Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsChristie's problems worsen in New Jersey
Christie's problems worsen in New Jersey
By Steve Benen
April is proving to be an unusually unkind month for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
First, Newark's Star-Ledger ran a lengthy, detailed report documenting the extent to which the governor's legislative proposals, executive orders, and agency rules were written, at times word for word, by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a shadowy far-right group that seeks to impose a conservative agenda in state legislatures.
Then, the New York Times helped shine a light on Christie's corporate welfare practices, in which the governor is handing out lucrative tax credits to preferred in-state corporations.
Today's revelations, meanwhile, may be the most controversial to date.
Even at the time, Christie's decision on this project in 2010 was hard to understand. Conservatives, who've become increasingly hostile towards American infrastructure improvements, cheered the move, but from a substantive perspective, the governor's decision was fairly characterized as "destructive and incredibly foolish."
But this new report casts that decision in an even more damaging light. The Government Accountability Office is a non-partisan research/audit arm of Congress, and it's reporting this week that Christie's rationale for his strange decision wasn't even true. It was a mistake to scrap a major public works project during a weak economy; it was a bigger mistake to explain the move with dishonest claims.
Also note, this didn't just hurt New Jersey -- the project was intended to alleviate congestion between Boston and Washington, D.C.
- more -
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/10/11118304-christies-problems-worsen-in-new-jersey
By Steve Benen
April is proving to be an unusually unkind month for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
First, Newark's Star-Ledger ran a lengthy, detailed report documenting the extent to which the governor's legislative proposals, executive orders, and agency rules were written, at times word for word, by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a shadowy far-right group that seeks to impose a conservative agenda in state legislatures.
Then, the New York Times helped shine a light on Christie's corporate welfare practices, in which the governor is handing out lucrative tax credits to preferred in-state corporations.
Today's revelations, meanwhile, may be the most controversial to date.
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey exaggerated when he declared that unforeseen costs to the state were forcing him to cancel the new train tunnel planned to relieve congested routes across the Hudson River, according to a long-awaited report by independent Congressional investigators.
The report by the Government Accountability Office, to be released this week, found that while Mr. Christie said that state transportation officials had revised cost estimates for the tunnel to at least $11 billion and potentially more than $14 billion, the range of estimates had in fact remained unchanged in the two years before he announced in 2010 that he was shutting down the project. And state transportation officials, the report says, had said the cost would be no more than $10 billion.
Mr. Christie also misstated New Jersey's share of the costs: he said the state would pay 70 percent of the project; the report found that New Jersey was paying 14.4 percent. And while the governor said that an agreement with the federal government would require the state to pay all cost overruns, the report found that there was no final agreement, and that the federal government had made several offers to share those costs.
The report by the Government Accountability Office, to be released this week, found that while Mr. Christie said that state transportation officials had revised cost estimates for the tunnel to at least $11 billion and potentially more than $14 billion, the range of estimates had in fact remained unchanged in the two years before he announced in 2010 that he was shutting down the project. And state transportation officials, the report says, had said the cost would be no more than $10 billion.
Mr. Christie also misstated New Jersey's share of the costs: he said the state would pay 70 percent of the project; the report found that New Jersey was paying 14.4 percent. And while the governor said that an agreement with the federal government would require the state to pay all cost overruns, the report found that there was no final agreement, and that the federal government had made several offers to share those costs.
Even at the time, Christie's decision on this project in 2010 was hard to understand. Conservatives, who've become increasingly hostile towards American infrastructure improvements, cheered the move, but from a substantive perspective, the governor's decision was fairly characterized as "destructive and incredibly foolish."
But this new report casts that decision in an even more damaging light. The Government Accountability Office is a non-partisan research/audit arm of Congress, and it's reporting this week that Christie's rationale for his strange decision wasn't even true. It was a mistake to scrap a major public works project during a weak economy; it was a bigger mistake to explain the move with dishonest claims.
Also note, this didn't just hurt New Jersey -- the project was intended to alleviate congestion between Boston and Washington, D.C.
- more -
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/10/11118304-christies-problems-worsen-in-new-jersey
Lying to kill a major economic development and infrastructure inprovement project, Christie will likely try to yell his way out of this.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 2199 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (21)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Christie's problems worsen in New Jersey (Original Post)
ProSense
Apr 2012
OP
When is he up for reelection? What are his chances for reelection anyone know?
southernyankeebelle
Apr 2012
#5
BumRushDaShow
(129,410 posts)1. Would love to see what the Thuganator
is going to do now.
tallahasseedem
(6,716 posts)2. It will be interesting to see...
how he tries to get away with this. Unfortunately, I see him being able to...hopefully I'm proven wrong!
yellowcanine
(35,701 posts)3. Maybe Mitt will do a Deus ex machina and rescue him - and N.J.
Of course he probably would not step down so never mind.
Tomay
(58 posts)4. Governor Flintstone is pretty much hated by everyone I know here in NJ,
even by Republicans, who tend to be moderates in this state. There is a definite right wing fringe that loves him, but most citizens of NJ would probably cheer if he left to become the Mittster's VP candidate. He would lose the election and then we'd be rid of him early. I'm pretty sure he'd lose re-election as governor, unless his buddies the Koch brothers rode to his rescue with a suitcase full of money.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)5. When is he up for reelection? What are his chances for reelection anyone know?
benld74
(9,909 posts)6. Way good selection for Governor, N.J!!!!!