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.
-----------------------
Bill Holland is executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and coordinator of the Better Choices for New Jersey campaign.
Showing posts with label Times of Trenton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Times of Trenton. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, December 10, 2012
Opinion: As fiscal cliff nears, we are better off without Bush tax cuts for top 2 percent
The following editorial appeared last week in the Times of Trenton
By Joshua Henne
Mere days after the polls closed in 2004 — the election he actually won – President George W. Bush proclaimed, “I earned capital in this campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” Bush garnered 286 electoral votes and called it a mandate.
Well, last month, President Barack Obama racked up a whopping 332 electoral votes in his re-election bid. Now, that’s a mandate.
At its heart, the 2012 campaign was about fairness. And there’s no better way for Obama to level the playing field than by letting the Bush tax cuts expire on the wealthiest 2 percent.
The Senate has already passed legislation S3412, providing tax relief for middle-class families. Right now, Obama would sign a bill extending tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans if it came across his desk. Yet, some stubborn House Republicans continue holding this plan hostage to keep the system rigged in favor of those at the tippy-top. Obama has drawn a line in cement that he’d veto any legislation continuing cuts for those making more than $250,000.
By any metric, America’s most affluent aren’t hurting. In fact, they’re far richer today than at any time in history — taking home a larger slice of total wealth and income than top earners have received in more than 80 years. If the Bush tax cuts were to expire for the top 2 percent, they’d still be able to keep up with the Kardashians.
Allowing the clock to run out on these cuts isn’t merely a symbolic gesture of finally shaking off the yoke of Bush’s failed legacy. There are practical, real-life implications, as well.
Currently, there’s a spirited discussion regarding how to stop our nation from falling off a fiscal cliff. By letting the Bush tax cuts lapse on top income earners, we’d take care of half that conundrum. About $1 trillion would come flooding in over the next decade, half-filling America’s coffers with the money needed to avoid the plunge off said cliff. That’s not a drop in the bucket. It’s a significant contribution toward what’s needed to put our nation back on sound financial footing.
Every year, millionaires receive, on average, $128,832 back from the Bush tax cuts. Economists across the board say this strategy is the least effective way to grow our economy. The very rich simply sit on the additional money, rather than re-circulating it. Ayn Rand’s silly theory that the super-wealthy are society’s saviors has smacked against reality time and time again. Prosperity won’t come from the top down. Rather, we need policies that stimulate and strengthen the middle class.
Furthermore, if we hand hedge fund managers more money to simply add to savings accounts and shore up stock portfolios, we won’t have the funds needed to rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and energy grid or invest in education, health and innovation. Congress shouldn’t hold the middle class captive just to make sure the Scrooge McDucks of the world can continue swimming around in ever-deepening vaults of cash.
It’s also a canard to claim small businesses would be harmed by ending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent. The truth is 97 percent of them would still see their tax cut extended. Many of the remaining “small-business owners” are lawyers, Wall Streeters and folks who classify as such to take advantage of tax loopholes.
Real small-business owners will tell you they don’t need tax reductions to help them grow. Rather, they need more customers with more money to purchase goods or use their services. Supplying tax cuts to the super-wealthy would purely perpetuate an unfair advantage by giving them more cash on hand, making it even more arduous for actual mom-and-pop stores to compete. So, it’s no surprise that a Small Business Majority poll shows 52 percent of business owners support letting tax cuts lapse for those making more than $250,000.
There is no rational argument for everyone’s taxes to go up just so billionaires get another cut. Congressional members from coast to coast — and especially here in New Jersey — should slip free of the shackles of Grover Norquist’s childish pledge. In terms of sheer self-interest alone, Republican representatives would be wise to stop holding middle-class tax relief hostage, lest constituents remember this in the mid-term elections.
An Americans for Tax Fairness poll shows 67 percent said “making the tax system more fair” was a “very” or “fairly important consideration in making their voting decisions” this year. More people believe in dropping the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent than even voted for Obama. The people have spoken from the ground up. They won’t stand for trickle-down economics any longer. This president truly has capital. And he is going to use it.
