Positive Information For Millions of Americans or Snippy Partisan Swipe: "America a rising manufacturing star?"

I subscribe to the "Daily Grind", a conservative right-wing newsletter put out by the people behind the Americans for Limited Government blog NetRightDaily. To say that I read their content would be a misnomer,but I do quickly skim over the content occasionally and agree with some of what they have to say. When those occasions arise, it's generally because the articles start off as a commonsense appeal for bipartisanship legislation that address many of issues affecting our country but quickly disintegrate into conservative speak and political bashing of  Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, President Obama and liberal/progressive ideology, while completely forgetting that Republican conservatism as practiced by those in House and Senate are just as much to blame for the current political problems that we face. 

Case in point, below is a recent article that touts the potential reemergence of the American manufacturing sector due to the improvement of the manufacturing climate in U.S.  Many companies that fled this country over the past 3 decades for cheap labor and less restrictive regulations are now looking to come back to this country because labor and energy costs have become more competitive in recent years. 

By the end of what was a good news, positive story about the return of manufacturing jobs to this country and what it would mean for millions of Americans, becomes a snippy, partisan swipe at the Obama Administration for trying to ensure that we have clean air to breath and water to drink. 

Take a feel good story and turn it on its head in an attempt to score a political point.  It's maddening! 

NetRightDaily
By Rick Manning 

The Boston Consulting Group just released a study comparing manufacturing costs around the world, and the United States fared surprisingly well. Writing about the U.S. and Mexico, the authors explain the improved manufacturing environment saying, “Because of low wage growth, sustained productivity gains, stable exchange rates, and a big energy-cost advantage, these two nations are the current rising stars of global manufacturing.” 

The big energy-cost advantage is the key. 

While China struggles with higher energy costs, the United States is just scraping the surface of its natural bounty of fossil fuels. The innovative unlocking of a vast sea of natural gas and oil over the past decade has transformed the United States’ position in the future of where world manufacturing will grow and prosper. In fact, CNBC reports that natural gas prices alone have fallen by between 25-35 percent in the past decade in North America. This drop in energy costs is contrasted by a 135 percent rise in natural gas costs in China. 

And the U.S. manufacturing sector is beginning to respond with federal government measures of industrial production up 0.4 percent for its sixth consecutive monthly gain, the Federal Reserve reported last week. Manufacturing output advanced 1 percent in July, its largest increase since February. 

CNBC quotes Hal Sirkin, a senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group saying that the old assumptions that manufacturing is cheaper in Asia and South America have “fundamentally changed.” 

“This means companies will start to move manufacturing out of those expensive countries if they can, to cheaper countries like the U.S.,” Sirkin said. 

Increased U.S. manufacturing means more much needed good paying jobs, and while the days of hundreds of workers operating alongside one another building a car is outmoded, a resurgent U.S. manufacturing sector is welcome in what has otherwise been a jobless recovery. 

These are the exact kind of jobs that our nation still desperately needs as the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that more than 7.5 million Americans are working part-time because they can’t find a full-time job. What’s even more startling is that for the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the number of food stamp recipients remains at crisis levels with more than 45 million people receiving food assistance each month for three straight years. 

Ironically, the very Obama Administration which purports to want to help those in need is pushing regulations like EPA’s proposed power plant rules. Regulations that put the very energy cost advantage our nation currently enjoys at risk by deliberately driving up energy costs by closing down dozens of coal burning power plants. The same agency is also pushing ozone standard regulations that the House Energy and Commerce Committee says “is already contributing to uncertainty and holding back investment.” 

America’s free enterprise system and abundant natural resources have given our nation another opportunity to rebound from the moribund new normal of despair that President Obama and those of his ilk seem to embrace. 

The only question that remains is whether America will choose a path toward prosperity or the continual downward drift to the ash heap of history. 

Rick Manning is the vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government.

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/12/14: Expanding Opportunity – It’s Time for Congressional Republicans to Do Their Part

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President recapped his visits with folks who have written him letters about their own American stories -- their successes and struggles. While Congressional Republicans are blocking meaningful measures that would strengthen the middle class, the President continues looking for ways to grow the economy and expand opportunity for more hardworking Americans. The President again urged Congress to join him, as they were elected to do, in working on behalf of everyday Americans – including those the President spent time with this week – by investing in our infrastructure to support American jobs, and ensuring that the Highway Trust Fund does not expire.

