Governor Christie meeting with business owners at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, April 18, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher
After meeting with business owners in Long Branch yesterday, Governor Chris Christie told the press that the businesses’ biggest frustration is the amount of phone calls they get asking if they are open. “They’re happy that at least the phone is ringing,” said Christie, emphasizing that the perception that the Shore is not open has to be impacted.
Christie said that there would be a multi-media ad campaign launch by the Economic Development Authority next month to promote Jersey Shore Tourism. It has not been determined if Christie will appear in the aid. “I haven’t been asked. If I’m asked and I think it is appropriate I will consider it,” the governor said in response to a reporter who asked if he would appear in the state funded ad during the gubernatorial campaign season.
The governor said that EDA would be announcing a working capital grant program for businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy in May and that the Department of Community Affairs will be administering a grant program for homeowners who can apply for up to $150,000 in federal money, over and above what they have already received from FEMA and their insurance companies to rebuild their homes.
Good afternoon, Lt. Governor Guadagno, Senate President Sweeney, Speaker Oliver, and all the members of the Legislature. I take my constitutional powers and responsibilities seriously, as I know you do. When there are pressing matters that I believe must be addressed, it is my responsibility to call our Legislature into special session.
Giving the certainty of tax relief to our citizens and making our state more competitive with our neighbors in job creation—today—will allow us to put more New Jerseyans back to work this summer. What could be more important for us to do today?
I know it’s been a long year and I know over the last few weeks each of you have been working hard to bring this legislative session to a successful conclusion. We did many great things together. But there is one greater thing left to do—lock in tax relief today that will help to create new jobs tomorrow.
Governor Chris Christie has taken to the town hall stump declaring that the Corzine Democrats are back.
“In the last couple weeks, we’ve seen an ugly type of Democrat start to rear its head again,” Christie said during a town hall last week. “I think you thought you had slayed this type of Democrat in 2009 — that you had taken the wooden stake and out it through this type of democrats heart. But I am here to tell you today that I fear this type of Democrat has returned to the state legislature. You know what kind of Democrat I’m talking about: A Corzine Democrat.”
The governor will likely expand on the Corzine Democrats theme at his town hall meeting in Brick this afternoon, as he did last evening in his statement about the budget passed by the Democratic State Legislature yesterday:
“With today’s budget, Corzine Democrats reversed course and sent a loud and clear signal that they want to go back to the eight years prior to my administration when taxes and fees were raised every 25 days. After two years without raising taxes, the only way to feed the Corzine Democrats’ obsession is to hold tax relief hostage. I will not allow New Jersey to go back to the same failed policies that nearly put our state over a fiscal cliff. Tax relief for our hardworking families is long overdue and that is exactly what I will continue fighting for.”
But the budget the Democrats passed doesn’t raise taxes once every 25 days. It doesn’t raise taxes any day. It also doesn’t reduce income taxes as Christie’s budget proposed. Nor does it reduce property taxes as the proposal that Senate President Steve Sweeney reneged on would have done.
The budget that the Democrats passed spends $400 million less than the budget Christie proposed.
Christie’s budget would have increased spending 8% with a phased in 10% income tax reduction. It relies heavily on one shot gimmicks and increased borrowing. Christie’s revenue projections, which the Democrats have acceptted, are based upon extremely optimistic assumptions that seem to have little grounding in reality. New Jersey’s economy would have to suddenly start growing faster than the rest of the country in order for Christie’s revenue projections to come close. That sounds a lot like the fiscal cliff that the Whitman/DiFranceso/Bennett Republicans drove New Jersey over in the 1990’s until New Jersey voters kicked them out of power in 2003.
59% of New Jersey voters approve of the job that Governor Chris Christie is doing, according to a Quinnipiac Poll released this morning. 36% disapprove.
Republicans approve of the governor’s performance by 92%-6%. Independents approve by 64%-32%. Democrats disapprove by 64%-30%.
Women give Christie positive marks at a rate of 52%-42%. Yet the gender gap remains. Men approve of Christie’s performance by a measure of 67%-30%.
New Jersey’s traditionally Democratic urban areas are evenly split in their assessment of the governor’s job performance. Christie scored 48%-48% in the cities. “Philly Land” approves by 55%-38%, suburan areas approve by 60%-36%, ex-urban by 67%-29% and the shore by 65%-31%.
Tax decreases are popular in New Jersey.
Voters approve of the way Christie is handling the state budget by 58%-35% and approve of his proposed 10% across the board income tax cut by 54%- 32%. Voter also like Senate President Sweeney’s 10% property tax cut for residents earning less than $250,000 per year by 57%-24%. If we have to choose, we prefer Sweeney’s plan by 49%-38%.
Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,607 registered voters between April 3-9. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.4 %.
