Save Jersey: Christie will deliver keynote address at GOP National Convention
Save Jersey is reporting that they have confirmed that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention.
SJ says that a formal announcement will be made on Monday, August 13.
People are always nice to the fat girl that didn’t get asked to the prom.
Can we at least try be serious during this time of disappointment? Governor Christie’s tailor’s loss is a gain for all citizens of this great state.
Now that he will be distracted from the business of the state’s business for only, as long as it takes, for him to digest the big picture and write one speech, we the current people he serves can have more of his vast appetite for challenges and controversial position on the issues of our day.
I got a few bones I would like to pick with him. I understand he is a busy man and I am coming at him from the wrong side of the podium, so maybe someone else in his large circle of influence may have the answer to just one issue, an amuse bouche, an appetizer, in the greater feast of questions unanswered to date:
Mr. Governor Christie, your executive Order #2 states that no state law, administrative guidline or regulation can contain any statement or requirement that would place a higher level of environmental review or qualification on any project or practice wishing to start or in current operation in the Garden State, how do you intend to settle the increasing practice of corporations based in or operating facilities in New Jersey taking in the toxic residue from fracking operations in Pennsylvania, New York or any where else for that matter?
Fracking is not at the top of the business agenda in New Jersey, a stroke of nature made the pickings slim within our borders.
However, for other more well endowed states where fracking has become a reality getting rid of the waste water and chemicals that result from their “economic boom” is a rather large issue. Of course there are private, built of their own efforts and hard work, business’ within your jurisdiction that have been and are looking for as much of this crap as they can charge for.
They say they are putting it in holes in the ground, our ground, good for nothing else or “treating” the heretofore un-treatable sludge and discharging it into our waters.
I am not sure how many jobs, or revenue this has produced for our land and your state, so could you enlighten me and the others within your electorate who are perplexed by your actions in this area thus far?
Fat jokes? Really? Grow up people. Serious issues and people go for the fat jokes?
The joke is an unqualified, “faculty lounge” light-weight is president and the VP is an entrenched Washington insider who is as disingenuous as they come.
I know you are right. Too easy. Would help keep the fat jokes off the already over burdened table of civil life if someone answered a real question on policies and government.
What about the sludge from out of state?
I promise no more fat jokes or light weight references all I ask in return is for some actual feedback, replies, that answer questions or extend the debate and help keep it focused on the issues.
I have in the past asked what are to me simple and substantive questions on positions taken by national and state politicians. In my short 30 days or so of walking into this web site that total is probably 5 questions. I have not received one direct or even closely related answer to a question asked. I have been replied to with cracks, rhetoric and a constant stream of proxy titled postings.
Question?
What were the reasons 4 years ago for the sky falling in, the most unrestricted and free market system in modern history to come crashing down and direct government assistance needed to save that “free” market system?
Question?
Are there any differences from then to today that would make me or any other citizen vote to expand the influence and take of the “free” market financial industry in main street life?
Ball is now in your court.
Simple—the Demoncrats no longer hold the House.
Brian- you are tempting the gods of Leave a Reply. Point taken, Republicans have the leverage and had it, since the Demoncrat in charge left town in 2000.
Do the math- 8 years of George 2, and 3 years of a reinforced, committed Congress 11 years total and one black guy from Chicago and one woman from California have held onto the deal this whole time?
That doesn’t impress me nor make me feel confident that my vote and my money would be in better hands or produce a better result. Leadership changes the rules of the game when you have no one else too blame what are your options? More of the same, put your money up and take your chances, we already know the game was rigged, the bottom of the deck was and are the cards of choice, why, give me a morsel of actual logic why those two guys and why not the other two?
Joe Killeen said:
What were the reasons 4 years ago for the sky falling in, the most unrestricted and free market system in modern history to come crashing down and direct government assistance needed to save that “free” market system?
Question?
Are there any differences from then to today that would make me or any other citizen vote to expand the influence and take of the “free” market financial industry in main street life?
Ball is now in your court.
I’ll take a shot at answering your question Joe, as to the causes of the economic meltdown.
1) The relaxation of credit standards for home mortgages which started under the Carter administration, got much worse under the Clinton administration and got dangerous under W. When W’s team raised the red flags and Barney Frank shot them down, the Bushies folded and let Fannie, Freddie and the system implode.
2) The repeal of Glass-Steagal, the 1933 Banking Act which helped us pull out of the Great Depression and lead to the longest period of prosperity in history. The repeal was bi-partisan legislation signed by Clinton.
The removal the firewall between investment banking (speculation) and commerical banking (deposit taking and lending) that Glass-Steagall provided lead to securitization of consumer debt, including mortgages, which reduced credit standards further, contributing to #1 above.