President Obama's Weekly Address 5/3/14: The President's Year of Action

WASHINGTON, DC – In this week’s address, the President provided an update on the work his Administration has done to strengthen the economy and expand opportunity for hardworking Americans in this Year of Action. While Republicans in Congress are setting records in obstruction, the President is making progress for the American people and has taken more than 20 executive actions since January.

The President vowed to continue taking action on his own wherever possible, but underscored that much more progress could be made if Republicans in Congress were less interested in stacking the deck in favor of those at the top, and more interested in expanding opportunity for all.

President Obama's Weekly Address 2/15/14: Calling on Congress to Raise the Minimum Wage

WASHINGTON, DC— This week, President Obama took action to lift more workers’ wages by requiring that federal contractors pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour. In this week’s address, he highlights that executive action and calls on Congress to pass a bill to raise the federal minimum wage for all workers.

President Obama's Weekly Address 2/8/14: Expanding Opportunity for the American People

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said he will do everything he can to make a difference for the middle class and those working to get into the middle class, so that we can expand opportunity for all and build an economy that works for the American people.

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/27/13: A Better Bargain for the Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people about his speech at Knox College on Wednesday, where he discussed the cornerstones of what it means to be middle class, including having a good job, a home that is your own, quality education, a secure retirement, and affordable health care. While we have laid the foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth, there is more work to be done, and that is why over the coming weeks the President will continue to lay out his plan for growing the economy from the middle out, and create a better bargain for the middle class.

President Obama's Weekly Address 5/18/13: The President Talks About How to Build a Rising, Thriving Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama talked about his belief that a rising, thriving middle class is the true engine of economic growth, and that to reignite that engine and continue to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, we need to invest in three areas: jobs, skills and opportunity.

"Gov. Christie seems unwilling to acknowledge that N.J. jobs crisis is real"

This Times of Trenton column by New Jersey Working Families Alliance Director Bill Holland, pointing out Governor Chris Christie's failure to adequately deal with or even acknowledge New Jersey's jobs crisis. Instead, the governor insists on doubling down on the discredited trickle-down policies of the past.

Times of Trenton

By Bill Holland

On Tuesday, Gov. Christie released the fourth and final budget of his term. Legislators and advocates will spend the next weeks poring over the budget to see what’s been funded and what’s been cut. But just as important as what is in the budget is what Christie seems to have left out: a comprehensive plan to deal with the state’s jobs crisis.

Unfortunately, the governor seems unwilling to acknowledge that the jobs crisis is real, much less to offer viable solutions. Instead, he doubled down on what has so far been his only big idea for jobs creation: paying off corporations in the hope that they will someday create jobs. In his budget speech, he touted more cuts for business. His budget summary also includes $2.3 billion in “targeted” tax breaks for corporations – meaning yet more subsidies and tax credits for businesses.

The problem is that these corporate giveaways haven’t been very good at creating jobs. In 2011, Campbell’s Soup took $32.4 million while laying off 130 workers in Camden, one of the poorest cities in America. That same year, the state also awarded $12.3 million to Citigroup to move New York employees to their New Jersey offices. Citigroup took the money and then cut 276 New Jersey jobs in Bergen County two months later. And Christie’s tax break for the developers of Revel Casino has been a spectacular failure. Just last week, the troubled casino announced it’s filing for bankruptcy.

We’ve tried corporate welfare for the last three years and it simply hasn’t worked. While other states are recovering from the 2007 economic crisis, New Jersey seems stuck in a rut. The state’s unemployment rate is the fourth-highest in the nation and it ranks a dismal 47th in economic growth. Pennsylvania has already restored 75 percent of the jobs lost there since the start of the recession. New Jersey has only restored 35 percent. If we stay on the same course, we’re not expected to return to pre-recession employment until 2018.

