Governor Chris Christie’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Address

Lt. Governor Guadagno, Madam Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Legislature, fellow New Jerseyans:

I am pleased to present to you my budget for Fiscal Year 2014.

The budget continues a journey you began with me three years ago – to get New Jersey’s house in order; to turn Trenton upside down; to make hard but better choices so that we could put our state back on a path to growth.

For the fourth year in a row, the budget maintains the fiscal discipline we need to restore New Jersey. Fiscal sanity has indeed returned to Trenton.

For the fourth year in a row, this budget is balanced and imposes no tax increases on the people of New Jersey. I want every New Jersey citizen to remember just how different things were before we arrived. 115 tax and fee increases in eight years. Skyrocketing spending. $13 billion in deficits left on our doorstep by the irresponsibility of the past.

We must never take for granted what we have already achieved. Reduced spending. New jobs. Balanced budgets four years in a row. And lower taxes. It is truly a new day for New Jersey.

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Governor’s Budget Address

Governor Chris Chrisite is scheduled to deliver his annual budget address to the legislature this afternoon at 3PM

The address will be streamed live here at MoreMonmouthMusings:

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Governor Christie Announces Aggressive Plan to Strengthen and Rebuild Jersey Shore’s Sandy-Damaged Route 35

12.5-Mile Stretch of Highway from Point Pleasant Beach to Berkeley Will Undergo Accelerated $200 Million Transformation

Trenton, NJ – Taking action to repair and restore the Jersey shore’s transportation system, Governor Chris Christie today announced an aggressive schedule to completely rebuild a 12.5-mile storm-damaged stretch of Route 35 along the Barnegat Peninsula in Ocean County. The highway, which serves as the primary north-south route along the Jersey Shore peninsula from Point Pleasant Beach to the entrance of Island Beach State Park, sustained severe damage during Superstorm Sandy and requires immediate attention so that residents and visitors can resume normal travel in Ocean County. The reconstruction project will rebuild this span of Route 35 in a stronger, more resilient manner, while also providing better drainage, a smoother driving surface, improved accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists, and more economical repair and upkeep costs.

“The destruction wrought by Sandy is evident almost everywhere you look up and down Route 35, from Point Pleasant Beach to the entrance of Island Beach State Park. In the days after the storm, our transportation professionals did truly remarkable work along the entire highway, removing thousands of truckloads of debris and sand to make way for emergency responders, contractors and homeowners. As we have marked the rebuilding of our homes and businesses throughout the state, we now look forward to rebuilding Route 35 stronger and better,” said Governor Christie.“Today, we’re announcing an investment of more than $200 million in federal highway funds to rebuild this stretch of Route 35. This commitment demonstrates the determination we have to rebuild after epic devastation and heartbreaking losses as residents, businesses and this Administration work together to restore the Shore in ways that will help us all stand stronger.”

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Major Coastal Storm To Impact New Jersey, Governor Christie Orders State Emergency Operations Center Activated

West Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, in coordination with the National Weather Service, is monitoring a major coastal storm expected to impact the State today and tomorrow. State emergency management officials anticipate coastal flooding, high wind conditions, snow, sleet, and even blizzard conditions in the northeast corner of the State. The State Emergency Operations Center will be activated at 7:00 a.m.today, and will remain open as long as necessary to meet anticipated challenging conditions.

“This is a dangerous storm; and we ask motorists to be careful while driving. There is also the potential for downed trees and wires because of wind conditions,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police and State Director of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. “Tomorrow night’s evening commute will be treacherous throughout much of New Jersey.”

The following is a brief list of general winter weather preparedness tips for motorists:

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Christie Administration Addresses AshBrit Contract

The Christie Administration released the following statement regarding AshBrit’s contract with the State for the cleanup from Superstorm Sandy:

Taking  Emergency and Long-Term Action To Assist Debris Removal

Competitively  Bid Emergency Contract With AshBritt Allowed New Jersey Towns To Take  Immediate Action In Addressing Debris Removal In An Efficient And Responsible  Manner

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AshBritt  Had Extensive Experience And Unique Capabilities To Respond To Major  Disasters:

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Democratic Legislators Set To Investigate AshBrit’s Alleged Gouging

By Art Gallagher

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson), Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, and Senate President Steve Sweeney told The Star Ledger that they are going to investigate the lucrative no-bid state contract that AshBrit received from the Christie Administration for Superstorm Sandy clean up and the well connected lobbyists the company used to sell their premium priced services to municipal officials from Sandy ravaged communities.

