Gov. Chris Christie addresses the audience during a town hall meeting at the National Guard Armory in Freehold on March 17. Christie spoke about his proposed 2015 state budget, and guests had the opportunity to ask the governor questions about a variety of issues that concern them. FRANK GALIPO Gov. Chris Christie addressed state standardized testing at his 131st town hall meeting when a Long Branch High School student asked him about it.
“We have to test,” Christie said.
The governor reserved judgment about the effectiveness of the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam and asked that residents do the same and wait before evaluating it.
He said it is “hard for me to make a decision about whether it works or not until we see results.”
Christie also discouraged opting out of the test — calling this shortsighted.
The PARCC exam, which is being given to pupils in grades three through 11, has been the source of much discussion at school board meetings in recent months, with some parents concluding that they would not permit their child to take the exam.
Before a crowd of about 350 people on March 17 at the National Guard Armory, Park Avenue, Freehold, Christie focused on the state budget.
The three “sins of the past,” he said, need to be addressed. The state pension plan, the health benefits system and debt service take up an unsustainable portion of the budget, he told the audience.
“We can’t continue down this road,” he said.
Christie said that with 23 percent of the $33.8 billion state budget going to pension and health benefits, “we cannot tax our way out of this problem.” He said the problem can be solved, but that everyone is going to have to make some type of sacrifice.
From property taxes to New Jersey’s declining bond rating, a wide array of issues were raised by the audience members during the governor’s question-and-answer session.
A 12-year-old Boy Scout from Brick Township captured the attention of the governor and the attendees. The young man said that for the past two-and-a-half years, he has been living with his family in a trailer next to his house that was destroyed during superstorm Sandy, and he asked for help.
Christie said he is aware of how long it is taking for some people whose lives were severely impacted by Sandy in October 2012 to obtain the permits they need to rebuild, but he said the state is limited in what it can tell municipalities to do. The governor told the young man he would help his family.
Howell resident Bart Buono attended the town hall meeting to ask the governor about PARCC and said he was not satisfied with Christie’s response.
“It was a roundabout way of saying just take [the test] and we’ll figure it out later,” Buono said.
Carol Cole of Freehold came to hear the governor address pensions.
“I would like to see our politicians lead by example. If I am going to take a 30 percent pay cut, then I would like my leaders to take a 30 percent pay cut,” she said.
Cole said she liked some of the things Christie said, in particular about keeping promises made in the past.
A small group of protesters from the Communication Workers of America Local 1087 picketed outside the town hall meeting.
Joanne McWilliams, president of the union, said that in January 2015, paychecks were less than they were in December 2014 due to health care costs that were deducted.
“We are teetering on becoming the clients we serve every day,” said member Lisa Brown.