Worse yet, corporate tax cuts have come at a cost to working families in the form of higher tuition, transit fares, public school fees and property taxes. It’s also led to cuts to pro-employment programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, affordable after-school care and funding for our public colleges and universities. Non-partisan think-tank New Jersey Policy Perspective found that without the governor’s budget cuts, our unemployment rate would be down a point or more. Instead, working families are paying more, getting less and looking for jobs that just aren’t there.

Christie has it backward. Instead of buying the wealthy off with ineffective tax breaks and paying for them with budget cuts, he should be asking the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share so that we can invest in strong, safe communities, a well-trained work force, a quality transit system and the fundamentals we need to make New Jersey a great place to live and do business.

There are better choices available to him. Ending his tax cuts for the richest 1 percent of New Jerseyans could generate more than $1 billion in revenue that could help make college more affordable, keep our streets safe, and invest in transit and green jobs creation. Ending the corporate tax breaks included in this year’s budget could save $540 million more this year and much more in the years to come.

New Jersey can’t afford to double down on trickle-down policies that have failed us so far. We need a real jobs program and a way to pay for it. Legislators should have the courage and vision to fight for both this year.

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Bill Holland is executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and coordinator of the Better Choices for New Jersey campaign.

Pallone Statement on Obama State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement in reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union Address to Congress:

“President Obama offered a strong agenda to addressing some of our nation’s most challenging problems. I was encouraged to hear his emphasis on creating jobs, rebuilding our economy and working together to stem violence in our culture.

“The president’s jobs agenda must be acted on by this Congress. As the president noted, manufacturing has been a bright spot for our nation’s economy and we should continue to take steps to encourage American businesses to make their products here in America. Manufacturing can continue to be a driver of our economy and we should work together to foster growth.

“I was also pleased to hear President Obama make a commitment to working to reform our energy future and address climate change. He rightly noted that weather events like Superstorm Sandy, which devastated so much of Jersey Shore, are a frightening indication of the power of climate change and why we can and must take action while we can still make a positive impact. I agree with the president’s position that we must take steps to expedite the transition to alternative energy, which will be good for our planet and our economy.

“As the president said, energy is ‘just one part of an aging infrastructure’ that needs to be addressed. I was excited to hear the president talk about his ‘Fix it First’ and ‘Partnership to Rebuild’ plans. These could be positive steps that could create jobs while rebuilding our nation.

“The most important thing we can do for the future of our nation is to provide the best education in the world to our children and I was interested to hear President Obama’s proposals on improving our education system. We need to create new opportunities for our children to continue to be competitive in the global economy.

“President Obama also touched on the challenging issue of immigration reform and the need to address poverty in the wealthiest nation on Earth by calling for an increase in the federal minimum wage. We need to improve wages in the United States so that we working families can gain access to the middle class.

“Along with improved wages, must come equality and fairness when it comes to earning, which is why equal pay for equal work continues to be critical for improving our economy. Women must earn the same wages as men for the same work and not have to worry about discrimination in the work place. I was also encouraged to hear the president call to the Violence Against Women Act that passed in the Senate today and I look forward to voting for in the House.

“President Obama’s commitment to continuing to ensure our nation’s security while working to finish our job in Afghanistan will also be critical to strengthening the country. He noted that we face a different set of challenges now, so it is time to consider reducing nuclear weapon stockpiles while improving our security against cyber threats.

“The President also touched on critical issues like equality and improving voting rights. I agree that we can and must find solutions to these pressing issues in the 113th Congress.

“Finally, I stand with President Obama and plan to work with him to prevent gun violence in our nation. We cannot lose more innocent lives to gun violence in this country and we need to work together to find develop a plan that protects all Americans.

“President Obama’s State of the Union address set out bold plans for his presidency and the 113th Congress. Many of the president’s initiatives can be achieve with a bipartisan approach. Democrats and Republicans must work together to achieve these common goals and I look forward to addressing our nation’s challenges head on with my colleagues in Congress.”

President Obama's Weekly Address 2/2/13: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama called on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. Our businesses created 2.2 million jobs last year, and we just learned that our economy created more jobs over the last few months than economists originally thought. Our economy is poised to expand in 2013 if Washington politics doesn’t get in the way, and the President called on Congress to work together to keep moving us forward.