Elections are about much more than the names at the top of the ticket. They’re also about the ideas, policies and philosophies for which voters are truly pulling the lever. In 2012, the American people clamored for fairness. By allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest income earners, Congress can show it is listening to the will of the people.
Joshua Henne is a founding partner of White Horse Strategies and New Jersey spokesman for The Action. You can follow @JoshuaHenne on Twitter.
By Joshua Henne
Mere days after the polls closed in 2004 — the election he actually won – President George W. Bush proclaimed, “I earned capital in this campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.” Bush garnered 286 electoral votes and called it a mandate.
Well, last month, President Barack Obama racked up a whopping 332 electoral votes in his re-election bid. Now, that’s a mandate.
At its heart, the 2012 campaign was about fairness. And there’s no better way for Obama to level the playing field than by letting the Bush tax cuts expire on the wealthiest 2 percent.
The Senate has already passed legislation S3412, providing tax relief for middle-class families. Right now, Obama would sign a bill extending tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans if it came across his desk. Yet, some stubborn House Republicans continue holding this plan hostage to keep the system rigged in favor of those at the tippy-top. Obama has drawn a line in cement that he’d veto any legislation continuing cuts for those making more than $250,000.
By any metric, America’s most affluent aren’t hurting. In fact, they’re far richer today than at any time in history — taking home a larger slice of total wealth and income than top earners have received in more than 80 years. If the Bush tax cuts were to expire for the top 2 percent, they’d still be able to keep up with the Kardashians.
Allowing the clock to run out on these cuts isn’t merely a symbolic gesture of finally shaking off the yoke of Bush’s failed legacy. There are practical, real-life implications, as well.
Currently, there’s a spirited discussion regarding how to stop our nation from falling off a fiscal cliff. By letting the Bush tax cuts lapse on top income earners, we’d take care of half that conundrum. About $1 trillion would come flooding in over the next decade, half-filling America’s coffers with the money needed to avoid the plunge off said cliff. That’s not a drop in the bucket. It’s a significant contribution toward what’s needed to put our nation back on sound financial footing.
Every year, millionaires receive, on average, $128,832 back from the Bush tax cuts. Economists across the board say this strategy is the least effective way to grow our economy. The very rich simply sit on the additional money, rather than re-circulating it. Ayn Rand’s silly theory that the super-wealthy are society’s saviors has smacked against reality time and time again. Prosperity won’t come from the top down. Rather, we need policies that stimulate and strengthen the middle class.
Furthermore, if we hand hedge fund managers more money to simply add to savings accounts and shore up stock portfolios, we won’t have the funds needed to rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and energy grid or invest in education, health and innovation. Congress shouldn’t hold the middle class captive just to make sure the Scrooge McDucks of the world can continue swimming around in ever-deepening vaults of cash.
It’s also a canard to claim small businesses would be harmed by ending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent. The truth is 97 percent of them would still see their tax cut extended. Many of the remaining “small-business owners” are lawyers, Wall Streeters and folks who classify as such to take advantage of tax loopholes.
Real small-business owners will tell you they don’t need tax reductions to help them grow. Rather, they need more customers with more money to purchase goods or use their services. Supplying tax cuts to the super-wealthy would purely perpetuate an unfair advantage by giving them more cash on hand, making it even more arduous for actual mom-and-pop stores to compete. So, it’s no surprise that a Small Business Majority poll shows 52 percent of business owners support letting tax cuts lapse for those making more than $250,000.
There is no rational argument for everyone’s taxes to go up just so billionaires get another cut. Congressional members from coast to coast — and especially here in New Jersey — should slip free of the shackles of Grover Norquist’s childish pledge. In terms of sheer self-interest alone, Republican representatives would be wise to stop holding middle-class tax relief hostage, lest constituents remember this in the mid-term elections.
