Gov. Chris Christie discusses issues of importance in the Garden State during his town hall meeting in Howell on Sept. 12. GOVERNORS OFFICE/TIM LARSEN HOWELL — Reform, reform, reform.
That was the message made clear at Gov. Chris Christie’s Middle Class Reform Agenda town hall meeting, held at the Southard School, Howell, on Sept. 12.
It was standing room only at the former elementary school, which now serves as a municipal meeting space, for the governor’s 93rd town hall event, where Christie was introduced with the same video that was used for his keynote speech at the recent Republican National Convention.
Immediately promoting tax cuts and shared services, Christie spoke about the people’s willingness to help shave the tax levy even though cutting the budget is a hard choice.
The governor said while many residents are fighting to survive in New Jersey, others have fled and moved to Pennsylvania, where taxes are lower.
“If we want to be more competitive, we need to lower taxes,” he said. “Pennsylvania is cheaper and that is why so many people are moving, so they can keep more of their money.”
Christie said he arrived in office with a $13 billion (structural) budget deficit and inflated taxes. He said that in the eight years before he served, taxes were raised 115 times.
“Every 25 days, the state government took more of your money,” he told the audience.
Christie blamed part of the deficit on the state’s approval of too many fiscal items.
“We are going to take care of people who need to be taken care of, but we have to stop saying yes” to everything, the governor said.
The Republican governor blamed Democrats for what he called their eagerness to spend.
“They are willing to spend, but not to cut,” he said.
According to his reform agenda, Christie objects to the widespread practice of allowing New Jersey public employees to accumulate sick leave over decades of service and then being paid for the unused sick days at the time they retire.
Citing Morris County statistics, Christie said officials there had to sell bonds in order to pay for sick leave owed to departing employees.
The governor said shared services and civil service reform are keys to a balanced budget and he said if municipalities are not willing to compromise, there will be consequences.
“If they can’t share (services), then state aid should be reduced,” said Christie, adding, “If you want to own everything, then you have to pay.”
With Christie’s proposed ethics reforms, pensions and campaign funds for convicted public officials would cease, and no individual would be permitted to hold more than one public job at a time (i.e., a person would not be able to be the superintendent of schools in a public school district and a state senator at the same time).
“One public job for everybody,” the governor said.
Changes that have been made in the state since he has served have been good, said the governor, who noted the lack of public corruption in his administration.
“There has been no accusation of scandal or corruption,” he said, adding that reform has altered New Jersey’s appearance for the better. “We are no longer the butt of jokes anymore.”
Audience members listened intently to what Christie had to say and gave the governor a standing ovation more than once. During the question portion of the event, residents shared their concerns.
One member of the public asked about judicial appointments and Christie said that is a concern he often hears.
Several judicial nominees that have been put forward by the governor have failed to advance past the state Senate, meaning some of the people Christie wanted on the bench never made it there.
Christie said the solution is to remove the appointment approval from the Senate and give it to the governor.
“I will continue to have this fight,” he said.
Another member of the public told the governor that a state with more than 600 school districts will always pose problems in terms of the budget.
Christie said he understood what the person was saying, but he told those in attendance he has limited power.
“There is only so much I can do as governor to control this beast,” he said, adding that the state is spending more money in the education system now than ever before.
The governor explained that only legislation or local officials can prompt a move to combine school districts and possibly have a positive impact (i.e., stable school taxes, a reduction in school taxes or a lower rate of increase) on a budget.
Although he cannot make a change in the size of a school district, Christie did note that the state’s new teacher reform law will hold teachers more accountable for their performance through enhanced evaluation.
“All I wanted was accountability,” he said of the tenure reform law.
One person mentioned the relatively high number of children who are born in New Jersey who are later determined to have an autism spectrum disorder. The in- dividual also mentioned what she said is too few facilities in the state that house individuals who have a developmental disability.
The governor said that issue is significant to himself and to his wife, and he said they are working to make a difference in those areas.
“The government exists to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We will continue to work hard,” Christie said.
Two younger members of the audience attracted the governor’s attention when they raised their hands. Curious as to what they wanted to know, Christie called on the pair and they asked if he would visit the Woodrow Wilson School in Neptune City.
“Yes, I will … be sure to tell your principal and union representative I’m coming,” the governor joked, in a reference to his battles with the education establishment during the course of his term.