HOLD CHRISTIE ACCOUNTABLE – HE CAN’T HIDE FROM 3-YEAR RECORD OF FAILURE & MISPLACED PRIORITIES

Christie’s State of State Will Surely Ignore Failing New Jersey’s Families

(NEW JERSEY) – In 2009, candidate Chris Christie said we must hold a governor accountable… the same holds true today. Governor Christie runs a remarkable public relations machine and does a tremendous job bending the narrative in his favor, while simply ignoring the facts that don’t fit his polished story. However, the State of the State is about reality – not fiction.

To hear Christie talk these days, one would think his first day as Governor started the morning after Superstorm Sandy reached New Jersey’s shores. However, the dark clouds of Christie’s policies have been hovering over our state for a full three years. The people of New Jersey are strong and resilient, but our state has been neglected and is in a worse state of disrepair due to Christie.

Everyone agrees Superstorm Sandy was a hard hit for the state and devastated many families and businesses. But it is unfortunate and cynical for Christie to use the devastating storm as a smokescreen to obfuscate his anemic record of failures and misplaced priorities. And the governor should have to answer for his full record that has consistently hurt New Jersey’s middle-class.

The same problems New Jersey faced before Superstorm Sandy are still facing our state today. So, here are some of the facts that Governor Christie hopes you’ll forget. Because New Jersey has these issues – that predate Sandy and still matter:

• Unemployment is still hovering around 10%.
• Since Governor Chris Christie took office, New Jersey has consistently trailed the rest of the nation when it comes to jobs... and still does.
• Under Christie, New Jersey reached the largest gulf between state and national unemployment averages since Jimmy Carter was president.
• New Jersey residents suffered a gigantic net jump in property taxes since Christie took office – at one point reaching 20%.
• New Jersey ranks as the 46th worst-run state in America.
• New Jersey’s state economy ranks 47th.
• New Jersey’s business climate slipped to 41st.
• New Jersey now has the 2nd highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in the nation – as rates nationally have fallen to their lowest levels since 2008.
• Commuters are dealing with higher train tickets, bus fares and tolls.
• Schools are in disrepair... while teachers are disparaged.
• Higher tuition at public universities and colleges… while aid is slashed.
• 55% of New Jersey highways are in poor or mediocre condition.
• 35% of New Jersey bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
• Christie claimed a mythical "Jersey Comeback" and based his budget on rosy revenue projections that were far from coming true well before Superstorm Sandy.
• There is one stat in which Christie has New Jersey leading the nation. We just slipped to become the number one state that people are moving out of.

****Starting at 2 pm, please follow @JoshuaHenne – who will be livetweeting @GovChristie’s State of the State.

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One New Jersey is shining a light on politicians who act against the best interests of New Jersey’s residents and who seek to divide our state for their own political gain. It is giving voice to the important issues that affect our daily lives. One New Jersey will closely monitor policy positions and actions of elected officials and expose their records on the issues that matter. You can follow One New Jersey on Twitter (@OneNJ) or search for “One New Jersey” on Facebook.

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/13/12: One Million American Jobs Saved and a Stronger American Auto Industry

WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address, President Obama talked about his decision to rescue the American auto industry from collapse and save more than one million American jobs. Some were calling to let Detroit go bankrupt, but the President refused; now the industry is leading the world again and auto sales are the highest they’ve been in more than four years. In the coming years, new American cars will have higher fuel standards, which is good for the pocketbooks of middle class families and the environment. And thanks to the President’s bipartisan trade agreements, we are selling more American cars in places like South Korea. The auto industry demonstrates that when Americans are knocked down, we get back up and come back stronger than before.

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/28/12: The House of Representatives Must Act on Middle Class Tax Cut Extension

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to act on his proposal to protect middle class families and small businesses from being hit with a big tax hike next year. Everyone says they agree that we should extend the tax cuts for the middle class and the Senate already passed the President’s plan to prevent a typical family from seeing a tax increase of $2,200, but Republicans in Congress are holding these tax cuts hostage until we extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The President called on Congress to pass the middle class tax extension so that we can continue to grow the economy and create jobs the American people.

