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Christie says he'd put N.J. ahead of political survival
September 10, 2009
PARAMUS, N.J. - Christopher J. Christie said yesterday that he would try to fix some of New Jersey's big problems if elected governor and would not worry about whether his decisions might damage his reelection prospects.
"And if at the end of it, we're so politically radioactive that we can't get reelected, that's fine. I'll go home," the Republican said after a 43-minute speech at an Elks Lodge in Bergen County.
Christie is leading Democratic Gov. Corzine and independent Chris Daggett in polls, but his campaign has been besieged in the last few weeks with accusations that he used his previous job as U.S. attorney for political purposes.
Yesterday, Christie tried to turn the campaign toward policy issues, laying out his priorities. The economy, taxes, education, cities, and renewable energy will be his focus during the 55 days until the Nov. 3 election, he said.
In his speech, he presented a bleak view of the state - and tried to inspire without overpromising.
He said he would cut income taxes for all individuals and for small businesses and restore property-tax rebates, which were eliminated this year for about half the homeowners who received them last year. But on both fronts, Christie would not say by how much or when. He said candidates of both parties who committed to such details had always fallen short.
"It's not going to happen all at once," he said. "It took us a long time to get here. It's going to take a while to get out."
He said he would address the problems of the cities, developing ways to measure crime and the economy so that whatever policies he would roll out could be ditched if they didn't work.
While New Jersey is always among the highest-income states, cities such as Camden consistently rank among the nation's most impoverished. Christie said he would work closely with Newark Mayor Cory Booker even though Booker, a Democrat, is supporting Corzine.
Christie renewed his call for more charter schools as a way to improve education in the cities, where schools are largely supported by state tax money. He said students in failing schools should be given vouchers that they could use to pay tuition at other public or private schools. He also called for basing teachers' pay partly on their students' performance.
In addition, Christie said, he would make deep state spending cuts, but he did not say which programs he would put on the chopping block.
"There will be programs that will be cut," he said to a room of supporters. "Maybe even some that some of you in this room like. But you would do the same thing."
He singled out state universities as an area where he wants the state to spend more money. He said they were losing New Jersey's top high school graduates to other states.
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Kevin O'Toole
Position: Senator
Date: 9/25/09
Contact: 973-237-1360
DeCroce and O'Toole call for special investigator to review Corzine's hedge fund investments. Republican legislators also plan to introduce legislation requiring blind trusts for Governor's investments.
