AP Report: Christie and GOP reimbursing state for cost of flight
By Art Gallagher
I ran into former Governor Brendan Byrne earlier today at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick where I had a business meeting.
“Hello Governor,” I said while zipping my fly, “what do you think of the controversy over Christie’s helicopter ride?”
“It’s bullshit,” he exclaimed while drying his hands, “that’s what I said when I was governor. If Corzine had been using the helicopter he wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
We weren’t exactly in a locker room, but as close as you can get to one in a law center I guess. I appreciated Byrne’s candid venacular.
The media and partisan outrage over Christie’s use of the state police helicopter is bullshit.
The Associated Press is reporting that Christie and the state GOP are reimbursing the state for the cost of the helicopter ride.
No doubt the reimbursement is being made to quiet the bullshit. There is serious state business to be done. The budget. Pension and benefit reform. A new collective bargaining agreement. The ridiculous nonsense over the governor’s use of the helicopter has become a major distraction. Since there have been no natural disasters (the tornadoes missed NJ and hit Massachusetts), terrorist attacks, corruption arrests or revelations of love children to knock the helicopter ride off the airwaves and front pages, Christie and the GOP did the right thing paying for the chopper rides. Not because the flight was inappropriate, but because the hullabaloo is a distraction from important state business.
If it had been Frank Pallone or Steve Rothman who tweeted a picture of his package to a coed instead of NY Congressman Andrew Wiener, Christie’s chopper ride would not be dominating the news and there would be no reimbursement until the next ride during a slow news cycle.
Christie spokesman Mike Drewiniak said in an email explaining the reimbursement:
Also, though the Superintendent of the State Police noted yesterday the travel does not cost taxpayers additional dollars, the Governor understands the sensitivity about this kind of thing and believes he owes it to the public to ensure that this is not a distraction. As such, the Governor is reimbursing for the last two trips dated 5/27 and 5/31 in the amounts of $919.20 and $1232.30, respectively.
(emphasis added)
Drewniak also released a list of instances in which State Police helicopters have been used by the Governor’s office since Christie took office. 33 flights were by the Governor. 1 by the Lt. Governor and one was for transporting staff between consecutive press conferences at the Meadowlands and Atlantic City. You can download the list here.
Some of the active MMM commenters have indicated that they think State Police Col. Rick Fuentes statement that the governor’s helicopter rides do not cost the taxpayers additional money is disingenuous. I disagree. That kind of thing is too easy to verify. I’m sure some industrious reporter is checking it out now. If Fuentes made it up we’ll read all about it and he will lose his job. If he is telling the truth, as I believe, we’ll hear no more about it.
I want the Governor to use helicopter more than he does. If it makes him more productive at his job, or God forbid, gives him more quality time with his family, I’m all for it. That the State Police have to put in hours flying the choppers anyway makes it a no brainer.
The opposition to helicopter use is petty partisan bullshit.
The demogougues who are invoking the working Moms and Dad’s who are sitting in traffic while missing their kid’s games are full of it. I don’t believe the majority of New Jerseyans are that petty. The media is that petty. The politicians are that petty. I don’t believe the people are. I know Governor Byrne is not that petty.
State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes issued a statement to the media this afternoon stating that Governor Christie’s helicopter ride to his son’s baseball game yesterday didn’t cost that taxpayers money because the Governor’s travel was required flight training for the pilot.
The cost of the actual trip was $2500.
Assemblyman Joe Cryan, the $112,000 undersheriff of Union County said, “but, but, uhm, hmmm.”
The media is making a huge deal of Governor Christie’s use of a state police helicopter to attend his son’s baseball game in Bergen County yesterday afternoon and flying back to Mercer County in time for dinner at Drumwatcket with the presidential recruiters from Iowa.
Naturally, Democratic blowhards in the legislature are blasting the Governor in the hopes they can get their names in the paper.
Christie gave his critics a lay up. Governors have been criticised for their use of state helicopters for decades. Christie had to see this coming.
But does the public really care? Maybe Patrick Murray or the FDU EmptyMind will poll the question. I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority already thinks that the Governor uses the helicopter to travel the state regularly rather than “occasionally as the schedule demands,” as Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said.
