President Obama's Weekly Address 1/17/14: State of the Union Is This Tuesday

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President recounted the stories of letter writers from around the country who will be joining him when he delivers his annual State of the Union Address this Tuesday: Carolyn, who was able to expand her small business through a Small Business Administration loan, and this year raised wages for their hourly employees; Jason, a wounded warrior who served in Afghanistan and is now back home with his wife and first daughter, born in November; and Victor, who affords his student loans with help from the Income Based Repayment Plan, and has health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act. Stories like theirs are proof of the progress our country has made. The President encouraged everyone to tune in Tuesday evening to hear more about America’s comeback, and the steps we can take to ensure all Americans – not just a fortunate few – benefit from our American resurgence.

There's No Debating The Obvious

by Josh Levitt
Buono for Governor



At tonight's debate, Governor Christie will attempt to do the impossible: defend his failed economic record. No matter how Governor Christie tries to duck and dodge away from his record, he cannot hide from the facts. It's clear that Governor Christie's ineffective trickle-down economic policies have decimated New Jersey's economy, leaving the middle class and working poor without quality opportunities and struggling to make ends meet.

The economic figures paint the sorry picture of New Jersey's economy under Chris Christie. Over the past four years, New Jersey has one of the worst rates of job creation of any state in the country. With 400,000 residents out of work, New Jersey's unemployment rate currently sits more than a point above the national average and is one of the highest in the region. In the past two months alone, New Jersey lost a staggering 12,000 jobs.

Instead of building an economy that works for all New Jerseyans, this Governor has prioritized millionaires and big corporations over workers and families. Governor Christie has staunchly protected millionaires from paying their fair share, all while raising taxes on low-income New Jerseyans by slashing the Earned Income Tax Credit and vetoing an increase of the minimum wage. It's no surprise that the poverty rate in New Jersey recently reached a 52-year high.

To top it off, New Jerseyans have been crushed by skyrocketing property tax rates during Christie's time in office. On average, property tax rates have increased by 20 percent over the past four years as Governor Christie has cut essential relief programs and diverted revenue away from municipalities.

With a record like that, there is no debating the obvious: Governor Christie's economic policies have failed New Jersey.

What Governor Christie Will Not Talk About Today

Governor Christie is spending four hours this morning talking sports, avoiding any and all talk of his abysmal economic record. Here is what Governor Christie will not be talking about: 400,000 New Jerseyans are currently out of work. In July alone, New Jersey lost nearly 12,000 jobs. New Jersey has the highest unemployment rate in the region -- at 8.6% -- which is more than a point higher than the national average, 7.4%.  New Jersey has recovered only half of the jobs it lost during the Great Recession. Under Governor Christie, New Jersey ranks 45th in job creation. Property taxes have risen by 20 percent over the past three years. The middle class in New Jersey has shrunk by nearly 3% under Governor Christie.

An Economy Built to Last in NJ

From Josh Levitt
Buono For Governor


After four years of Governor Christie's failed policies, New Jersey's economy is at a crossroads. The Governor's tired, discredited trickle-down economic philosophy has left New Jersey with one of the worst job creation rates in the country and the highest unemployment rate in the region. With middle and working class families struggling to make ends meet, it's time for a change in New Jersey. Senator Buono's economic plan will strengthen New Jersey's middle class, creating new jobs and better preparing workers to compete in the 21st century economy. See for yourself below...

Buono Unveils NJ Economic Plan
By Angela Delli Santi//AP
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono has unveiled her economic plan for the state, and it contrasts sharply with Gov. Chris Christie's policies. Buono's plan, unveiled early Monday, focuses on shoring up the middle-class. It provides tax breaks to small businesses, pledges to make higher education more affordable and restores safety-net cuts made by Christie during his first term. The former chair of the Senate budget committee says her plan “reflects an understanding that economic growth begins with the middle class. We will create better jobs in New Jersey not just by offering tax credits to corporations, but by investing in our workforce, schools, working families, small businesses and infrastructure.”

