Perhaps lost in the news of the S & P down grade of United States Treasury debt is the local news that the Port Authority of NY/NJ is calling for a massive toll and fare increases to fund capital projects. Tolls on Hudson River crossings would increase from $8 to $12 and fares on the PATH trains would increase from $1.75 to $2.75.
Governors Christie and Cuomo issued a joint statement that signals that toll increases are coming, but at lower rate than proposed by the Port Authority Board. We’ve seen this dance before. Port Authority proposes a huge increase and the politicians scale it back.
Mark Magyar has a comprehensive article at NJSpotLight highlighting the “need” for the $1 billion revenue increase that Port Authority is requesting.
Governors Christie and Cuomo have established themselves as credible reformers in reducing the size of state government. The proposal is another opportunity for them to improve government services and implement lasting reforms in the process.
Christie should use this opportunity to reform a major cost driver on public capital projects; “prevailing wage.”
“Prevailing wage” requires wages paid to employees of contractors working on government projects in New Jersey to be paid at a “union rate” determined by the unions and the Department of Labor, even if the winning bidders of the contractors are not union shops.
Eliminating the “prevailing wage” clause in government contracts would save taxpayers billions of dollars on construction projects. There is a huge over supply of labor available. Wages on government contracts should be set my market forces, not by unions who are making political contributions.
The savings associated with eliminating this practice would go well beyond the Port Authority projects. It would extend to DOT projects and county and municipal projects. The saving to toll payers, fare payers and property tax payers would be substantial.
Another area for savings is the largess of salaries paid to the political patrons who run the Port Authority. Just as Christie has mandates that school superintendents shall not earn more than the Governor, employees of the Port Authority should not earn more than the governors of New York and New Jersey.
Trenton, NJ – New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today released the following statement regarding the Port Authority’s proposed toll hike plan:”The Port Authority has informed us of its proposal to dramatically increase tolls on its tunnels and bridges and fares on the PATH.
While we understand the Port Authority leadership’s concerns about a potential downgrade to its bond rating if toll increases are not instituted, our primary concern with this proposal is its impact on our respective states’ residents and commercial users of the crossings.
A downgrade of the Port Authority’s bond rating does indeed pose a potentially disastrous result on a transportation network that millions of residents of the states of New Jersey and New York rely on and would be unacceptable.
We will review the proposal with that in mind but have obvious and significant concerns. The Port Authority is facing financial issues but so are families in the states of New York and New Jersey, and the answer cannot always be an indiscriminate and exorbitant increase in the cost to the taxpayer, or in this case, toll payer. As families must carefully and effectively manage their finances at this difficult time, so must government.
It is our joint intention to cooperatively address this issue without regard for partisanship or parochialism, as was the intention and spirit of the creation of the Port Authority as a regional entity in 1921.”
Since Governor Christie took office, The Star Ledger’s Editorial Page Editor Tom Moran has been constantly critical of Christie’s style. It was Moran’s question about the Governor’s “confrontational tone” at a May 2010 press conference that lead to a “honest and refreshing” Christie becoming a YouTube phenomena and now a national media star.
Governor Chris Christie walked himself into the Somerset Medical Center’s Emergency Room, had a normal chest s-ray and blood work, and is expected to be released by the end of the day, according to Politickernj.
Christie’s blood pressure is 118/78. He’s alert, in charge and working on the phone.
Posted: July 28th, 2011 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:Chris Christie | Tags:Chris Christie | Comments Off on Christie is fine. Expected to be released from Somerset Medicals by days end
“The Governor is extremely grateful for the quality of care he is receiving this morning and has nothing but praise for the world-class doctors, nurses and staff,” his office said.
The newspaper formerly known as The Asbury Park Press (their print edition masthead now reads “THE PRESS”) has irrefutably revealed itself as a far left extremist publication. In an editorial published on their website last evening, Obama caving in to GOP demands, the Neptune Nudniks have moved on to the left of the New York Times, the old Huffington Post, Daily Kos and Middletown Mike.
The Press called the President “weak,” “hardly a leader,” and said his speech Monday night was “too little, too late.” They said his speech “was not tough so much as it was petulance.” As Dan Jacobson would say, hilarious, though hysterical would be more accurate.
“Left wing extreme, Art?” you might say, “that sounds like right wing rhetoric I might read on MoreMonmouthMusings.” You’d be correct, except the nudniks are complaining that Obama “has alienated his base, gone back on what he held as rock-solid principles,” while drawing a “line in the sand” that is inside the Republican Tea Party right’s tent. APP is now short for apparatchik.
The Press did get one important thing right in their rantitorial. They correctly identified Obama’s reelection concerns and the only issue that is holding up a deal that would raise the debt ceiling, reduce the deficit and prevent a default. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, also not left enough for the apparatchiks, and Speaker John Boehner have already agreed on a plan that would raise the debt ceiling, reduce spending and not raise taxes. Obama killed the deal because it only lasted for a year. He doesn’t want to go through this again next summer only a few months before the Presidential election.
If Obama thought his economic policies and philosphy were popular with the American people, he would welcome having such a debate next year. Instead, he’s willing to put the full faith and credit of the United States of America at risk rather than debate “redistribution of wealth” and massive government expansion months before the American people decide whether or not to give him another four years.
It is no accident that most of ObamaCare kicks in after the election. This is more of the same. Obama wants his lease on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave renewed before the American people realize what he has done to them.
The “Tea Party Republican” members of congress are controlling the debt ceiling debate because Obama is letting them control the debate. If Reid and Obama agreed to Boehner’s proposal, Nancy Pelosi would deliver enough Democratic votes in the House to pass Boehner’s plan with moderate Republican support, thereby neutralizing the “Tea Party” Republicans who are uncompromising.
Obama would have to take a page out of Chris Christie’s book in order to make a deal like that. And Christie says he’s not ready to be President.
Governor Chris Christie takes his “I’m not running for president” tour to Iowa today to speak at an education summit and to headline a fundraiser for Congressman Steve King.
The education summit will also feature Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Iowa U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. In addition to the speakers, the 1500 attendees of the conference organized by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will listen to panel discussions on recruiting top talent to be teachers, how states can have meaningful education reform and a look at other educational systems around the world.
King will seek reelection in a newly formed Iowa district that includes approximately half of his current district. Like New Jersey, Iowa lost a congressional seat in the 2010. Former Iowa First Lady Christine Vilsack is expected to be King’s Democratic opponent in 2012. Vilsack’s husband is U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Sweeney's childishness manifest with an outbreak of acne. Photo credit APP.com
Three weeks after his profanity laced rant over Governor Chris Christie’s budget cuts, during which he threatened violence towards the Governor, Senate President Steve Sweeney says he’s still too angry to engage in the State’s business and “jokingly” says he hasn’t talked to Christie yet because there might not be enough troopers available to police the eventual face to face they’ll have.
Christie has proposed legislation that would reverse the cuts to “transitional aid” for New Jersey’s distressed urban areas. Sweeny said “people will die” as a result of those cuts, yet he has taken no action on the reversal Christie proposed.
As a State employee, Sweeney has first class health insurance. He should use it and get some anger management treatment.
Sweeney told NJPM that shared services and education reform are next up on the Statehouse agenda, but not before he gets over his issues.
Sweeney also said he’s suspicious of Christie’s budget. He thinks Christie designed a budget that will get New Jersey’s fiscal house in order so that he can lower taxes in the next budget. In other words, Sweeney suspects Christie of working to keep his campaign promises.