An Americans for Tax Fairness poll shows 67 percent said “making the tax system more fair” was a “very” or “fairly important consideration in making their voting decisions” this year. More people believe in dropping the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent than even voted for Obama. The people have spoken from the ground up. They won’t stand for trickle-down economics any longer. This president truly has capital. And he is going to use it.
Elections are about much more than the names at the top of the ticket. They’re also about the ideas, policies and philosophies for which voters are truly pulling the lever. In 2012, the American people clamored for fairness. By allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest income earners, Congress can show it is listening to the will of the people.
Joshua Henne is a founding partner of White Horse Strategies and New Jersey spokesman for The Action. You can follow @JoshuaHenne on Twitter.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Tale of Two Christies - and an overoptimistic message for the worst of times
In case anyone might have missed this, the following op-ed ran yesterday at NJ.com and The Trenton Times
By Joshua Henne
In the weeks since Gov. Chris Christie fist-pumped onto the Republican stage and stepped up onto the Tampa Bay podium, many have chimed in on his keynote address. Expectations were high, and reaction ran the gamut from disappointing to middling.
Much ink has been spilled over how the speech seemed to be all about Christie's favorite subject: himself. The first mention of Mitt Romney came nearly 20 minutes into the address, and he used the word "I" a whopping 37 times.
Much has also been written about how the keynote was heavy on hyperbole and vague on specifics. But no one's pointed out the glaring disconnect between the story Christie told there and the reality in New Jersey.
While the national Republican message this campaign season will undoubtedly be the economy, Christie used the word "jobs" a scant three times. He never once uttered the terms "unemployment" or "middle class."
Understandably, Christie isn't an effective fiscal surrogate. New Jersey's economy ranks an anemic 47th and a similarly dismal 47th in jobs.
Sadly, unemployment is 9.9 percent. Since Christie took office, the state consistently lags the rest of America when it comes to jobs. In fact, unemployment stands at its widest distance from the national average since the mid-'70s.
Many who know Christie only from fluffy interviews and manufactured YouTube moments were shocked at the speech's nasty tone. Yet, the keynote was vintage Christie to those who've lived with his escapades day in and day out. No one in New Jersey was surprised to see utter disdain dripping from his lips when mentioning teachers and unions. And if you pressed the television's mute button and simply viewed facial expressions, you'd notice nothing but anger and frowns. In fact, the only time Christie seemed to smile was when he spoke about his family.
Yes, Christie delivered a heartwarming story about his mother taking three buses to get to work every day. Yet, today, Christie seems not to care how his own policies are hurting others in the same situation. Shortly after taking office, Christie increased bus fares 10 percent, not to mention train and toll escalations. How many mothers throughout New Jersey lost their jobs because they couldn't afford the commute anymore?
Admirably, Christie spoke of his father attending college on the GI bill. Yet, tuition at state colleges and universities spiked under Christie. At the same time, he cut funding for low-income students. How many fathers or fathers-to-be can't afford college or are forced to take out onerous loans because Christie jacked up the price of education?
Lip service was given to bipartisanship. Yet, the only time the governor finds common ground is when someone scurries over to where he's already standing. To Christie, bipartisanship means dragging someone across the aisle or taking sole credit for ideas started by Democrats years before he came to Trenton.
Christie took a victory lap about balancing the budget three years in a row. Yet, in New Jersey, it's constitutionally mandated. In marking this "accomplishment," Christie is insisting on a gold star for something he had to do. It's akin to asking for a round of applause from a cop for driving under the speed limit or from one's wife for taking out the trash.
Delusionally, Christie alluded to lower taxes. Yet, in addition to tolls and transit increases, New Jerseyans have seen property taxes rise 20 percent on his watch. Fiscal pain is pushed along to municipalities, and local residents are paying more while receiving less from local government.
This all occurred while Christie seeks tax cuts for multimillionaires at the expense of the middle class.
Ironically, Christie delivered the keynote under a "We Built It" banner. Yet, he awarded $261 million in taxpayer money to Atlantic City casino moguls and also handed over hundreds of millions to mall developers in Bergen County.