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/7/12: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama spoke to the American people from Ohio about a bill signed on Friday that does two important things: it keeps thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and it stops interest rates on federal loans from doubling this year for more than seven million students. The President urges Congress to do more to help our economic recovery and create jobs, including taking half the money we’re no longer spending on war and using it to build roads, bridges and wireless networks at home, and expanding financial aid to two million students while giving them the opportunity to learn the skills that businesses need right now. It’s time for our elected officials to come together to help strengthen the middle class.

President Obama's Weekly Address 6/23/12: Congress Must Act on Transportation Bill and Student Loans

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama spoke about the urgent need for Congress to act now on two common sense measures to help hardworking middle class families. Unless Congress takes action in the next week, thousands of workers will be sent home from their jobs and millions of students will see their interest rates double. At a time when hundreds of thousands of construction workers are eager to get back on the job, it makes no sense to let transportation funding run out. And at a time when a college education has never been more important to finding a good job, it makes no sense to hit 7.4 million students with the equivalent of a $1,000 tax. It’s not too late, but time is running out for Republicans and Democrats to come together on these common sense measures to help our nation recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Fighting for NJ Jobs and Our Energy Future

From the E-Newsletter of Congressman Rush Holt: 

Congressman Rush Holt

It is very important that our country conduct research and development for sources of energy that are alternative to fossil fuels. The research is important for jobs today and jobs for the future. With our national economy for energy well over a trillion dollars a year, it is wise to invest at least a few percent of that amount in developing clean, abundant, environmentally attractive energy sources for the future.

Fusion energy research is showing as much promise and progress as ever. As a result, a number of other countries around the world are investing more and more in fusion, both in their own national research programs and in the multi-billion-dollar international research project ITER, under construction in Europe. They see this research as crucial for their energy future and also enormously valuable to their present overall research infrastructure. The U.S., once the clear international leader in the field and still the home to many of its best scientists and engineers, plays only a fractional role in ITER.

Earlier this year, the President, who often has advanced a wise vision for America’s energy policy, now faced with real budget constraints, made what I considered a misguided decision. In his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2013, he proposed increasing US contributions to the ITER project (a good idea) at the expense of the domestic research program (a bad idea).

In effect, the President proposed underfunding U.S. fusion energy research by $48 million, which would result in closing the MIT fusion research project, curtailing other university and corporate research, and laying off more than 80 people – about one-fifth of the workforce – from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), the leading U.S. center for research in the field. These workers – some of the best in the world – come to work in suits, in lab coats, and in jeans and hardhats. They are, in other words, a broad cross-section of the kind of workers we want and need in New Jersey. If these cuts became law, they would debilitate the U.S. fusion program, jeopardizing America’s role as a leader in researching clean, sustainable sources of energy.

We should participate vigorously in the international research program, but if we allow our domestic program to atrophy, we can neither contribute much to the international program nor derive much benefit from it. We should be in a position to sell energy technology to other countries, not to have to buy it. It is a big energy market out there, and growing!

As the former assistant director of the PPPL, and as someone who cares deeply about scientific research, I brought together 48 bipartisan members of Congress to oppose the fusion energy cuts. Writing to New Jersey Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, the chairman of the US House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Energy and Water Development, we said, “Clean energy is an area in which our government can ill-afford to fall behind.”

When his committee wrote the Energy Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013, he chose to restore nearly full fusion funding, which would preserve these jobs in New Jersey and would keep the research underway around the country. On Wednesday this week, I joined Rep. Frelinghuysen and leaders and workers at the PPPL to thank him for his leadership. More work still remains to be done; the Senate must pass an energy funding bill that retains this new funding.

Sharing the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is, to my mind, the greatest invention of humans: an ingenious system of checks and balances that harnesses the power of individual initiative and enhanced community that has enabled America to grow into the most powerful and beneficial nation on earth.

For many decades now, members of Congress have shared the Constitution with students and citizens by distributing pocket-sized Constitution booklets, containing the entire text of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I like to tell students it is their copy of both our statement of purpose and the operating manual for the government they are called to run. I point out that the real ingenuity of the Constitution is that it is based, not just on fixed procedures, but on ever-dynamic mechanisms of self-correction and progress toward our ideals of liberty and equality.