If Jon Corzine had been in a helicopter instead of a Suburban, trying to get from Atlantic City to New Brunswick to meet Imus and the Rutgers women’s basketball team in 30 minutes would have worked.
Christie’s critics are making a deal out of the fact that he helicopter usage was apparently not for state business. The Governor’s office is not saying where Christie was before or after the baseball game, but the governor was seen entering Drumthwacket an hour and 10 minutes after leaving the game.
Once again I wonder if the public really cares. It is a question of Christie juggling his family life and commitments with his job. Back in December the media and the Democrats had a field day over Christie being in Disney World with his family during the blizzard. Paul Mulshine was angry that he couldn’t get litter for his cat to poop in, as if that was the Governor’s or Lt. Governor’s fault, but before long no one cared where Christie was during the storm.
I doubt he will do it, but I would like to see the Governor maintaining a schedule that demands the use of the helicopter more often. I bet he could outlast the whines from his critics in the media and the Democrats and that most people will think that he’s traveling the way that Governors have always traveled throughout the state.
In an email to Americans For Prosperity-NJ activists, Steve Lonegan delivered strong praise to the Governor, his former primary opponent:
Today, Governor Christie dealt Cap & Trade a death blow – one that could well signal not just the end of RGGI but the end to any effort to implement a job-destroying Cap & Trade energy tax in America.
At a press conference today at the statehouse in Trenton, Governor Christie announced his decision to use his executive authority to withdraw New Jersey from the ten-state scheme.
“RGGI is nothing more than a tax on electricity, a tax on our residents and on businesses with no discernible effect on our environment,” Christie said. “We remain completely committed to the idea that we have a responsibility to make the environment of our state and world better. We’re not going to do it by participating in gimmicky programs that don’t work.”
Governor Christie deserves enormous credit for taking this stand on behalf of our state. The Governor easily could have succumbed to mounting pressure from the left and its many environmental special interest groups.
Instead, Governor Christie stood tall knowing that this was the right thing to do for New Jersey and our state’s future economic prosperity.
Governor Christie will no doubt come under attack from the left for his decision and you and I need to lend him our support.
I urge you to call Governor Christie now at 609-292-6000 to thank him for taking this stand on behalf of New Jersey!
Additionally, a tremendous debt of gratitude goes out to those legislators who have sponsored the repeal effort – in particular, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R-24), Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-25), Senator Mike Doherty (R-23) and Sen. Steve Oroho (R-24), primary sponsors of the repeal bills in the legislature. These legislators were the first to step up and lead the fight against RGGI and they, too, deserve our thanks and appreciation.
Today’s victory is also a credit to you, our valued AFP citizen activist. Over the past year, many of you have contacted your legislators, signed petitions, written letters to the editor or joined us at numerous press conferences and rallies around the state.
Thanks to your dedication, Cap & Trade is one giant step closer to being tossed on the ash heap of history!
Governor Christie spoke at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University earlier this month. The final question of the evening was asked by Linda Sipprelle, mother of Lincoln Club President and former congressional candidate Scott Sipprelle. Linda didn’t really ask a question. She told the Governor how she would love for him to be President.
Christie’s response was perhaps his most comprehensive answer to date as to why he continues to reject the calls for him to run for President and to why he keeps entertaining the question.
At the time of this posting, the video of Christie’s answer has only been viewed 46 times. It really should go viral.
Today’s ruling by the State Supreme Court is disappointing, but not unexpected.
There are several reasons why I believe this decision represents everything that’s wrong with how Trenton has historically operated and everything that I am here fighting to change.
First, as a fundamental principle, I do not believe that it is the role of the State Supreme Court to determine what programs the State should and should not be funding, and to what amount.
The Court should not be dictating how taxpayer dollars are spent and prioritizing certain programs over others. The Supreme Court is not the Legislature; it should not dictate policy, it should not be in the business of discussing specific taxes to be raised and it should not have any business deciding how tax dollars are spent. A number of the members of the current Supreme Court agreed with that very position in today’s decision.
Those responsible for making decisions regarding how money is raised through taxes and how it is spent by government are those elected by the people and ultimately held accountable by the people.
Secondly, I believe the Court’s decision is based on a failed legal and educational theory that incorrectly reasons the key to establishing a thorough and efficient system of education is to throw more money at failing schools.