Ultimately, Christie's speech will be remembered for being unmemorable. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gave the visionary GOP convention speech Christie was shooting for. ?A week later, at the Democratic convention, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro gave the inspiring keynote many Republicans were hoping for.
And Christie should take notes on Newark Mayor Cory Booker's platform address for how a Jersey national name can deliver a passionate speech without resembling an angry man. Hint: It includes smiling and talking about aspirations, not simply making attacks and ignoring facts.
Long has Christie dreamed of making a mark like his political heroes. But wherein Ronald Reagan made us feel good about America and Tom Kean made us feel good about New Jersey, Christie only cared about making the audience feel good about Chris Christie.
And he even fell short on that front. Sure, he quoted his mother, who "never thought you get extra credit for just speaking the truth," but Christie outright failed by glossing over the truth back home.
As a drawbridge Republican, Christie got his and now believes you're on your own. This keynote was just like his record in New Jersey: mediocre, aggressive and, most of all, hypocritical.
Joshua Henne is a Democratic strategist and the spokesman for One New Jersey. Reach him on Twitter @JoshuaHenne.
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.
By Joshua Henne
In the weeks since Gov. Chris Christie fist-pumped onto the Republican stage and stepped up onto the Tampa Bay podium, many have chimed in on his keynote address. Expectations were high, and reaction ran the gamut from disappointing to middling.
Much ink has been spilled over how the speech seemed to be all about Christie's favorite subject: himself. The first mention of Mitt Romney came nearly 20 minutes into the address, and he used the word "I" a whopping 37 times.
Much has also been written about how the keynote was heavy on hyperbole and vague on specifics. But no one's pointed out the glaring disconnect between the story Christie told there and the reality in New Jersey.
While the national Republican message this campaign season will undoubtedly be the economy, Christie used the word "jobs" a scant three times. He never once uttered the terms "unemployment" or "middle class."
Understandably, Christie isn't an effective fiscal surrogate. New Jersey's economy ranks an anemic 47th and a similarly dismal 47th in jobs.
Sadly, unemployment is 9.9 percent. Since Christie took office, the state consistently lags the rest of America when it comes to jobs. In fact, unemployment stands at its widest distance from the national average since the mid-'70s.
Many who know Christie only from fluffy interviews and manufactured YouTube moments were shocked at the speech's nasty tone. Yet, the keynote was vintage Christie to those who've lived with his escapades day in and day out. No one in New Jersey was surprised to see utter disdain dripping from his lips when mentioning teachers and unions. And if you pressed the television's mute button and simply viewed facial expressions, you'd notice nothing but anger and frowns. In fact, the only time Christie seemed to smile was when he spoke about his family.
Yes, Christie delivered a heartwarming story about his mother taking three buses to get to work every day. Yet, today, Christie seems not to care how his own policies are hurting others in the same situation. Shortly after taking office, Christie increased bus fares 10 percent, not to mention train and toll escalations. How many mothers throughout New Jersey lost their jobs because they couldn't afford the commute anymore?
Admirably, Christie spoke of his father attending college on the GI bill. Yet, tuition at state colleges and universities spiked under Christie. At the same time, he cut funding for low-income students. How many fathers or fathers-to-be can't afford college or are forced to take out onerous loans because Christie jacked up the price of education?
Lip service was given to bipartisanship. Yet, the only time the governor finds common ground is when someone scurries over to where he's already standing. To Christie, bipartisanship means dragging someone across the aisle or taking sole credit for ideas started by Democrats years before he came to Trenton.
Christie took a victory lap about balancing the budget three years in a row. Yet, in New Jersey, it's constitutionally mandated. In marking this "accomplishment," Christie is insisting on a gold star for something he had to do. It's akin to asking for a round of applause from a cop for driving under the speed limit or from one's wife for taking out the trash.
Delusionally, Christie alluded to lower taxes. Yet, in addition to tolls and transit increases, New Jerseyans have seen property taxes rise 20 percent on his watch. Fiscal pain is pushed along to municipalities, and local residents are paying more while receiving less from local government.