Buono Outlines Economic Plan for New Jersey
NJ Today
...Buono said her five-plank economic plan aims to create jobs and a thriving middle class in New Jersey. The focus is to reinvest in current workers by retraining them and making sure they have the skills to be competitive since there will be higher skilled jobs in the future. “It also involves taking advantage of our assets and also … investing in our institutions of higher learning, our colleges, our universities, focusing on our county colleges and vocational schools as a way to retrain our workers for the jobs that are in demand,” she said. Raising the minimum wage is another initiative Buono supports. “I think it’s an embarrassment that we live in one of the highest cost of living states in the nation and there are 19 other states that have a higher minimum wage than we do,” she said. “People living on the minimum wage, so many still have to rely on public assistance, they live in public housing, rely on food stamps, people that are actually working but can’t make ends meet because this minimum wage is not about living, it’s about subsisting, it’s about existing.”

Buono slams Christie's economic record
By Jarrett Renshaw//The Star-Ledger
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono took aim at Gov. Chris Christie's economic record today, accusing him of failing the state's middle class while protecting the wealthy and large corporations. "This is a governor who's focused on giving tax cuts to millionaires and giving advantages to those already at the top while turning his back on the middle class and working poor," Buono told a small crowd gathered in the backyard of the Nutley home of state Assemblyman Al Caputo (D-Essex). "That's what my economic plan addresses."

Buono Touts Her Economic Plan, Says Christie is Out of Touch with Middle Class
NJ Today
...Buono’s 40-point plan would hike the minimum wage, redirect tax credits away from large corporations and toward small businesses, require all employers to provide paid sick days for their workers and foster research partnerships between universities and corporations.

Buono says Christie turned his back on the middle class
By Matthew Arco//Politicker NJ
The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful argued that Gov. Chris Christie is “more out of touch with the middle class than Mitt Romney” was in the last presidential election, telling a small group of Nutley residents and elected officials today that Christie is more concerned with protecting New Jersey’s richest. “How could I not run? Look at the shape our state is in,” she said. Buono discussed her economic plan she rolled out less than two days ago that would, among other things, redirect business tax credits to small business. “We need to redirect our tax credits to where they will be the most effective,” she said, calling Christie’s $2.1 billion in tax credits to large corporations largely a failure.

Buono campaigns in hometown Nutley
By Hasime Kukaj//Nutley Sun
...Buono stressed the importance of education, referring to her experience in the "amazing" Nutley public schools. "We need to invest in institutions of higher learning," Buono added. She attended Montclair State University. She said she talks to students who don't want to go to college for financial reasons. According to her campaign, "New Jersey experiences a net loss of 30,000 college students every year." Buono plans to make college tuition more affordable for New Jersey residents. "[Students] graduate with three Ds - a degree, debt and disappointment," she said. By 2018, she said relatively 800,000 new jobs are going to require postsecondary credentials. "400,000 [people] are still unemployed in New Jersey," Buono added.

Buono Talks Economy, Education and Christie at Nutley “Kitchen Table Conversation”
By Adam Bulger//Patch
...She said the state is currently suffering from what she described as Christie’s “failed trickle down economic policy” and said the governor is “as out of touch as Mitt Romney.” “We’re the bottom of the barrel for job creation,” Buono said. There are 400,000 unemployed people in New Jersey. More than that are underemployed.” The economic record, she said, spoils one of Christie’s favorite sayings. “This isn’t a comeback,” she said. “This is a catastrophe.”

Buono For Governor Releases New Television Ad “Another New Jersey”

New Brunswick, NJ – Today, the Buono for Governor campaign unveiled its first television ad “Another New Jersey.” The ad sets the record straight on Governor Christie's failed economic record and introduces Senator Buono's powerful life story to voters across the state.

