Chris Christie’s Diet for New Jersey
By Carla KatzTrimming the state budget is a little like dieting. The plan might be good but sticking with it is tough . Most of us have had to diet at some point and we start out with great intentions, will power and a pledge to stick to a detailed diet and exercise regimen to shed those damn extra pounds. But then we get hungry. Then we get cranky. We whine, "It's hard!" And, then we eat the Ho-Ho's.
As with any diet, reducing the fat in the state budget and shrinking the waistline on the people's ‘taxes belt' that's making it hard to breathe, is far easier said than done. Every gubernatorial candidate, for the past 25 years, has campaigned on promises to make our collective tax-fat melt away and make our state budget leaner. We all want to believe. Just like we all want to believe those hyped up ads for the newest pills that guarantee we'll lose 20 pounds in our sleep. The reality is, we still wake up fat.
Chris Christie's diet for New Jersey is a failure before it even gets under way. The biggest problem is that he has no solid ‘diet' plan for the state budget, or for the looming $8 to $10 billion deficit, at all. Christie has spent the last six months loudly criticizing Governor Corzine, and blaming Democrats, for not cutting the state's flab without presenting any solution of his own. We know from own dieting experiences that ‘no plan' means no results.
Christie does have some sparsely fleshed out budget ideas which defy calories in/calories out logic. He has said he wants to cut some patronage jobs, waste and abuse; would use the line-item veto to prevent lawmakers from sneaking wasteful items into the budget; and, would encourage voluntary local government mergers. Christie has also said he would deny state health care benefits to the ineligible and cut state overtime, which amounts to savings of just over $400 million. All told, Christie's proposed cuts amount to less than $2 billion, leaving a daunting $6 to $8 billion gap. On top of that, he has made other proposals estimates say will add $3 billion to the budget.. The spending calories add up and the budget pie gets bigger. Not surprisingly, so will our property tax belly fat.
Another dieting maxim is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Case in point is that many New Jerseyans believe that cutting the state workforce alone will solve the budget bloat. Early in the campaign, Christie promised to slash the state workforce to solve our budget woes. This doesn't work for two reasons. From a practical standpoint, the bulk of state workers staff the prisons, the state institutions, the state police, child and family services, the motor vehicles commission among other essential services. Secondly, the entire state workforce,---salaries, overtime, heat, the buildings they work in-account for around $5 billion of the nearly $30 billion budget. As the independent gubernatorial candidate, Chris Daggett, has pointed out, "To close this budget gap, we'd have to fire state workers twice."
For most of New Jersey, the state budget is as mysterious as the ingredients list for Twinkies but not nearly as tasty. During last week's gubernatorial debate, Christie said that our state's tax burden and business climate were "suffocating" the state economically and causing people to "leave the state in droves." That may be true but he didn't answer the questions New Jerseyans are asking-"Where will the money to plug the budget deficit come from? How will you reduce property taxes? What will you do to create jobs?"
With just few short weeks left in the race, Christie's hyperbolic criticisms of the state of the state budget coupled with his refusal to offer an economic plan is kind of like bemoaning the fact that he doesn't fit into his old jeans while eating a Double-Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a side of supersized fries. Sticking to a budget diet plan, without reaching for the Ho Ho's may be hard for all of the candidates. But, a winner with no plan at all would mean that the people of New Jersey end up as the "biggest losers."
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Really Carla?
So to use your analogy, it would be better to keep pounding the twinkies with Corzine than try Christie's diet plan at all?
Very Cute.
Miss Katz is supporting her sugar daddy. How touching...and she has such a flair for the weight references, too! What a talent...
The tide has turned.......
Carla always has a finger on what is really going on out there. I give her a lot of credit. Seems Christie stepped in it when he couldn't say what he would actually do to fix the budget or taxes in the state at the first debate. He just couldn't answer any of the questions that were asked by the panel. He exposed himself as a phony and has plummeted in the polls to the point where today Gov. Corzine is ahead and in the lead by one percentage point. Anybody can run for office on the same old tired "No taxes" and "I'll fix it" plan, but when they are asked for specifics they better have something to back it up. Christie has nothing and it appears everybody now sees it and he's finished......