This all occurred while Christie seeks tax cuts for multimillionaires at the expense of the middle class.
Ironically, Christie delivered the keynote under a "We Built It" banner. Yet, he awarded $261 million in taxpayer money to Atlantic City casino moguls and also handed over hundreds of millions to mall developers in Bergen County.
Ultimately, Christie's speech will be remembered for being unmemorable. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio gave the visionary GOP convention speech Christie was shooting for. ?A week later, at the Democratic convention, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro gave the inspiring keynote many Republicans were hoping for.
And Christie should take notes on Newark Mayor Cory Booker's platform address for how a Jersey national name can deliver a passionate speech without resembling an angry man. Hint: It includes smiling and talking about aspirations, not simply making attacks and ignoring facts.
Long has Christie dreamed of making a mark like his political heroes. But wherein Ronald Reagan made us feel good about America and Tom Kean made us feel good about New Jersey, Christie only cared about making the audience feel good about Chris Christie.
And he even fell short on that front. Sure, he quoted his mother, who "never thought you get extra credit for just speaking the truth," but Christie outright failed by glossing over the truth back home.
As a drawbridge Republican, Christie got his and now believes you're on your own. This keynote was just like his record in New Jersey: mediocre, aggressive and, most of all, hypocritical.
Joshua Henne is a Democratic strategist and the spokesman for One New Jersey. Reach him on Twitter @JoshuaHenne.
* * * *
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.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
If Mitt Romney wouldn't choose Chris Christie, why should N.J. voters
In case you missed it, this op-ed that ran in The Times of Trenton and NJ.com earlier this week.
Ever a shrewd businessman when it comes to enriching himself, Romney knows he would get a poor return on a Christie investment.
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.
By Joshua Henne
With Chris Christie's lackluster record at New Jersey's helm, it's no surprise Mitt Romney passed on the Garden State's governor when selecting a running mate.
With Chris Christie's lackluster record at New Jersey's helm, it's no surprise Mitt Romney passed on the Garden State's governor when selecting a running mate.
Ever a shrewd businessman when it comes to enriching himself, Romney knows he would get a poor return on a Christie investment.
In one regard, sure, it would have made sense, since they both look out for the "One Percent," believe corporations are people and share a worldview that promotion of the powerful, super-wealthy and politically connected should be put ahead of the well-being of children, senior citizens and middle-class families.
But it's also obvious that Christie's negatives would outweigh the positives on the national stage. That's why Paul Ryan got the call.
Clearly, Mitt Romney has made many mistakes on the campaign trail.
But he learned at least one lesson from John McCain's biggest folly of 2008. There's no way a presidential candidate could possibly pluck a first-term governor with more sizzle than substance - again.
The parallels between Sarah Palin and Chris Christie are remarkable: Both burst onto the national scene and quickly became addicted to the adulation. And both care more about personal brand, generating headlines and garnering attention than actual results. Neither are team players.
Christie relishes his reputation as a loose cannon.
At one point, his sporadic "straight talk" set him apart from the vanilla political speak we've become far too accustomed to - especially compared to his aloof predecessor. But no longer are these merely isolated incidents that spew from Christie's lips. Rather, New Jerseyans are now subjected to a steady stream of hair-trigger, out-of-control antics unbefitting a public servant. So, it's a huge question mark as to whether Christie is even cut out for the rigors of a national campaign - where his record can't be glossed over and he'd have to actually answer for his substantial failures.
Once the rest of America looked past the bluster, hype and manufactured YouTube moments, they'd quickly see how New Jersey has unrelentingly trailed the country when it comes to jobs.
From an image standpoint alone, the fact that New Jersey's economy ranks a dismal 47th would remind voters that Massachusetts' economy was 47th in job creation under Gov. Romney.
In June, New Jersey's unemployment jumped nearly half a point, which was the largest monthly spike since 2009. The rate rose again in July to 9.8 percent, as the state lost another 12,000 jobs – 7,100 of which were in the private sector. Today, New Jersey's unemployment stands a full 1.5 percent higher than the nation's rate. This is the widest gulf from the national average since Jimmy Carter's first months in office.