Buono for Governor Campaign Manager Jonathan Ducote released the following statement about “Another New Jersey”:

“Our new television ad sets the record straight on Governor Christie's failed economic record and introduces New Jerseyans to Senator Buono’s humble upbringing as the daughter of an immigrant butcher. The New Jersey that Senator Buono grew up in was rich with opportunities for working and middle class families, but those opportunities are slipping away under the Governor's policies. While he has turned a blind eye to the middle class over the past three years, Senator Buono will fight everyday as governor to build a New Jersey where every child has the same chance to succeed that she had.”

There’s nothing funny about what Chris Christie is doing to our families.

(NEW JERSEY) – Today, One New Jersey released its third television commercial - highlighting the huge disconnect between the Chris Christie yukking it up on talk shows and his real, regressive record in New Jersey.

The spot will run as an additional six-figure, state-wide cable buy for the next few weeks. It is being supplemented by a robust online ad buy. This new commercial is airing concurrently with One New Jersey’s other spots, which have been running on cable, broadcast television and radio for the past month.

It's easy to sell a bill of goods in a five-minute segment with softball questions on an entertainment show, but it's quite another thing to answer for consistently trailing America when it comes to jobs, vetoing women's health funding and vetoing an increase in the minimum wage while protecting a tax cut for millionaires. When you scratch the surface, there's an enormous gulf between Christie's manufactured image and the reality that New Jersey families are hurting under his watch -- because of regressive policies, backwards priorities and wrong decisions.

Under Chris Christie, New Jersey has America's 7th highest unemployment and is the worst state in the region when it comes to joblessness. Property taxes skyrocketed some 20% on Christie's watch, while services are slashed. Fiscal pain has been pushed along to municipalities, while local residents are paying more and receiving less from local government. Commuters are dealing with higher train tickets, bus fares and tolls. Schools are in disrepair, while teachers are disparaged. New Jersey also became home to the 2nd highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in America, even though rates nationally are falling to their lowest levels since 2008.

TV's Chris Christie is funny. But there's nothing funny about what Republican Governor Chris Christie is doing to our families.

The Employment Situation in February

From the White House blog

Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that private sector businesses added 246,000 jobs in February. The economy has now added private sector jobs every month for three straight years, and a total of 6.35 million jobs have been added over that period.

While more work remains to be done, today’s employment report provides evidence that the recovery that began in mid-2009 is gaining traction. Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that private sector businesses added 246,000 jobs in February. Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 236,000 jobs last month. The economy has now added private sector jobs every month for three straight years, and a total of 6.35 million jobs have been added over that period.

The household survey showed that the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent in January to 7.7 percent in February, the lowest since December 2008. The labor force participation rate edged down 0.1 percentage point to 63.5 percent in February.

It is important to bear in mind that the reference period for today’s surveys was the week of February 10-16 for the household survey and the pay period containing February 12th for the establishment survey, both of which were before sequestration began. The Administration continues to urge Congress to move toward a sustainable Federal budget in a responsible way that balances tax loophole closing, entitlement reform, and sensible spending cuts, while making critical investments in the economy that promote growth and job creation and protecting our most vulnerable citizens.

According to the establishment survey, in February employment rose notably in professional and business services (+73,000), construction (+48,000), health care (+32,000), leisure and hospitality (+24,000), and retail trade (+23,700). Manufacturing gained 14,000 jobs in February. The manufacturing sector has added over half a million jobs over the last 37 months, the most for any such period since 1986. In the last two years the construction sector has added 306,000 jobs, with half of that increase occurring in the last five months. State and local governments lost 10,000 jobs in February, mostly in education. The local government education sector has now lost 340,700 jobs since its recent peak in November 2009.

As the Administration stresses every month, the monthly employment and unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available.

2nd Anniversary of Christie Lying About Jobs Relocating from Illinois Inbox x

Hold Christie Accountable

(NEW JERSEY) – Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Governor Chris Christie flying to Chicago and promising to bring jobs to New Jersey from Illinois, following his taxpayer-funded campaign to poach from the Prairie State. As much as Christie tries to use SuperStorm Sandy as a reset button in the public eye, the truth is Christie has a three-year track record of failed policies and failing to make good on promises. Lying about bring jobs to New Jersey from Illinois is just one stunning example in which Christie have never been held accountable.

