Christie says first executive order will freeze unfunded mandates and regulations
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterGov.-elect Christopher Christie says he's not ready to immediately battle the Democratic Legislature during their lame duck session, but he is prepared to speak out if they take action that he disagrees with.
"Am I willing to fight? Of course I am. You've watched me for eight years now. I'm not a Wallflower," Christie said at a press conference at the Robert Treat Academy, a Newark charter school run by Stephen Adubato, Sr.
Christie said he'll look at the Legislature with "an optimistic point of view."
"I think the members of the Legislature understand that people have voted for change," Christie said. The voters voted for it. So for now, we'll have to engage in the compromise that will occur always when people have differing views."
"I'm optimistic that whatever the views may be in both houses of the legislature, they'll be ready to cooperate," said Christie.
The newly-elected Republican governor said he did the right thing by not releasing a detailed economic plan.
"I refused, during the campaign, to come up with some type of slick packaged proposal that people were going to say ‘wow that's a miracle there will be no pain involved and no effort from anyone else'," Christie said. "We have to have a tight cap on what we're spending - not a cap that's filled with holes - a tight cap."
Christie said his first executive order will be to freeze unfunded mandates and new regulations for ninety days, something he promised during his campaign. He also said he will ask the state comptroller to conduct an audit of government spending, another campaign pledge, and repeated his opposition to same sex marriage.
Christie used the news conference to repeat his commitment to charter schools and to improving public education, especially in urban areas.
"You've been to plenty of my events and heard me talk plenty of times about this school, and heard me speak many times about this school. So I really felt that today, because I have said that other than the tax and budget issues, the next most important issue to me is fixing our urban education system," Christie said. "I thought today the most appropriate place for me to come would be a place that is showing how urban kids can be educated in such a way that is sending them to some of the finest... colleges in the United States."
He praised charter schools, like the one Adubato runs.
"These are places where great education is happening for these children," Christie said. "If anybody thinks I'm kidding about this, they're going to watch: I am not going to continue to allow urban children to be failed and cheated by failing public schools."
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How Long??
How long until tubby's overworked heart siezes and whatsherface is the new gov???
Adubato Last Laugh
Jon Corzine woke up this morning to low voter turn out in Newark and the news of Chris Christie at the Robert Treat Academy. He rolled over and knew the Steve Adubato and the Essex Dems set him up. Watch out Joe Cryan you are next.
Joe "D"
Watch out Joe "D" you messed up this time; instead of putting Essex First you put Robert Treat Academy first. Now everyone in the state knows you layed down on this election. No way was this press conference not planned in advance. Your May election will be fun.
Eb MD
Sick individual, what's worse is that you are out walking around in public.
Newsflash !!!
Corzine lost by over 100k votes. Can't blame that on Essex.
Change?
NJ voted for a change in the governor's seat. Seems we liked the legislature just fine. Christie needs to understand that.
Eb MD
We can only hope that the fate you have wished on our Governor Elect happens to you TONIGHT !! What a sick loser.
ebmd
You have brought the term "sore loser" to a disgustingly new low.
As PC517 said it's a shame that you walk among us.
I didn't wish anything on anyone...
I simply made an inquiry. Governor-Elect El Tubbo is in terrible shape. His cholesterol is probably around 300 and he no doubt has high blood pressure. I would love nothing more than to see him get on a good diet and exercise regimen and get himself healthy. I doubt it will happen though. The stress of the job of Governor on a person who is morbidly obese will have a terrible effect on their heart.
So far, so good
Let me start by saying that I was a hardcore Steve Lonegan supporter, and still am. I think that Chris Christie would be smart to appoint him to a position in his cabinet. There's no denying the man's passion for this state, and that he has been fighting for all of New Jersey for several years now.
That said, I voted for Christie on Tuesday, and was pleasantly surprised about the margin he won by. He was outspent nearly 3-to-1 in an extremely blue state, yet he won by about 4% of the vote. Since polls suggested that the issues that concerned voters most were the economy, property taxes, and corruption, it makes plenty of sense that Christie was elected. Jon Corzine failed us on all of these issues; Chris Christie, while not always having a clearly defined platform, has to be better.
I couldn't agree more with Christie's support of charter schools. A big part of turning this state around involves taking the power back from the NJEA, which has long had a vice grip on Trenton that we've been unable to loosen, let alone break.
On the issue of performing an audit of all state departments: Good idea, but I would prefer an outside independent audit. Can Comptroller Matt Boxer, a Corzine appointee, be trusted to perform the inside audit correctly? According to his bio, he has a B.A. in politics and a J.D., and worked as a lawyer and federal prosecutor - no financial background to speak of. Suffice to say, I am a little bit skeptical about how effective he will be. The estimated cost of an outside audit, from what I've heard, is no more than $10 million, which is a drop in the bucket for this state. I think we should go for it.
I am cautiously optimistic about having Christie as Governor. Despite campaigning with fellow Republican Govs Kean and Whitman (both of whom failed to stop the expanding size and scope of government, and the latter contributed to many of the problems we have now), I am hopeful that he will be different. Only time will tell. This much we can say - he has vowed a far more transparent administration than the previous one, and that's a big plus.
essex did its part
Lay down. learn how to read numbers!! the only counties that produced anything for corzine were essex (70k plurality) and hudson (45k) every other county was a bust! (bergen with a 6k margin has to be seen as respectable given circumstances)
real double"cross" came from south where "king george" did NOTHING.
Adubato/Joe D showed they are pro's in this business and are moving forward (i agree a little to quickly for the average persons taste).That being said, they will regret "doing business" with Norcross : ASK CORZINE!!!