Let me be clear, I do believe funding education is critically important to New Jersey’s future. Even before today’s Court decision, we increased education aid by $250 million to every school district in this year’s proposed budget.
But, we must also acknowledge that money does not equal quality results. And there is now nearly 30 years of evidence that just throwing money at the problem is not the answer.
We should be getting better results with the taxpayer money we already spend and we aren’t which means changing the educational system goes beyond dollars and cents.
However, as Governor of New Jersey, I realize that regardless of my personal beliefs, I must comply with the New Jersey Constitution as interpreted by the New Jersey Supreme Court. In February, I submitted my budget to the Legislature for review and consideration. That is my constitutional obligation. Now the legislature has until June 30th to fulfill its constitutional obligation to pass a final budget.
In the light of the court’s ruling, it is now up to the Legislature to determine how the State is best able to fund the additional $500 million in aid to the Abbott districts specifically ordered in footnote 23 by the Court’s majority while also meeting the State’s other funding priorities as I proposed them. I have complete confidence that the Legislature understands its unique constitutional obligation to send a balance budget to me by June 30th. I am also confident that the Legislature understands its independent constitutional obligation to comply with the Supreme Court’s order in whatever budget they send to me for my consideration by the June 30th deadline.
I fully expect the Legislature will send me in a timely manner for my review and consideration a constitutionally balanced budget that includes how the Court’s order will be met.
My principles remain the same. New Jersey has some of the highest taxes in America. New Jerseyans are already incredibly overtaxed. Therefore, as I have repeatedly stated, I do not believe raising taxes is the answer. That has not changed.
I stand ready to execute my constitutional duties and consider what the Legislature submits as its final budget to me by June 30th.
The Christie for President buzz has the Obama campaign doing opposition research on the Governor, according to Josh Margolin at The New York Post.
The Corzine campaign already did that. They found that Christie likes Haagen Daz, has received traffic tickets, doesn’t stay at Motel 6 when traveling on government business, and ripped the label off a mattress.
Margolin reports that well-heeled GOP donors in New York are spreading the word that Christie might enter the race if he can get part of his pension reform package passed and score a GOP takeover of one of the Democratically controlled houses of the legislature.
Given the new legislative map, there’s a better chance that Christie will beat Carl Lewis in a 100 yard dash than there is that he will run for president.
In an email to supporters sent early this morning, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said he would not enter the race for the GOP nomination for president, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The two term governor who worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush said his decision came down to family concerns:
“I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one, but that, the interests and wishes of my family, is the most important consideration of all,” he said in an e-mail sent after midnight.
Daniels and his wife Cheri divorced in 1993 and remarried in 1997. During those four years Cheri married a California man. The Daniels’ four daughters, now adults, remained in Indiana with there father. The Governor issued an other statement this morning to the Indianapolis Star this morning defending his wife against growing media scrutiny into their marriage, divorce, remarriage, and the claims by some that Cheri abandoned her daughters during their split:
“The notion that Cheri ever did or would ‘abandon’ her girls or parental duty is the reverse of the truth,” said his statement.
He called the idea “absurd to anyone who knows her, as I do, to be the best mother any daughter ever had.”
With Daniels out of the race, many observers expect the national Republican establishment to step up their efforts to recruit New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to seek the nomination. Christie has repeatedly declared that he will not be a candidate while at the same time establishing himself as a national leader for education reform, entitlement reform and reducing the size of government.
Daniels withdrawal will also increase the focus on former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Huntsman, who was President Obama’s ambassador to China, is on a five day tour of New Hampshire. He delivered the commencement address at Southern New Hampshire University and has made 12 campaign style stops throughout the Granite State.
If Huntsman formally enters the presidential race, for the first time two Mormons would be competing for a major party nomination. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the leader in most polls for the GOP nomination, is also a Mormon.
Want lower property taxes? Desegregate New Jersey Schools
By Art Gallagher
Finally! Someone other than our friend Tommy DeSeno is speaking the truth about what is the real source of New Jersey’s highest in the nation property taxes and universally failing urban school districts: State sponsored racial segregation.
That’s right. The reason our property taxes are so high and the reason urban school districts are falling is that New Jersey spends billions of dollars per year to educate white kids while spending even more, per child, to warehouse black kids and hispanic kids.