On February 4th, 2011, Christie took a trip to Chicago which may or may not have been paid for by taxpayer dollars. This came on the heels of a major taxpayer-funded public relations blitz to lure businesses and jobs from Illinois to New Jersey. Christie’s 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 - from the Chicago Tribune to the State Journal-Register of Springfield - 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. Kraft refused to meet with him, but according to Christie, one of the companies he allegedly met with told him they were "sold" on moving to New Jersey. Yet, two years later, New Jersey has absolutely nothing to show from this taxpayer-funded trip nor has Christie made good on his promise.

Christie’s failures when it comes to jobs is more important now more than ever to remember. Month in and out, New Jersey continues to consistently trail the rest of America when it comes to unemployment. Throughout Christie’s entire time at the helm, New Jersey’s employment rate has never been above 9%. New Jersey unemployment currently hovers near 10%. On the other hand, while Christie bashed Illinois when attempting the poach jobs, latest numbers show Illinois unemployment holding steady at 8.7%, with unemployment dropping in 9 of 12 metro markets.

Today, on this 2nd anniversary of a broken promise that has never been followed-up on - and as Christie yuks it up with David Letterman - we hope the press and pundits will reach out to the governor on this particular issue and ask: “Where are the jobs Christie promised from Illinois?” It is long past time for Christie to be held accountable.

On May 24th, 2012, OneNJ penned on op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer asking where the promised jobs are 16 months after they were promised. Click here to read the op-ed.

Two weeks later, OneNJ again asked where the jobs are, when Christie went back to the scene of the lie in Chicago on June 8th, 2012 to rub shoulders with right-wingers at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Again Christie remained silent – apparently more focused on his failed audition to become Romney’s VP candidate and deepen his tea-party contacts.

Christie suffers from a pattern of neglect when it comes to jobs and working families. He recently vetoed a minimum wage hike, instead saying it should be raised a measly 25 cents. Last year, CNBC rankings had New Jersey’s business climate slipping to 41st on Christie’s watch. Christie also cancelled the bi-partisan supported ARC tunnel linking New Jersey to Manhattan that would have created 6,000 immediate construction jobs and some 45,000 future jobs.

Moreover, this is just another example of Christie’s rhetoric not matching reality, and using taxpayer dollars to boost his own personal brand – much like his taxpayer-funded GOP rallies under the guise of town halls. Isn’t it time Christie was held accountable?

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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.

Christie's State of the State Address: A Bunch of Misleading Statistics

This Commentary appears online at the New Jersey Newsroom


By Senate President Steve Sweeney

Governor Christie’s State-of-the-State was long on rhetoric, but short on ideas. It reminded me of that old Wendy’s commercial: “Where’s The Beef?” The governor had a unique opportunity to map out a version for New Jersey moving forward. He failed badly to do so, and as a result, people in New Jersey are no more certain now than they were before of what the future holds.

The governor spent most of his speech discussing the heroic efforts and actions of our first responders and everyday residents during Sandy. Naturally, we all share his pride in our fellow New Jerseyans. But what they need is more than a pat on the back: they need specific answers on how they can move forward with their lives. People in Sayreville need to know what is going to happen to their homes, which were completely destroyed, yet they still have to pay their mortgage and property taxes.

Folks in Moonachie need to know what is going to happen to the municipal infrastructure in town, which was washed away by flood waters.

Most importantly, what the governor failed to do was present the true state of the state in New Jersey. He gave a bunch of misleading statistics meant to show everyone that the sun is shining in our state, when it is actually raining. The reality of New Jersey is that we face serious problems that this governor has ignored and will continue to ignore. Middle class families, women and the working poor have gotten the short end of the stick under this administration. The governor’s speech gave no indication this is going to change anytime soon.

The governor not-so-conveniently left out several facts in his speech that you are not likely to hear him discuss anytime soon. The state’s unemployment rate is 9.6%, nearly two points above the national average and among the highest it has been in 35 years. But a better indicator of how poorly this governor is doing on the economy is that our neighboring states are all doing substantially better than New Jersey, and we have the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country.