It also lead to the emergence of “too big to fail” financial institutions.
When I was a banker at Chase Manhattan in the 1980’s, the failure of Chase, Chemical, Manny Hanny, or JP Morgan would have been bad news, but it would not have threatened the entire financial system. Now Chase, Chemical, Manny Hanny and JPMorgan are all one institution that even after the collapse and Dodd-Frank is risking billions on bad bets.
Bank of America is the remain of the original BoA, Merril Lynch,Fleet, Bank of Boston, and many others. A great California institution now headquartered in North Carolina.
Citi…Travelers, Smith Barney, Solomon Bros, Eurpean American, etc.
Only Wells Fargo (NorWest, Wachovica..which was First Union, First Fidelity, Corestates..which was 1st PA, etc) seems to have figured out the too big to fail model, but even they took TARP money, reluctantly they said.
The combination of no credit standards and a speculative banking system created an irrational market place which lead to “bubbles” The real estate bubble was the worst and most dangerous and speculators falsely believed, despite historical evidence to the contrary, that real estate values could not decline.
When the system started to collapse in 2008, irrational fear replaced irrational exuberance and made a bad situation worse, much worse.
Irrational accounting standards caused performing mortgages and consumer debt to be valued at zero because fear caused the market for securitized debt to close.
The too big to fail financial institutions took borrowed government money (TARP) to prop themselves up, but sucked liquidity out of the economy by stopping lending by any standard, reducing credit lines to credit worthy small businesses to the amounts outstanding.
TARP and the bailouts were more of the same irrational policy that covered over the systematic problems with no ultimate solutions. A Resolution Trust Corp type solution deployed by the Reagan administration after the 1980’s S&L collapse would have made more sense long term.
Breaking up the too big to fail institutions and separating investment banking, commercial banking and insurance is the way to go.
Art- thank you. There is a reason you are the majo domo of the site and the originator of the “vast common sense community” that attracted me to this site in the first place.
Your answers are the start of something hopefully, useful, as we march towards another judgement day.
The historical accuracy of Art’s answers don’t obscure the fact that “free” as in free market doesn’t exist, that everyone who achieves their success and takes offense that someone claims they didn’t do it all on their own, or that the current President is nothing if not a creature of his times whose policies and beliefs have him more alligned with a common good, rather than the traditional hierarchy of good.
Neither a liberal nor conservative, Democrat or Republican, but a modern politician. Imbued with the tendencies, tactics and strategy of all modern politicians. Demonize the opponent and promise them anything while saying as little as possible of substance. Ditto the vast herd of cats occupying either side of the aisle in any legislative gathering across the country.
Where does the blame lie? Who is at fault for the current dismal state of affairs?
Us, the people, engaged and not engaged, those who draw their line in the sand then pick up the sticks and raise them over their heads to use as clubs. Just as responsible and equally to blame are the otherwise occupied and tired crowd who see it all as one timeworn excuse for a side show to what really matters, get yours and keep it.
Meanwhile we all, the converted and non believers alike, keep rolling along, playing with our own diminished stack of chips.
The Demoncrat in charge and his minions may not be the best or wisest choice, but the same old, business works for all of us, need to keep the money flowing to the top philosophy of the challengers, reminds me of the guy who goes to the doctor and says, “Doc, every time I do this my eye hurts and its hard for me to see.” He then proceeds to poke himself in the eye with a stick.
Doctor (operating within the patient’s managed care policy)- “Then don’t do that.”
Nothing, not a darn thing, makes me want to poke my self in the eye with the same stick that continues to take the money and run.
Its a matter of world view, Joe.
As fellow business builders, you and I can appreciate the truth in Obama’s “You didn’t build that” speach. We can also appreciate that he doesn’t get it. We know we didn’t build our businesses by ourselves. We also know that they couldn’t have been built with what only we provided or could provide. Obama doesn’t get the entrepeneurial spirit nor does he get how government can supress it.
He thinks government spending, investing and control or the key to economic prosperity. It isn’t.
Yesterday Paul Ryan recalled how his farther taught him that if you work hard and play by the rules, you’ll succeed. Government sets the rules.
Our founders gave us rules and a framework for creating future rules that is based upon a profound understanding of human nature. The best set of rules in history, after the 10 commandments.
Obama and the “progressives” (I consider them regressives) consider government the source and the answer. “Conservatives” (the original liberals) believe in empowering individuals and freely formed communites.
Through all the demogaugery and “gotchas” from both sides, the coming “judgement day” really is about two vastly different world views.