Job creation and retention aren't the only areas where the governor has been a disappointment. Christie is the A-Rod of politics - lots of ego-driven, self-serving stats and self-promotion, but little by way of tangible benefits to the team (the residents of the state).
While Christie's policies have surely warmed the hearts of right-wing think tanks everywhere, they've had a chilling effect on New Jersey's families.
Property taxes have increased a staggering 20.4 percent since he took office, and one in every three children is now considered poor. New Jersey is also home to the second-highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in America, even though rates across the country are falling to their lowest levels since 2008. And due to Christie greasing the wheels for corporations at the expense of small businesses on Main Street, New Jersey's business climate ranking has slipped all the way down to 41st.
From the moment he lifted his hand off the Bible, Christie's been looking to trade up from the Trenton Statehouse to a grander stage. And he's used his constituents as stepping stones to accomplish this goal. Christie has taken his eyes off doing the work needed to make life better for New Jersey's families, and instead spends boundless time and energy on a magical mystery tour promoting his own objectives. With priorities like that, why would Romney ever want someone who cared more about personal ambition than doing the actual job at hand? As a running mate, Christie would have simply used the opportunity to audition for a future gig at Romney's expense - just as he's pursued regressive policies at the expense of New Jersey's middle class.
Yes, Christie and Romney share an agenda of looking out for those in the upper echelon of the economic strata while leaving everyone else in the dust. However, Christie's political baggage, fiscal shenanigans and abject failures would have been far too much of a distraction over the campaign's stretch run. Christie would bring virtually nothing to the table. Even worse, he would cut at the very heart of what little narrative Romney has left and torpedo his Hail Mary pass for the Oval Office.
If Mitt Romney wouldn't choose Christie, why should New Jersey voters when he stands for re-election? The governor can only hope Romney wins the White House and hands him a plum Cabinet post. This way, Christie can enjoy a face-saving exit before he has to answer at the polls next year.
Joshua Henne is co-founder of White Horse Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm, and spokesman for One New Jersey. Find him on Twitter@JoshuaHenne.
* * * *
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.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Holt or Sipprelle? Look (and learn) before you leap
The following Op-Ed appeared in the Times of Trenton yetserday and was posted on NJ.com:
When we get frustrated, we get cranky. And when we get cranky, we sometimes do stupid things that wind up hurting us. We're on the verge of that right now.
Washington frustrates everyone at the moment. And so, the mood in the electorate is: "Throw out all those bums in Washington -- get rid of the whole bunch!" This makes it a bad time to be an incumbent, and a fine time to be a challenger offering simplistic nostrums that appeal to cranky people who are not thinking clearly.
But each campaign is still a choice between two individuals, not between "the incumbents" and "the challengers." Depending on which of the two individual candidates the voters in each district and state send to Congress, voters' frustration will either swell or diminish in the years that follow.
In New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, the choice between those two individuals could not possibly be more stark, so voters here could not possibly have a greater duty to understand the profound differences between them.
One is a legislator respected on both sides of the aisle, the other a man who made millions on Wall Street. Looking at their respective positions on critical issues, it is apparent that their personal life experiences shape their perspectives and policies. Challenger Scott Sipprelle is a super-smart financier who amassed an enormous fortune and aims to sustain both his own wealth and that of others who have figured out how to get rich. Incumbent Rep. Rush Holt, D-Hopewell, is a super-smart scientist who studies the interconnections between cause and effect in our society and aims to ensure that sound-bite solutions don't bite us back. A few examples illustrate these differences:
Rep. Holt has been a driving force in Congress to establish an agency dedicated to protecting consumers from the kinds of flimsy "investments" that proved so deceptive even professional financiers got snookered, wreaking havoc with the U.S. economy and American families from coast to coast. Scott Sipprelle opposes this protection and thinks consumers who invest should fend for themselves.
