Assembly Appropriations Chair Calls on Republican Candidate to Propose a BudgetTRENTON- New Jersey General Assembly Appropriations Chair Nellie Pou today called on Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Christie to put forward a budget in light of comments he made last week on the Brian Lehrer show. “The comments made by Mr. Christie and his subsequent refusal to present a budget make it very clear that we are in danger of falling back into the familiar Bush pattern of opposition criticism with no solutions,” said Pou.  “Partisan rhetoric in the middle of a national recession may be expected of the Trenton Republican establishment, but it will not balance the budget.  I assume Mr. Christie will rise above the Bush tactics, put aside the Trenton Republican playbook and give us an honest proposal that will meet our constitutional obligation to put forward a balanced budget.”   During an interview last week on The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC radio, Christie repeatedly refused to provide specifics about how he would close the state’s $7 billion deficit. In fact, he proposed adding $4.6 billion back into the budget. At one point, Lehrer asked, “A number of people want me to follow up again on the back and forth we had about what you would actually cut, because they said you never gave a specific answer on what you would cut.”                Christie replied by saying, “Well listen, I think again that, you know, I know people love to continue to press on that, but the fact of the matter is that Governor Corzine has a responsibility for putting together this budget, and my responsibility is to critique what he’s done.” Pou’s request for Christie to put forward a budget proposal follows similar requests by Senate Budget Chair Barbara Buono and Assembly Budget Chair Louis Greenwald. On Monday, Senator Buono said, “The people of New Jersey deserve honest budget solutions from the people presenting themselves as leaders.  In the midst of a national recession, the time for opposition criticism without presenting solutions has passed us by.  It is unacceptable to simply criticize while presenting zero alternatives and the people of New Jersey expect more from their leaders.” Assemblyman Greenwald said, “Quite frankly, it is short-sighted and irresponsible of any candidate for leadership to revert back to the old George W. Bush ways of political rhetoric and criticism without alternatives in the absence of presenting a real budget. Imagine if last year President Obama and Senator McCain never spoke about their visions for Iraq, the world economy and universal healthcare to provide people the opportunity to hear their views on the key issues confronting our nation.”###