Governor Chris Christie told a Manasquan Town Hall crowd of approximately 1200* that he expects FEMA will release an expedited set of flood elevation maps in “a few months” that will ease the height requirements from the Advisory Maps published in December, according to The Star Ledger.
Christie said he adopted the recommendations in FEMA’s advisory maps earlier this year for those who need guidelines now on how to rebuild. For those who can wait to rebuild, a new set of maps should be out “in a few more months” that he said will be less “aggressive” in placing homes in flood zones.
“I’m confident the maps are going to change,” he said to a crowd of more than 300 in the Manasquan High School gym. “The only thing I’m not confident about is when.”
* MMM has learned from someone at the Town Hall that the crowd was approximately 1200, not the 300 originally reported by The Star Ledger.
Governor Chris Christie continues to enjoy sky high approval ratings among New Jersey voters and is heavily favored to be reelected in November, according to a Farleigh Dickinson University Public Mind Poll released this morning.
66% of New Jersey voters, including 55% of Democrats and 61% of Independents approve of the governor’s job performance. If the election were held today, Christie would defeat presumptive Democratic nominee Barbara Buono by 58%-22% with 20% unsure. Christie would garner 36% of the Democratic vote.
48% say they like the Christie personally and like his policies. 18% like him, but not his policies. 12% don’t like the man, but like his policies and 17% don’t like him or his policies. 5% are comatose and were awakened by the pollster’s phone call.
Save Jersey is reporting that East Brunswick Mayor David Stahl is endorsing Governor Chris Christie for reelection, leaving the Democratic Party and will run for the State Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Buono. Buono will be the Democratic nominee for governor, unless Carl Bergmanson or Willie Arajuo beat her in the June 4 primary.
Stahl is the third Democratic mayor to endorse Christie’s reelection. He is the first to join the GOP and become a Christie running mate.
Middlesex County Republican Chairman, Senator Sam Thompson told MMM that Stahl has his “100% support.” “I can’t think of anyone better to win Buono’s seat,” said Thompson, “Stahl was reelected in East Brunswick last year by a wider margin that Obama won the town.”
Christie narrowly won the normally Democratic Middlesex County in 2009. Thompson said the GOP will field its strongest legislative ticket in memory in an effort to sweep the 7 districts that represent his county.
Stahl will make his formal announcement tomorrow morning, 10:30 am, at the Colonial Diner on Route 18, according to SaveJersey.
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett announced this morning that Governor Chris Christie will be on hand to accept the party’s nomination for reelection when the Committee convenes at Colts Neck High School on Saturday, March 23.
In an email to County Committee members, Bennett said that he was hopeful that all members would be able to join him in nomination Christie, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and all incumbent legislative and county candidates.
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.
Photo by Serena DiMaso. Taken with Tom Arone’s phone
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal is only 27 years old, but he’s over the hill politically according to Governor Chris Chrisite.
Speaking in Sea Bright while accepting Mayor Dina Long’s endorsement for reelection, Christie responded to the statement Gopal issued criticising Long and threatening her political future by saying,
“Vin represents the party of yesterday,” Christie chimed. “To put out a statement like that is a product of yesterday. Maybe Chairman Gopal will see the wisdom” (of Christie’s brand of bipartisanship),” according to PoltickerNJ.
Following yesterday’s news of Long endorsing Chrisite, Gopal issued the following statement on facebook:
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, a Democrat, will endorse Governor Chris Christie for reelection tomorrow morning at Woody’s, according to a source who doesn’t want to be known for talking to a Republican blogger.
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long. photo credit:RedBankGreen.com
The Christie campaign has announced a campaign event at Woody’s Ocean Grille for 11:15 am.
Long did not return a call for comment. Nor did Christie strategist Mike DuHaime.
Long’s support of the Republican governor is a set back for Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, one of Democratic gubernatorial presumptive nominee Senator Barbara Buono’s strongest supporters.
Should Long find herself in trouble with Gopal, Monmouth Republican Chairman John Bennett would welcome her to the GOP.
“I would welcome any caring mayor or council member, including Mayor Long, into the party,” said Bennett in a phone interview, “So long as they are working for the people and not out of a personal agenda, I will welcome them.”
If the gubernatorial election was today, Chris Christie would be reelected in a landslide, according to a Quinnipiac poll released this morning.
Christie beats likely challenger Barbara Buono by 62%-25%. Christie leads with women 54-38, with men 71-18. Republicans back the governor by 93-4, Independents by 68-18. Democrats would vote for Buono, 51-31, despite the fact that they approve of the job Christie is doing by a 56-38 margin. Overall, New Jersey voters approve of Christie by 74-22. That’s the highest rating of any governor in the 17 years Quinnipiac has been doing surveys.
83% of New Jersey voters don’t know enough about Buono to form an opinion.
In a 2016 presidential match up with Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State beats Christie for New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes by 4 points, 49-45. Christie beats New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for president 54%-36%.