As long as whomever wins or loses come November lick their wounds, pick up the pieces and stay on top of the benighted that we all win.
It’s the take my ball home and leave the game crowd that set us all off on the Sunni/Shia, black/white, christian/non, path to government organization that we need to avoid.
For Mr. Killeen, if you want answers write the governor. My sense is he doe snot read the replies fro people that post.
Joe D.- I have been within the Governor’s line of sight and hearing and raised my hand more than a few times to ask questions. I have been at hearings and public forums on issues that are of interest to me.
I have as well sent e-mails and actual snail mail with questions and suggestions on issues, signed petitions that ask for answers or advocate positions on those same topics and others that have been brought to my attention.
All of which does not take the place of asking similar questions on, in and through other forums such as this site.
One of the causes for my skepticism about the current state of affairs in our political system is the practice for questions to be answered with broad non substantive replies. Broadly stated the “Let Them Eat Words” style of government.
I have chosen to try and find answers to the serious issues that we need to confront as a people not to allow my favorite team of elected professionals to carry the ball and call the plays on their own.
There are too many examples throughout history and as recent as the last passing minute that illustrate the failings of that path.
Penn State, LIBOR fixing cabal and unfortunately the Roadmap for America formula of let the “free” market do it’s job.
I made my living in a small margin work at it daily, industry, trucking, or to be more modern, logistics. The score was kept minute by minute, mile by mile, you took your chances and you yelled, groaned and sweated through the process and at the end accepted the results.
You would not last long not making decisions and sticking to them, adapting to the changes along the runs.
Now I am of an age and in a position to try and be more involved in other areas. One of those areas is how do we govern ourselves.
I find the practice and current tendency to look at current problems and respond to them with lets change the deal thinking as lazy and unprincipled. Additionally suggesting that we throw out the current deal, start over and give the “free” market finance industry more of a say, more of an opportunity to trickle down their success to the rest of us is illogical. I have always accepted the premise that the business of business is to make money why anyone who accepts or promotes that viewpoint would think it the correct bet to let corporations also set the rules for how we protect and serve the majority is a question I seriously would like anyone to answer.
Some further facts to consider:
In 2007 the income of the average American (just under $34,000) went up by around 5%.
The Cost of Living went up by 3.5%, the net increase in income of the average American was 1.5%. This one year increase when added to the recorded increases in wages since 1990 brought the 18 year total to 7%. 7% increase in average wages over 18 years.
Also in 2007 the chief executive of Goldman Sach’s earned 73.7 million an increase of 25% over the previous year.
2007 was also the year which saw the “official” start of the worst financial crisis in the world since the Great Depression. The root cause of this decline is blamed on the rise in securitized debt and the extension of credit to those not credit worthy. The fact is that this collapse only provided a reminder to those who care to pay attention that sooner or later greed turns to fear. Every financial “bubble” since stocks were traded and debt and credit commiditized in London coffee houses and Dutch hallways comes to an end. There is no free lunch and the opportunity for anyone to make money does not ensure that everyone makes money.
Wage earners do not share equally in the pie and despite the term Wise Guys being tied to criminal enterprises the term also applies to those in the financial fraternity and in the know clubs whose 401K’s and retirement packages come in large doses tied directly to their success in being the “wisest” guy at the table and grabbing the largest slice available.
Business is business and government is government. When the twain do meet it is important for the government to remember it operates for the majority and not for the corporate citizen minority.
I do apologize for the War and Peace sized posts and their frequencies. You have to remember that having to build and protect my piece of the pie took up the majority of the last 45 years. Didn’t leave a lot of time for analysis and commentary on the doings of the day too far outside my immediate world.
But I did learn a few important points about how the world does operate, in the day to day scrum. If I wanted to compete for large contracts with Fortune 500 and 100 customers, I had to make sure there were none of those pesky unions in my portfolio.
Never make it to step 2 in the bidding process if there were. Emphasize your flexibility in hiring and firing, code for show a lot of temps in your workforce. I could go on but I hope the point is clear, company success meant managed labor and understanding of the basic corporate philosophy, you exhibit the right company DNA to be considered a vendor partner.
You give to charity but not too much because then you run the risk of being labeled as, one of them socialist New Yorker’s , in some sections of the country where a corporate customer was headquartered a pronounced belief in a Christian attitude towards morality and tithing was a plus. Having your address in the heathen land of New York or New Jersey was not a plus.
You accept the rules and play the game as best you can but the rules of corporations, business and the “free” market are not and never will be the rules that produce good government. That dog does not hunt anymore, that section of the “bible” has been over time and time again shown to be the non inspired word of false gods.