Last week, I went to the House floor to point out the ironic fact these booklets are out of print (for reasons political, budgetary, and procedural, beyond what I can explain easily here). I proposed an appropriations amendment, accepted by the Republicans and Democrats, to print again these pocket Constitutions. I will let you know when printing is completed so that you can request a free pocket Constitution of your own; I carry one with me all the time.

Next Week: Telephone Town Hall on Tuesday, Senior Forum on Friday

Next week, I’ll be hosting two forums to share news from Congress and to hear directly from you.

On Tuesday evening at 7:45 p.m., I’ll hold a telephone town hall open to all residents of central New Jersey. Many of you will automatically receive calls on Tuesday evening inviting you to join; to ensure that you are called, please visit http://holt.house.gov/townhall or call 1-87-RUSH-HOLT.

Then, on Friday, I will host a Senior Forum in Monroe to discuss Social Security and Medicare – how they work, how they can work better, and how we can protect these crucial programs from deterioration or attack.

Senior Forum on Social Security and Medicare
Friday, June 22, 2012
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Monroe Township Public Library
4 Municipal Plaza
Monroe Township, New Jersey 08831

I’ll be joined by Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. I hope you will join us and share your questions and concerns!

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Jobs comeback? C’mon!

Cross posted from NJBIZ.com
By Joe Arney

Well, when the governor calls a press conference to talk about a jobs report, you know you’re primed to hear some of the best news in a long time.

Sure enough, Chris Christie was in full on told-ya-so mode today, touting the addition of 17,600 jobs in May as further proof that the “New Jersey Comeback” is here to stay.

Far be it from me to complain — the faster New Jersey adds jobs, the faster I’ll be able to quit the news racket and get myself a real job. But right now, it looks like most of those jobs are low-paying service positions cleaning the toilets at the just-opened Revel casino, as opposed to the kind of higher-wage positions the state really needs to attract. And judging by the amount of capital — political and paper — New Jersey has tied into Revel, it’s unlikely we can afford to open enough casinos to power much of a jobs comeback.

In fact, taking a closer look at the numbers, you see New Jersey lost nearly 5,000 jobs in the financial activities sector; to my knowledge, financial and insurance professionals do not work for $12 an hour to swab the pool deck or bring mai tais to silver-haired slot players busy converting their Social Security checks into casino winnings.

Then, there’s all the public-sector hiring. Governments added a net 4,700 jobs, including 3,800 at the local level. Remember all the bluster about towns seeking to exceed the property tax cap, and how they should slash budgets like the love child of Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden, even if it meant jobs? Suddenly, Christie likes those jobs very much.

Look, as the state battles out of the depths of a painful recession, any job is a good job. But New Jersey still trails the nation in employment recovery, we’re still losing jobs in key areas and we’re still bending over backwards to create a tax cut we can’t afford. The New Jersey Comeback may have wheels, but we’re still waiting for someone to put an engine under the hood.

Christie Returns to the Scene of the Lie

For Immediate Release:
Friday, June 8th, 2012


Will Christie Answer For Failure to Bring Promised Jobs From Illinois During his Latest Romney Audition

(NEW JERSEY) - With Chris Christie in Illinois today to continue auditioning for Mitt Romney, will he take the time to put aside politicking at the Conservative Political Action Conference to follow-up on the jobs he promised to bring to New Jersey over 16 months ago?

In January 2011, Christie took a trip to Chicago on the heels of a major taxpayer-funded public relations blitz to lure jobs from Illinois to New Jersey. His administration spent over $300,000 in taxpayer dollars on glossy magazine advertisements and radio spots starring Christie himself. Newspaper ads ran up and down the state encouraging businesses to pick up stakes and relocate to the Garden State. Christie deemed the trip an immediate success and claimed to have met with some 18 various business leaders - one of whom apparently told him they were "sold" on moving to New Jersey. Yet, 16 months later the reliably mouthy governor is tight-lipped about the end outcome of his much-ballyhooed trip to poach jobs from the Prairie State.