You won’t be hearing the governor talk about the fact that the middle class in New Jersey has shrunk by 3%, or that the wealth gap in New Jersey between the rich and the poor is the largest it has been since the Great Depression. The rate of growth in personal income in New Jersey has dropped, and we now rank 45th in the nation in that area. Our poverty rate has increased to 11.4% of the population, a figure that has gone up every year under this governor.

You probably also won’t hear the governor talk about the 7% of all New Jersey homeowners who are currently in the foreclosure process, a figure representing more than 100,000 people. After the federal government awarded the state $300 million to help keep these people in their homes, the administration essentially sat on the money, using only 10% of the funds to help just 750 homeowners. While they sat on those funds, people in New Jersey lost their homes.

It also bears noting that Governor Christie ran for office on a platform of improving New Jersey’s economy. In fact, he specifically attacked then-Governor Corzine by saying, “I don't know how when unemployment continues to go up that you can say that's a success.” Yet, as New Jersey’s unemployment rate continued to skyrocket during 2012, the governor acted as if all was well in the Garden State, using the same rhetoric he attacked his opponent for.

What is perhaps most disturbing though is that after three years in office, this governor has failed to produce a single comprehensive plan to create jobs and grow the economy in New Jersey. When we presented him with a package of over 30 bipartisan bills, he vetoed nearly all of them. Instead of presenting his own plan, he simply ignored the issue, and has continued to ignore it to this day.

The bottom line is that the governor has willfully ignored working people in this state for three years: their problems are not, and have never been, his problems. His State-of-the-State address did nothing to change that. The people of New Jersey deserve a leader who is willing to look behind the numbers, like the unemployment rate, and recognize that they are not just numbers – they are people.

The House Christie Built

The following Op-Ed appeared yesterday in  The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Joshua Henne

Leadership is, among other things, about taking responsibility. House Speaker John Boehner failed on that score when he caved to the tea partyers in his caucus and postponed a promised vote on Superstorm Sandy relief.

But by going off on one of his manufactured rants - this one against the radical elements that call the shots in his party - Gov. Christie also failed the responsibility test. Rather than being accountable for his year's worth of campaigning and keynoting for right-wing Republicans, Christie ducked it. And in an act of stunning hypocrisy, he slammed the very do-nothing GOP House that he was fighting and fund-raising for just a few months before.

There's no doubt Christie cares about those affected by Superstorm Sandy. And there's no doubt he was disgusted by Congress' abandonment of them. However, it's hard to believe he was shocked by it.

After all, these are the same representatives who have been consistent and clear in their opposition to most functions of the federal government. Steve LaTourette, a moderate Ohio Republican who just retired from the House, recently nailed the problem as "the same 40, 50 chuckleheads" who "have screwed this place up." They're simply making good on their promises by behaving in the halls of Congress precisely as they said they would on the campaign trail. Punting on Sandy relief was the inevitable result of a Congress dominated by representatives who simply don't believe in government.

These are the folks Christie crisscrossed the country to put in power. And now he seems as shocked as Capt. Renault finding out about gambling in Casablanca.

Despite what his State of the State address this week would have you believe, Christie didn't become governor the moment he walked alongside President Obama and gave Bruce Springsteen a hug in the wake of Sandy. New Jersey's unemployment hovers around 10 percent, and Yahoo Financial ranked it among the five worst-run states in the Union. A major reason for these sad facts is that Christie is more focused on his national brand than on the people of his state. He has a three-year record of governing recklessly, just as he has campaigned recklessly.

Last summer, after Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan as his running mate, Christie gave the ticket a full-throated endorsement. Ryan was one of the 67 members of Congress who recently voted against legislation to pay flood insurance claims.

Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa threatened to vote against Sandy aid for the same reason he opposed Katrina relief - because the recipients might spend the money on "Gucci bags and massage parlors." Last summer, Christie campaigned for King, whose state is home to crucial presidential caucuses - another in a string a choices that put the governor's political ambitions ahead of the interests of New Jersey.