“We already had questions about how Sandy relief money was being spent, and these findings raise those questions to a new level,” Prieto told The Star-Ledger. “This money is supposed to be spent properly to benefit New Jersey residents and communities devastated by Sandy, not become a feeding frenzy for lobbyists and an excuse to bypass regulations on business, the environment and pay-to-play.”

As a conservative, it warms my heart to see Democrats fighting wasteful spending. Maybe Trenton really has been turned upside down.

As a skeptic, I expect that whatever hearings the Democrats hold will be done with the intention of denting Governor Christie’s substantial Sandy related armor going into the November election.

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Christie’s “Mobile Cabinet” Coming To Union Beach on Tuesday

On Tuesday, from 9am to 5pm, Governor Christie’s Office will be holding a “Mobile Cabinet” at the Union Beach Hose Company 1 located at 1224 Florence Avenue. We will have staff from multiple departments of state government and FEMA that can assist with your insurance issues, help answer questions about flood maps or any other issue related to recovery and rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.  This is a great opportunity to help you, your family, and neighbors on the road to recovery.

Spread the word.

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Governor Christie Acts on Violence Prevention with Comprehensive Review of the Intersection of Gun Control, Addiction, Mental Health and School Safety Issues

NJ SAFE Task Force will Study and Provide Recommendations on How to Better Prevent Violent Crime

Trenton, NJ – Acting on his commitment to take a full and comprehensive look at the intersection of gun control, addiction, mental health and school safety in New Jersey, Governor Christie today created the NJ SAFE Task Force. The Task Force will be chaired by two former attorneys general of New Jersey, a Democrat and a Republican, with a membership of individuals with expertise in the fields of mental health diagnosis and treatment, addiction services and treatment, gun control and law enforcement, and school safety. The task force’s review comes in the context of a state with among the toughest gun laws in the nation, including an existing assault weapons ban. Nonetheless, Governor Christie wants a full assessment to consider whether additional common sense measures are appropriate for New Jersey.

“Violence in our society has never been solely about firearms, and we would miss an opportunity to better prevent heinous crimes if we didn’t look at the complete picture,” said Governor Christie. “If we are truly going to take an honest and candid assessment of violence and public safety, we have to look more deeply at the underlying causes of many acts of violence. That means removing the stigma and evaluating issues of mental health, addiction, prevention and treatment services alongside the effectiveness of our firearms laws, enforcement mechanisms, and our school safety measures.

“My commitment has always been to evaluate public safety, criminal policy, and behavioral science with an approach that recognizes that these issues cannot be separated from one another. The SAFE Task Force will further my commitment in that regard as we look at how we can better guarantee violence control,” continued Governor Christie.

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The New Jersey SAFE Taskforce Builds On Governor Christie’s Record Of Taking A Comprehensive Approach To Addressing Violence, Addiction And Mental Health Issues

THE WHOLE PICTURE

CURBING GUN VIOLENCE IN NEW JERSEY

Governor Christie Is Committed To “Strictly Enforcing” New Jersey’s Gun Laws, “Which Are Some Of The Most Aggressive In The Country.” (Press Conference, 7/31/12)

• The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence Ranked New Jersey’s Gun Laws The Second Strongest In The Nation Behind Only California. (Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, “Brady 2011 State Scorecards: New Jersey,” Accessed: 1/17/13)

• The Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence Gives New Jersey An “A-” For 2012, Tied For The Highest Grade They Awarded. (“New Jersey State Law Summary,” The Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, 11/14/12)

New Jersey Is Leading The Nation In Gun Safety:

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Christie: “I am going to set flood elevation standards”

Answering a question from a Beach Haven West realtor at the Manahawkin Town Hall Meeting this afternoon, Governor Chris Christie said that he will set flood elevation standards for New Jersey construction, rather than wait for FEMA to do so.
Christie said that he will set aggressive standards next week that might exceed the eventual FEMA standards.  In that case, residents that rebuild to Christie’s standards will end up saving on flood insurance in the future.

FEMA’s advisory map standards will not be finalized for at 18 months to two years.  Christie is taking his action to prevent residents from waiting to rebuild until the FEMA standards are final.

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