One senior, who said she hoped to attend the College of New Jersey next year, asked what he would do about rising higher education costs. As he has said often on the campaign trail, Christie pledged to increase higher education aide over the next four years and offered the student some help gaining admission.

"Need a recommendation letter?" he asked.

Then he turned to Baroni, who was standing nearby.

"Bill, will you handle that for me? You'll get one from me and Baroni. We'll see how you do."

So, all you have to do is ask an easy question and you get a recommendation from the gov-elect? Kind of pathetic and an insult to hard working students who actually EARN recommendations.

But more interesting is his answer. Unlike a typical conservative, who would attack the root cause - reducing the COST of education, Christie opts for the liberal answer - we'll provide more AID to pay for those higher costs.

So much for taking on those unions.

"Those people, because of where they're born and where they live, are not getting the same education," he said. "Those kids in Trenton, Camden, Newark, Jersey City, Asbury Park - those kids deserve the same kind of education you all get in Hamilton -- at Steinert."
Im not trying to imply that he is being racisit of insensative, but doesnt anyone else find this to be a bit condesending in tone? He needs to make sure he doesnt let misspeaks stomp all over his agenda.

"Need a recommendation letter?" he asked.

Then he turned to Baroni, who was standing nearby.

"Bill, will you handle that for me? You'll get one from me and Baroni. We'll see how you do."
Does anyone find that a bit snarky-it easily translates into "Look at us, we get favors" I know that thats not the point, and he said it in jest, but it is still a bit odd.

The CWA leadership will never stand up to Christie. They will cave in at the first sign of him pushing back and they will agree to layoffs.

CWA leadership could care less about a 10% layoff of the lower end workers. Those people don't pay the big dues.

CWA has no friends in Trenton. To keep the peace they will agree to layoffs before they agree to across the board benefit and pay cutbacks.

Christie can win this leadership over with one dinner invite to the Governors mansion.

State workers should be more concerned about their leadership selling them out then about Christie.

What's thematter. did you lose a union election or will you be on the layoff list? chris will be fair to everyone.

CWA sold out its members long ago!

They care nothing about rank-and-file workers - only promoting the liberal Obama/Pelosi/Reid socialist agenda.  State workers who are actually diligent and work hard get rewarded with also having to do all the work the lazy, dead wood that the CWA protects doesn't do.  And, they get the same 'benefits' of furloughs and wage freezes (instituted by their "pro-union" governor?) that could be avoided if CWA actually had the best interests of its members and the State in mind - and that would be to let the lazy, dead wood find another line of work!

If Christie lays off state workers, the younger civil servants starting to take the baton will get the boot, not those about to retire who have seniority. Layoffs would result in an increase in unemployment and a decrease in services at a time when the public’s need for social services has dramatically increased, and a large number of New Jerseyans are navigating the social service system for the first time in their life and need the help. State resources are already strapped.  Laying off even a less than stellar state worker is still a reduction in services to the public. It is a person not answering the phone on a hotline, a window closing at the unemployment office, an auditor or a (incredibly underpaid) state attorney not being there to keep on top of shenanigans in the private and public sector - which ultimately saves the public money. Decreasing the civil service during an "emergency" will amount to shooting the public in the foot. The temporary layoffs that the UNION fought for with Corzine is an imperfect but better alternative. Christie shouldn’t throw it in the toilet just because it wasn’t his idea.

CWA is protected by law as to their entitlement of being the "workers representative".

It is time to change that law.

Allow all state workers to vote on who their representative should be .

CWA is led by self serving leaders who ARE NOT STATE WORKERS. What kind of Union is led by people who are not part of the actual workforce? No wonder they could care less about the rank and file.

Losing 15% of the workforce means nothing to them since they will still be guaranteed dues money to pay their fat salaries from the other 85%.

CHANGE THE LAW! ALLOW OTHER UNIONS TO LOBBY TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF STATE WORKERS. LET THE STATE WORKERS VOTE!

It is high time that NJ changed its laws to remove the unions' strangle grip on public employees.  We know the unions don't care much for competition - in the economy of course, but especially in regards to membership.  If it weren't for NJ not being a Right-to-Work state, they'd have scarce members to screw over.

As to the comments about how the public would 'suffer' if any state workers were laid off, if the correct 25% of state workers never bothered showing up for work again, the public would never notice.

As to the people 'trapped' in the social service system, it is about time we started measuring the effectiveness of our government - and the health of our nation - not based on how many people are in the system, but on how many are actually productive members of society!

CSA = Collection of Whores and Assholes or the Communist Workers of America. The second most useless organization in the state behind the NJEA.

They do nothing but suck money from the taxpayers and dues from their members to support the hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries that their officers and leaders collect to do nothing.

Oh and please tell Charlie "Gel Head" Wowkanek to get a new hairdresser. What an amateur. You blew it bonehead. Its easy to win when the numbers are always in your favor. "Too many rallies"?

If that is your excuse for losing, get a life and another job because you are clearly not qualified for the one you have.

I don't like our governor elect. But if he gets these union butt heads under control, I will be fan for life.

civil service is. created to protect workers from political shenanigans, it's mutated into a monster that lets unqualified cronies in the door and like limpets, they become impossible to dislodge, no matter how little they do.

unions are a minor annoyance compared to civil service.

"Those people, because of where they're born and where they live, are not getting the same education," he said. "Those kids in Trenton, Camden, Newark, Jersey City, Asbury Park - those kids deserve the same kind of education you all get in Hamilton -- at Steinert."