During Sandy and its immediate aftermath, Christie did his state proud. But now he should be held culpable for supporting the right-wingers who are selling out New Jersey and the storm victims. He can go around pointing fingers, but he ought to look in the mirror first.

After all, Christie isn't just another typical politician who thinks he can say one thing and do another. Is he?



Joshua Henne is the spokesman for One New Jersey. He can be found on Twitter at @JoshuaHenne.

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.

DUDE, WHERE'S JERSEY'S JOBS? NJ Unemployment Stands A Full 2 Points Behind National Average

For Immediate Release:
Thursday, October 18th, 2012


(NEW JERSEY) – New Jersey's latest unemployment numbers show the state continuing to lag the national average by a full two percentage points. While America's unemployment dipped below 8% to hit 7.8% in September, New Jersey's unemployment stands at 9.8% - just a breath away from double digits.

Things simply aren't getting better in New Jersey in any meaningful way on the jobs front on Governor Chris Christie's watch. Clearly, creating jobs for New Jersey residents isn't a priority for Christie. Rather than focusing on the job here at home, he's travelled all across the country sowing seeds for his own future. Since Labor Day alone, Christie's been stumping in such far flung-states as Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Montana, Massachusetts, Washington, Ohio, North Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana.

Ironically, just yesterday, Christie's itinerary in Indiana included a visit to a distribution center for Express Scripts - a pharmaceutical benefits company whose merger with Medco Health earlier this year cost New Jersey 258 jobs in Franklin Lakes, Montvale and Fair Lawn.

For nearly three years, Christie has had his way… and the Christie way is clearly not working. Christie has no jobs plan – aside from laying off workers in the public sector and cancelling projects like the bi-partisan supported ARC Tunnel that would have created jobs. He handed tax breaks to multi-millionaires, but the “job creators” simply are not creating jobs in Christie's New Jersey. His policies have done little to nothing to avert plant and office closings. Sadly, New Jersey ranks a dismal 47th in jobs - and that was before these latest numbers were released.

Since Governor Chris Christie took office, New Jersey has consistently trailed the rest of the nation when it comes to jobs. And the trend lines are only getting worse.

If only Christie cared as much about stemming job loss at home as he did promoting his own future job and personal agenda out-of-state, perhaps New Jersey wouldn't be staring at near-double-digit unemployment. Maybe that's something for Christie to ponder as he heads to Pennsylvania and Connecticut over the next few days.

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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.

Christie’sRhetoric Does Not Match Reality

The following Op-Ed was written by Josh Henne and appeared in yesterday's The Record:



GOVERNOR Christie devotes a lot of time talking about a “Jersey Comeback.” But the truth is more like an impressionist painting by Monet or Seurat. From a distance, it seems as if things make sense … but the closer you get, the more you realize the dots don’t seem to connect.

When Christie goes on the cable news circuit or beats his chest to sympathetic audiences in far-off states, he paints a vivid picture. But in New Jersey, folks know the rosy rhetoric isn’t matching reality.

Whenever I hear beltway talking heads gush about Christie, I feel like yelling at the screen: “You’re not from New Jersey. You have no clue what you’re talking about.”

You aren’t sitting in traffic outside the Lincoln Tunnel or on a delayed train coming into Penn Station because Christie canceled the bipartisan-backed ARC tunnel linkage to Manhattan. Your kids’ teachers aren’t the ones being used as a political piñata to score points. Nor did your children lose out on $400 million in Race to the Top funding because your governor bungled the application.

Your air, land and water won’t be filthier because Christie is allowing corporate polluters to rewrite the rules via Department of Environmental Protection waivers. You aren’t living in a state where one out of every 12 mortgages is in foreclosure, and whose business climate has landed the state 41st out of 50. And you don’t have a governor who vetoed women’s health four times at $7.5 million a pop maintaining the money wasn’t there, while giving $261 million in bailout money to casino moguls.