"kind of like bemoaning the
"kind of like bemoaning the fact that he doesn't fit into his old jeans while eating a Double-Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a side of supersized fries."
Don't forget the extra large chocolate milkshake.
Chris Christie never met a salad bar he didn't like.
The most dangerous place to be in New Jersey is the space between Chris Christie and a dessert table.
Aside from all that, no diet plan survives an all-you-can-eat free buffet, and no fiscal plan will survive the day after the inauguration.
Just ask Barack Obama.
http://christiegonewild.blogspot.com/
Ho-ho's
Carla has nerve playing the Ho card.
Art Gallagher
http://moremonmouthmusings.blogspot.com
On her back
This coming from a woman who made 6 million on her back. What's next Politicker---a column from Heidi Fleiss? Spitzers Hooker?
Thanks Carla for reminding us of one of the many reasons that Corzine must go.
diet tips from carla
like a finger down the throat.
Bloodsucker in Chief
Carla, who made a name for herself sucking every last drop out of the taxpayers has some gaul talking about cutting spending! She sucked off an increase in pension benefit in 2001 and she sucked off a giveback from Corzine when he bailed on forcing retired employees to make even a tiny contribution to their health benefits. This woman has done more to drive up the costs of state government and after she sucked off all she could then she turned around and screwed the taxpayers to foot the bill. Talk about a ho ho. Maybe Jon Corzine can afford all that sucking off, but speaking for the overtaxed here in NJ we can't.
Yet another shameless
Yet another shameless reference to Chris Christie's weight from the party of "tolerance"
Campaigning for the governor is a little like sleeping with him. The plan might be good but sticking with it is tough.
We whine, "it's hard!", and then we eat the ho's.
We also get prime contracts for our unions in exchange for these services.
This column is just one corrupt and insensitive politician protecting one of her partners in crime.
Hey Carla....Lay Still....
Governor Corzine isn't done negotiating yet.
"Campaigning for the
"Campaigning for the governor is a little like sleeping with him."
At least when she slept with the governor she didn't have to worry about being crushed whenever he rolled over.
http://christiegonewild.blogspot.com/
He's Fat... Well He's taking photo-ops
Corzine complaining about Christie Being fat. Christie complaining about photo-ops and emails. Both candidates can do little more than to sidetrack voter's from the fact they both duck the issues and offer no real plan. Like this article states Christie has no plan and neither does Corzine.
Why not write about the issue that matter, like the plaque of corruption and scandal that has been brought on our state or how you plan on dealing with the exodus of business, residents and income from our state? No let's complain about photo-ops, emails and people being fat.
However, as echoed by the Star Ledger endorsement of Chris Daggett, we finally have chance to change all of this.NJ voter's are the only ones that have the power to change our government
I am working hard to spread that message and so can you. Click here to learn how.
You posters are more
You posters are more pathetic than anything else. You represent everything that is wrong with the modern day GOP with your mean spirited attacks that ever lack any substantive public policy thoughts.
Bad Kitty!
This article from a woman who got millions of dollars for sleeping with Corzine. Then illegally negotiated with her lover over Millions of dollars in Union benifits. But Christie is fat so don't vote for him. Katz, crawl into a hole with monica lewinski, McGreevey's bathroom lover, and spitzers hooker. You are useless and an absolute disgrace. You are everything that is wrong with Jersey politics.
PS...Perhaps my post should have been shallow and talked about your 'nose' for controversy. You are ugly. Hows the apartment?
Credit for Carla
You have to give Carla credit. Any woman ambitious enough to actually get into bed with Jon is truly dedicated to something. Her mother must be proud.
what nerve
Has this women no shame ? Carla please just go away. No one wants to hear what you have to say. You are not clever. What you are is a disgrace .You have done a great disservice to real working women who stand up for what's right and do not get ahead by sleeping with the boss. You should be ashamed
Oh My God
Lets face it, she must have been desperate to sleep with Corzine. Now she sounds desperate to keep her lover in office.
