll records, the oath of office and a news release by Guadagno identified Donovan as the sheriff's "chief warrant officer" – a similar sounding, but low-ranking position that's not in the pension system. A chief warrant officer is responsible for serving warrants and other legal documents.

5) Yet on Guadagno’s organizational chart, Donovan was listed as chief of law enforcement. The position of chief warrant officer was not on the chart.

6) While sheriff's chief, Donovan pocketed $227,000 in checks from PFRS. Since he did not re-enroll in the pension plan, he avoided another $18,000 in contributions. If the state decides Donovan violated pension law, he could be forced to repay $245,000.

7) Guadagno is also at risk. Under state statute, "Any person who shall knowingly make any false statement or shall falsify or permit to be falsified any record or records of this retirement system...shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."

8) The attorney general's Division of Criminal Justice began an investigation in May 2011 at the behest of a pension board, according to a sworn statement by a state official.

9) Rather than use his constitutional authority to appoint an independent investigator, Christie allowed DCJ to run the case – an apparent conflict-of-interest. Guadagno is a former DCJ deputy director and now Christie's second-in-command. She sits in the governor's cabinet alongside the attorney general, who is in charge of DCJ.

10) Unless there are criminal charges – an extreme unlikelihood given the political circumstances – DCJ will not comment or release records of the investigation, according to a sworn statement by Deputy Attorney General Anthony A. Picione.

11) If Guadagno and Christie get their way, the case will be swept under the rug.

Any questions?

# # #

The story is now online at http://newjersey.watchdog.org. For media inquiries, contact Mark Lagerkvist at Mark@Lagerkvist.net.