Christie’s boosters point to popularity in the polls as if it gives him a mandate to run roughshod. But these same folks should realize that in 1997, Gov. Christie Whitman came within a whisker of losing to a completely unknown Jim McGreevey a mere year after polls had her at 62 percent.

This Christie’s numbers are due more to dumping millions of unanswered dollars into television advertising than actual ability to govern.

Face-saving exit
Every time Christie claims he doesn’t want to run for national office, I immediately think of Br’er Rabbit begging Br’er Fox not to throw him in the briar patch. It should come as no surprise that Christie relished being in the mix as Romney’s potential running mate, not just to feed his ego, but also because the opportunity would provide a face-saving exit valve from a state whose residents know the true story.

Just last month, unemployment spiked nearly half a point to 9.6 percent – the most severe monthly increase since 2009 and the largest disparity from the national average since 1978.

In fact, underemployment stands at 15.5 percent. For Christie, success is measured in increments of attention rather than measurable improvements for his constituents. Recently, the governor’s staff squawked about hitting 5 million YouTube hits, as if that’s a measure of success. Viral videos, retweets and Facebook “likes” are not the numbers that matter to New Jersey residents.

The real stats are grisly in the Garden State. Chronically lagging the nation when it comes to unemployment, allowing corporate polluters to rewrite environmental regulations and borrowing money the state doesn’t have to subsidize a tax cut for multimillionaires – that’s Christie’s New Jersey. We have a state economy that ranks 47th in the nation and are facing a property tax rate jump of 20 percent – those numbers mean something.

Now that the fantasy of his vaunted “comeback” is crashing down around him in the face of actual facts, Christie is acting like a man with one foot out the door. Clearly, the governor is a gifted politician with a calculating mind for campaign strategy. So when he vetoes funding for women’s health, nursing homes, after-school programs and repairs at the Marcellus Street Bridge in voter-rich Bergen County a mere year before Election Day, one has to wonder if Christie’s head is in the game … or if he even still holds designs on standing for reelection.

Seeing enemies
Christie is acting downright Nixonian in seeing enemies lurking around every corner. At first it was Democratic legislators bearing the brunt of his anger — which is to be expected in politics. Today, he sees adversaries everywhere: in the classroom, at press events, even on the boardwalk.

With each escalating incident, Christie repeats himself – first as tragedy, then as farce. Maybe this is all just a brilliant smokescreen designed to divert attention from his failures or to set himself up for a job in the entertainment industry.

Christie may skip town before the piper comes to make him pay for his failures. It’s New Jersey’s taxpayers and families who are going to be left holding the bag.

Joshua Henne is a co-founder of White Horse Strategies, a New Jersey-based political consulting firm, and is a spokesman for One New Jersey.

One New Jersey: Gubernatorial Candidate Blasts Governor Christie

(NEW JERSEY) – Despite the buckets of spin Governor Chris Christie is dumping atop New Jersey's ghastly unemployment numbers, it is clear that Candidate Chris Christie would be very disappointed in where things stand.

Three years ago, Christie slammed Governor Jon Corzine when July 2009 numbers showed the unemployment rate ticked up a mere .1% to 9.3 % - even though 5,900 jobs were gained in New Jersey following 17 months of losing jobs.

Candidate Christie said: "Look, unemployment is up again this month. I don't know how when unemployment continues to go up that you can say that's a success. That shows the low standards the governor has set for economic success in the state."

Christie should use his own stated metrics when evaluating his dismal record at the helm. Last month, New Jersey's unemployment spiked nearly half a point to 9.6%. This marks the most severe monthly increase since 2009. And with America's unemployment at 8.2%, this is the largest disparity from the national average since 1978. Nonetheless, Christie continues trying to apply lipstick to this pig of an economic mess he's created.

Here are the facts when it comes to Governor Christie's "economic success":

• New Jersey's unemployment is a whopping 9.6% - well above the national average. While other states are creating jobs, New Jersey continues to lag the rest of America with chronic unemployment.