Perhaps her union never heard of a budget, so she does not understand that the mere fact that you will NOT raise taxes means the budget will be cut.
Remember, all you union lemmings, most of your leaders have been crooks for years. I assume she is just afraid that a Governor who actually puts crooks in jail, might come after she and her union buddies next.
Fat vs. Ugly
Did you ever notice it's the unattractive people who make fun of the overweight? Carla, until you get plastic surgery and look beautiful, I wouldn't be pointing fingers. (and moral people wouldn't do it any way).
Katz
Is a despicable,sleazy indivdiual who has no place in any serious political discourse.
A political hack and government blood sucker who has no valid credentials to host a oolumn other than she dated a maaried man named Jon Corzine?
She's an absolute disgrace to the process and a walking testament why people hate politics.
Does this person own a mirror?
She should look into it once in awhile. It isn't pretty.
Vote Column "A" - All the way!
SHAME ON YOU CARLA!
CHRIS HAS ALREADY WON NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY. GO AWAY CARLA BUT WITH DIGNITY!
Chris Christie for Governor
Chris is going to win and Carla will find another old man to take to the cleaners.Carla is a pig and I am being nice.
A NEW LOW!!!
For someone with the checkered and ethics-deprived background of Katz to engage in such a sophomoric attempt at humor is, to say the least, ironic. It is neither clever nor insightful. It is, simply, juvenile.Her problem is that sarcasm is the highest form of humor. And she simply hasn't got the intellectual horsepower to manage it.
And, why is this buffoon still be given a forum here? She is inconsequential, horribly dull and a terrible writer. All of which would be bad enough if she had anything to say.
WHat a hoe
Seriously, mean spirited is her brother blackmailing Corzini into paying him to keep hush.
I am sure Carla sucked him off that night.
Mean spirited is not the GOP attacks, its the lack of connection the Gov has with regular NJ residents who foot the bill for this BS. Corzine has got to go, and Carla just proved it.
Why would I vote for a gov who's personal life is a debacle, and his leadership strength is not projecting very well.
I voted for Obama, and Corzine the first time. This time I am voting for Christie.
Carla, you and your fam should be doing very well off of Corzine's millions...enjoy the view from the apt.
Carla and Comedy
Great column, Carla, looks like you have a sense of humor. With that in mind, I think your next column should be how Corzine planned to "prostitute" New Jersey's assets!! Wouldn't that be a hoot?
enoch
enoch - her diet does not consist of fingers down her throat - but something else.
nj politics - cry me a river. you bitch and whine saying we are mean? when you start to complain about YOUR side, give me a call. otherwise you are nothing more than the usual liberal hypocrite.
Verbal Epicac
No one in New Jersey needs to diet. Just read the juvenile crap this women writes and you'll vomit in no time.
Katz Draws Blood...Once Again!
It's fun to see y'all squeal like like stuck little piggies when Karla speaks truth! :-)
Drawing blood?
Maybe she should use less teeth on the Governor...
Simple Questions
Is NJ a better place to live since 2005? Has Governor Corzine earned a second term? Do you believe that criminal enterprises associated with NJ political activities is a problem? Will Chris Christie focus upon the problem and take actions to correct it? Will NJ be a better place to live in 2014 after Chris Christie has been Governor?
stale union pussy
why is she still on this forum ?
Nick
Her name is Carla, not Karla and she is following the game plan of pretending that if Christie is fat, he must be stupid. Hmmm... Tell that to the people sitting in jail because they thought just a little bit of bribery wouldn't hurt anyone anyway. Christie defended us otherwise while our former stinkin' lazy butt AG Peter Harvey twiddled his thumbs. He should be completely embarrassed having ever taken a dime from the taxpayers since he left all the work for Christie - who actually got the convictions. So anyone who thinks for one moment that Corzine is the answer is a complete idiot. Like Carla. And Corzine.
assisi
And the other question is: why are we still reading her ridiculous, sophomoric comments? What a waste of time.
Still here?
Carla Your 15 minutes of fame were up months ago. Your articles of shame are too long to hold much interest. You're trying too hard for your paramour.Crawl back into the hole you came from.