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February 16, 2010
N.J. Governor Christie to Legislature: Reform and Discipline
Posted by The MaryHunter at February 16, 2010 11:50 AM
Republican Governor Chris Christie has laid down the gauntlet to his Democratic legislature: insane spending MUST end. From his recent budget speech to the New Jersey State Legislature:
[T]oday, I am beginning the process of fiscal reform and discipline. Today, we are going to act swiftly to fix problems long ignored. Today, I begin to do what I promised the people of New Jersey I would do. Today, I begin to give them the change they voted for in November.
I take no joy in having to make these decisions. I know these judgments will affect fellow New Jerseyans and will hurt. This is not a happy moment. However, what choices do we have left? The defenders of the status quo will start chattering as soon as I leave this chamber. They'll say the problems are not that bad; listen to me, I can spare you the pain and sacrifice. We know this is simply not true. New Jersey has been steaming toward financial disaster for years due to that kind of attitude. The people elected us to end the talk and to act decisively. Today is the day for the complaining to end and for statesmanship to begin.
A video snippet from his recent speech (audio is faint; full transcript available here):
| Governor Christie tells legislature NJ is in financial crisis |
This kind of reform and discipline, should it play out successfully, would be a model for other states in dire financial straits, not to mention a nation set on a course for utter financial catastrophe by its Democrat president and congressional leadership. All eyes will be on the Garden State.