We make racial segregation sound virtuous by using terms like “home rule,””school-aid equity,” “thorough and efficient,” and “Abbott.” Then we go to court and argue over how much money the state should send to Newark, Camden, Asbury Park and the other 27 Abbott Districts. We don’t talk about the racial makeup of those districts, or we use the exception, Keansburg, to argue that the segregation is not about race….its about economics.
Its about racial segregation. Liberal Blue Jersey’s schools resemble pre-1963 Alabama schools in their racial makeup.
Tommy DeSeno has been a lone voice on this issue for years. He has used these pages at MMM for at least three years to tell the truth about New Jersey’s dirty open secret whenever a debate over education funding breaks out. Read Tommy’s words here and here. Read the comments.
Here’s a sample from November of 2008 for those of you who don’t want to follow the links:
Now, let’s you and I talk about Abbott Districts.
Asbury Park gets $60 million yearly in Abbott funds. It is per capita the most expensive Abbott in the state.
The district includes rich white towns like Avon, Allenhurst, Interlaken and Deal.
In 1996 they started busing the rich white kids past Asbury up to Red Bank Regional, another public high school about 6 or 7 miles away.
That CREATED Asbury as an Abbott district by segregating just the poorest black kids in the county to one school.
Here is a typical conversation I have with people from the rich towns surrounding Asbury:
RICH WHITE GUY: You know Tom, I resent having to send Asbury $60 million in Abbott funds from my tax money each year.
ME: If you stop busing your kids away and put them back in their home district in Asbury, then Asbury will lose its Abbott designation, and you won’t have to pay it anymore.
RICH WHITE GUY: You know Tom, on second thought, why don’t you just keep that $60 million.
Listen grasshopper, I’m going to teach you a dirty little secret about Abbotts, that the liberal press won’t tell you:
Abbott money in Asbury, is “segregation hush money.” Both sides of it are guilty.
White people will complain about the money, but won’t change anything because they don’t want their kids back in Asbury.
Black people will complain about the segregation, but they won’t change it either, because wasting $60 million a year in other people’s money is just way too much fun!
Meanwhile, Asbury kids are caught in the middle, attending a racially segregated school (and they know it), created by busing white kids away from their home district, as if Brown v Board of Education never happened.
There is a government caused racially segregated school right here where you live, Eric. Just like they had in the segregated south.
Tommy’s words have fallen on deaf ears because even after 30 years of the failed Abbott experiment, we would rather keep pouring money into the failed urban/minority districts and waste generations of minority kids lives than risk the “working” white school districts by regionalizing and desegregating the school districts. We’d rather find a way to keep our “home rule” and come up with a way to make urban schools work, like charter schools, rather than desegregate the urban schools with the successful suburban school just next door. Let’s spend several hundred billion dollars more and waste another generation to see if we can make separate but equal work.
Maybe that will change now.
The most powerful man in New Jersey over the last 30 years,the man who more than any other caused New Jersey school’s racial segregation, David Sciarra, director of the Education Law Center, seems to have recognised the error of his ways, even if he is not taking responsibility for what his Abbott litigation has produced over the last three decades.
According to liberal Star Ledger columnist Bob Braun Sciarra appeared in New Brunswick this week with NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and James Harris, the head of New Jersey’s NAACP. He said:
“By any measure, New Jersey has one of the most segregated school systems in the country,” said David Sciarra, director of the Education Law Center, the organization that brought the school aid cases to the state’s highest court.
“We have to reopen that front,” he added. “We have to start to talk about what we need to do to break down district boundaries.”
If Sciarra is serious about making education work for everybody and wants to start talking about breaking down district boundaries he can withdraw his litigation that is keeping those boundaries in place before the State Supreme Court rules that Governor Christie and the legislature needs to flush an additional $1.7 billion into a failed system in the coming fiscal year.
If Sciarra is serious about making education work for everyone, he will stop measuring education equality by dollars spent and work with, rather against, the government to create a system that works.
I think he would find a willing partner in Governor Chris Christie, who more than any other elected leader in my lifetime has expressed his commitment to quality education for urban children.
It is time for New Jersey to confront the painful truth about our education system. We can no longer afford to pretend that money is what will make education work. We can no longer pretend that we are spending billions of dollars per year on something other than racially segregated schools.