Today - as Christie returns to the scene of the lie - it is more imperative than ever to answer the question: "Where are the jobs Christie promised from Illinois?" With a penchant for finger-pointing and name-calling, it is Christie who must be held accountable for broken promises and failures that fly in the face of his laughable "Jersey Comeback" - especially when it comes to jobs.

Month in and out, New Jersey continues to consistently trail the rest of America when it comes to unemployment. Throughout Christie's entire tenure, New Jersey's employment rate has hovered at 9% or higher. And this week, it came to light that New Jersey ranks 47th in economic performance and that the state's economy shrank .5% last year - even as 43 other states enjoyed economic growth.

As more and more bad statistics trickle out, those who live in New Jersey know that Christie's claims of a "Jersey Comeback" are pure myth. The state now has the 2nd highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in the nation. This number continues to spike as rates nationally have fallen to the lowest levels since 2008. Since 2009, New Jersey's homeless population rose 7% and food stamp usage is up 23.2%.

New Jersey is looking at a revenue shortfall anywhere from Christie's rosy projection of $600 million to the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services estimate of nearly $1.4 billion. Just this week, OLS reported revenues are likely to fall another $50-$100 million below earlier forecasts. Nonetheless, Christie doubled down on his pledge to veto a millionaire's tax, while still moving ahead with his plans to borrow money to finance a tax cut to the wealthy.

Rather than hobnobbing with national right-wing radicals in a bid to audition for Romney's VP slot, Christie instead should be in Illinois following up on his promise to bring jobs to New Jersey. Once again, Christie cares more about speaking to a fawning out-of-state audience than focusing on making life better for New Jersey's middle-class. Apparently, Christie is already on message with Romney. Much like Massachusetts was 47th in jobs under Governor Romney, New Jersey's economy is 47th under Christie.

To all those at CPAC who come away from this morning's bombastic speech saying Romney should choose Christie for his Veep slot, I suggest looking back just four short years to the last time a GOP nominee chose a running mate with less than 3 years experience who is far better at being provocative than productive. Try as he might, Christie can't put lipstick on the failure of his so-called "Jersey Comeback."

Here's some free advice to Governor Christie from one constituent: Don't come back to Jersey unless you come back bearing new jobs. Don't audition for a new job until you've done the job you already have. And that means creating the jobs that you bragged about and never got around to actually producing.

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One New Jersey is shining a light on politicians who act against the best interests of New Jersey’s residents and who seek to divide our state for their own political gain. It is giving voice to the important issues that affect our daily lives. One New Jersey will closely monitor policy positions and actions of elected officials and expose their records on the issues that matter. You can follow One New Jersey on Twitter (@OneNJ) or search for “One New Jersey” on Facebook.

Forward

From Barackobama.com


On the day President Obama took office, America had lost 4.4 million jobs. Here's what happened next.



The video outlines the challenges America faced as President Obama took office at the height of the worst recession in almost a century and details the progress that has been made reclaiming the security of the middle class and building an economy that's meant to last, where hard work pays and responsibility is rewarded.

BUONO: ARC TUNNEL REPORT SHOWS CHRISTIE’S PATTERN OF DECEPTION

For Immediate Release:
4/10/12

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) issued the following statement today regarding the GOA Report regarding the ARC Tunnel cancellation.

“When Gov. Christie shot down the ARC tunnel, he sacrificed jobs, transit improvements, and $3 billion in federal funds. That was bad enough, but now we learn that he was misleading the public regarding the facts of the project.

“We’ve seen this pattern of behavior by the Christie Administration previously when they misrepresented the facts surrounding the $400 million in Race To The Top federal education funding that his administration failed to secure.

“Recently, the governor and his press secretary gave incompatible answers on whether Christie is pushing legislation bought and paid for by right-wing industrialists.

“The governor has created a pattern of sacrificing truth at the altar of his political ambition. This latest revelation – that he misstated facts to kill the largest public transit project in the nation – may be the most egregious and damaging.

“He said at the time, ‘I don't want to hear about the jobs it will create.’ Now, he owes an apology to the workers in the unemployment lines who would have benefitted from 6,000 construction jobs and 40,000 permanent jobs that were tied to the ARC project.”