Rush Holt insists on fiscal responsibility through congressional adherence to the pay-as-you-go ("PayGo") legislation passed during the Clinton administration, which balances any new expenditure with commensurate cuts and/or new revenues. Scott Sipprelle favors the Bush tax policy of breaks for the very rich and for corporations. PayGo brought about a balanced budget, while the Bush policies created calamitous debts and deficits. Extending breaks for the very rich will add $700 billion more debt for our children to pay off.
Rush Holt has worked to strengthen Medicare, which provides the most cost-effective health care in the U.S. He realizes that there are certain times -- maybe not a lot, but some -- when the federal government is actually more efficient and wiser than private industry. Meanwhile, Scott Sipprelle thinks that our trillions of dollars in Social Security should now be handed over to Wall Street financiers -- the same folks whose feckless derivative vehicles and reckless manipulations have brought the U.S. to the brink of a second Great Depression.
Rush Holt sees that American schools are in serious trouble and understands the implications for sapping our global competitiveness, not to mention stunting the lives of ill-educated individuals. So he is supporting strong initiatives to improve schools' science and math programs. Scott Sipprelle reportedly would abolish the Department of Education....
Read More >>> Here
When we get frustrated, we get cranky. And when we get cranky, we sometimes do stupid things that wind up hurting us. We're on the verge of that right now.
Washington frustrates everyone at the moment. And so, the mood in the electorate is: "Throw out all those bums in Washington -- get rid of the whole bunch!" This makes it a bad time to be an incumbent, and a fine time to be a challenger offering simplistic nostrums that appeal to cranky people who are not thinking clearly.
But each campaign is still a choice between two individuals, not between "the incumbents" and "the challengers." Depending on which of the two individual candidates the voters in each district and state send to Congress, voters' frustration will either swell or diminish in the years that follow.
In New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, the choice between those two individuals could not possibly be more stark, so voters here could not possibly have a greater duty to understand the profound differences between them.
One is a legislator respected on both sides of the aisle, the other a man who made millions on Wall Street. Looking at their respective positions on critical issues, it is apparent that their personal life experiences shape their perspectives and policies. Challenger Scott Sipprelle is a super-smart financier who amassed an enormous fortune and aims to sustain both his own wealth and that of others who have figured out how to get rich. Incumbent Rep. Rush Holt, D-Hopewell, is a super-smart scientist who studies the interconnections between cause and effect in our society and aims to ensure that sound-bite solutions don't bite us back. A few examples illustrate these differences:
Rep. Holt has been a driving force in Congress to establish an agency dedicated to protecting consumers from the kinds of flimsy "investments" that proved so deceptive even professional financiers got snookered, wreaking havoc with the U.S. economy and American families from coast to coast. Scott Sipprelle opposes this protection and thinks consumers who invest should fend for themselves.
Rush Holt insists on fiscal responsibility through congressional adherence to the pay-as-you-go ("PayGo") legislation passed during the Clinton administration, which balances any new expenditure with commensurate cuts and/or new revenues. Scott Sipprelle favors the Bush tax policy of breaks for the very rich and for corporations. PayGo brought about a balanced budget, while the Bush policies created calamitous debts and deficits. Extending breaks for the very rich will add $700 billion more debt for our children to pay off.
Rush Holt has worked to strengthen Medicare, which provides the most cost-effective health care in the U.S. He realizes that there are certain times -- maybe not a lot, but some -- when the federal government is actually more efficient and wiser than private industry. Meanwhile, Scott Sipprelle thinks that our trillions of dollars in Social Security should now be handed over to Wall Street financiers -- the same folks whose feckless derivative vehicles and reckless manipulations have brought the U.S. to the brink of a second Great Depression.
Rush Holt sees that American schools are in serious trouble and understands the implications for sapping our global competitiveness, not to mention stunting the lives of ill-educated individuals. So he is supporting strong initiatives to improve schools' science and math programs. Scott Sipprelle reportedly would abolish the Department of Education....
Read More >>> Here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)