• New Jersey's state economy ranks an anemic 47th.

• New Jersey now has the 2nd highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in the nation. 1 in every 12 mortgages is in the foreclosure stage. This number continues to rise as rates nationally fall to the lowest levels since 2008.

• New Jersey residents have suffered a 20% net jump in property taxes since Christie took office.

• New Jersey's business climate has slipped to 41st nationally under Christie.

* * * *

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.

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.”

U.S. Economy Added 243,000 Jobs in January; Unemployment Dips to 8.3%

Here's a little good news that should brighten your weekend from the New York Times.

The U.S. Economy Added 243,000 Jobs in January; Unemployment Dips to 8.3%

The United States economy gained momentum in January, adding 243,000 jobs, the second straight month of better-than-expected gains, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. The promising jobs numbers came as various economic indicators have painted an ambivalent picture of the recovery’s strength.

You can read all about today in the NY Times

Happy New Year to One and All

As 2011 comes to a close, I know that it hasn't been a good year to many out there, but as we enter 2012 things are beginning to look up; The stock market is up, unemployment is on the way down, the housing and real estate markets have started to turn in the positive direction and the long war in Iraq has come to an end. It seems that we are on the right track for a great new year (that is of course if the world doesn't on before the 2012 is over).

For all of those that have touched my life this year and in years past; family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and readers of this blog, I want you to know that I am extremely fortunate to have been touched by each of you.

Remember, it's the people that we know and love that make a difference in the fabric of our lives, not the material itself.

Have a happy, safe and prosperous New Year everyone!

Senator Robert Menendez: Honoring our Veterans This Veterans Day

Dear Friend,

This Veterans Day, it is time to recommit ourselves to helping every military family across the Garden State.

We need to help businesses help veterans and their spouses build careers, make sure that our schools are doing all they can to help military kids, and all of us need to do what we can to help military families in our local communities.

But truly honoring our veterans means providing jobs. It means job training, and giving every job opportunity possible to unemployed veterans.

In New Jersey we have 453,498 veterans -- 12 percent of them are unemployed. That’s why I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act that gives businesses a tax credit for hiring returning veterans, and more of a tax credit if they hire a wounded veteran.

As our troops begin coming home from Iraq, our duty to them is not just remembering their service, not just saying thank you on Veterans Day, it’s delivering on the promise of a grateful nation every day.

New Jersey’s hero-sons-and-daughters did not wait to sign up to serve this country, and they should not have to wait to get the benefits they have earned defending it. And they should not have to come home only to stand on the unemployment line after putting themselves on the line serving this nation.

That’s why the Veterans jobs bill encourages employers to hire veterans, ensures that disabled veterans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits get the training and rehabilitation they need, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits they need and job assistance tailored to today’s job market.

The bill provides a competitive grant program for nonprofits that provide mentoring and training programs for vets. It allows employers to be paid for providing on-the-job training to veterans and it would provide Work Opportunity Tax Credits for businesses that hire veterans -- and more for businesses that hire disabled vets.

We made a promise to veterans, and it’s a promise we must keep.

Happy Veterans Day to all.

May God bless our troops. And may God bless America.

President Obama's Weekly Address 11/05/11: Vice President Biden " We Have to Increase the Pace"

Speaking from the University of Pittsburgh, Vice President Biden argues that this month’s jobs numbers demonstrate that Congress should pass the American Jobs Act to strengthen our economy and create jobs right away.

President Obama's Weekly Address 9/17/11: Passing the American Jobs Act

WASHINGTON—In this week’s address, President Obama urged Congress to pass the American Jobs Act without delay so that businesses will be able to hire more workers and every American who wants a job will be able to find one. The President’s jobs bill keeps cops on the streets and teachers in the classrooms, cuts taxes for small businesses, and puts construction workers back to work without adding to the deficit. All Americans who agree with the President’s plan should call their elected officials and tell them that it’s time to pass the jobs bill, which will ensure that everyone pays their fair share and that we live within our means as we help the economy continue to grow.