Forcing Governor Christie to resign? Lesniak and Weinberg’s beef is merely one of time, space

Governor Chris Christie speaks before President Barack Obama on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, N.J. on Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Two of Chris Christie‘s chief antagonists – Senators Ray Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg – have hatched a new plan to trip up the campaigning Republican governor, Save Jerseyans: legislation to force him to resign.

Okay: whatever merits the bill might have are hardly worth discussing. It’d never be signed, and they’d never find the votes for an override vote. This is more carnival-level politics (remember: Loretta tried to ban his interstate, a First Amendment right, back in 2011 long before any presidential politicking was formally underway). Because we don’t have anything more pressing to worry about, right?

Let’s take a moment to ponder another facet of this latest inside baseball pissing contest; specifically, the fact that Governor Christie, love him or loathe him, has accomplished more by barely being here than Lesniak, Weinberg and all their kooky friends have managed over the course of decades. He’s held the line in some areas (the “Christie Pause“) and gotten a few reforms, albeit statutory and therefore temporary, past a legislature controlled by the other party (e.g. the property tax cap, early pension reforms). If anything, it’s the Democrats who should be embarrassed. He did 1000x more good than they have in a fraction of the time.

President Christie at the podium
Gov. Christie during President Obama’s 2013 visit to Asbury Park.

New Jersey’s legislature meets much more frequently than most states experiencing relatively robust economic growth at the moment. There’s definitely a correlation to be found there. When it comes to legislating, quantity most certainly is not preferable to quality. Were that not the case, then the pension system and our state’s fiscal condition wouldn’t have already been on life support before Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine in 2009. Every governor since Tom Kean Sr. has sucked. Big time. And their legislatures were similarly sucky.

Lord knows I have my problems with this Governor, but those who now complain the loudest about Governor Christie’s absences have, humorously enough, been around screwing things up the longest. Weinberg has been in Trenton since 1992. Lesniak? Who’s so tough he blocked Save Jersey on Twitter for calling him out? Since 1978. Six years before your Blogger-in-Chief was born.

In just the eight years before Chris Christie took office in January 2010, these Democrats voted to raise taxes 115 times despite the fact that EVERY reliable piece of data tells us that higher taxes depress long-term revenues by (1) discouraging economic activity and (2) encouraging out-of-state relocations.

THESE are the people who broke the pension system, folks. And everything else, for that matter. And all of their contradictory “solutions” are geared towards winning the next election, not stopping the bleeding to save the patient.

Now they’ve got the balls to claim Chris Christie’s time in New Hampshire is the proximate cause of that which ails us? Seriously?

Judging by the historical record, Save Jerseyans, New Jersey taxpayers’ best bet would be legislation requiring Weinberg, Lesniak and their ilk to spend more time in New Hampshire. We’re safer when they’re somewhere else.

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Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8404 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

23 Comments

  1. They only want him out because he stsnds in their way of raising the income tax, reinstating the so-called millionaires tax, business taxes and of course the fantastic gasoline tax.

    They have been going through withdrawal not being able to raise taxes while Christie has been governor. I have even seen them have the shakes and their mouth watering while giving speeches about the need to raise taxes. They need their fix and bad and the only thing standing in their way is Christie.

  2. I am not a basher. However as someone who worked for 8 Governors directly, I do not see how he can govern the State and run for President. Their schedule as Governor is so very full, he could not possibly do the job he was elected to do in New Jersey at the same time he is running for President.

  3. This from the party of #DirtyDemocrats who had no problem with #StephenSweeney simultaneously;

    *Holding the office of Gloucester County Freeholder
    (and)
    *Holding the office of New Jersey State Senator
    (all while)
    *Holding a Six-Figure job as a “Consultant” for the Iron Worker’s Union.

    How does he sleep ?! #ConflictOfInterest
    #LiberalHypocrisy

  4. Good article, and yes I agree. On another note, maybe if Christie would stop bashing other republicans, maybe he would get taken more seriously. . He is angering many Republicans of whose vote he is seeking. Conservatives, especially, want a piece of him, therefore if an article smells of giving him the benefit of the doubt, it gets hammered. Conservatives truly despise this man and everything he stands for. Nothing angers them more than a big government Progressive Republican pretending to be Conservative just to get elected. They are despised more than Liberal Democrats like Bernie Sanders, who is at least honest about what he stands for. I for one would love to see him resign because the man can not be trusted. He, as well as democrats, have made it almost impossible to stay in this state.

  5. I am from South Jersey, an area unknown to Gov. Christie and his double-dipping Porkbarrel Posse. Anywhere south of Trenton is nonexistent in the Christie Kingdom, with one exception–follow the chubby lil’ leprechaun down the Parkway rainbow to the Pot O’Gold; otherwise known as Atlantic City.

    To most of us, if we don’t work, we don’t get paid.
    However, in the Christie Kingdom, if you are The King, not only do you get away with not reporting to work, but you get paid your entire salary and you get percs too!
    Imagine getting $82K just for munchies at sporting events.
    Imagine millions of dollars for bodyguards, travel expenses and anything your heart desires!
    Want to go to your son’s JV baseball game? To heck with the car–just hop on a helicopter and fly on in, at the cost of $13K a game.
    What is a balanced budget?? The sky’s the limit!!
    The best part is that the stupid taxpayers get the AmEx bill every month!
    Then there are petty things, like minding your manners. Everyone else in a civilized society does it. If you are King Christie, you can do what you want. Feel free to tell people to sit down and shut up, whenever the spirit moves you (or when a bulldozer moves you).
    Throw those taxpayers out of the building if they dare to ask you a question you do not care to answer.
    So what if they pay your salary? The poor suckers that hand over 1/3 of their salary every pay day are lucky they are allowed to inhale the gas you’ve exhaled. After all, YOU ARE KING CHRISTIE!
    King Christie can bellow at people just because he feels like it, and wag his finger at those who elected him as if he were scolding an errant pet.
    HRH can refuse to explain where the money he spends like a one-armed sailor on shore leave actually is going, and refuse to pay his fair share of tax dollars. This, as he squanders tax dollars collected from those taxpayer folks, like a bride planning a first wedding.
    Some of us working stiffs have served our state for decades, and saved our money for the eventuality that we will retire. We are known as UNION workers. We work our behinds off making NJ the place it is. Are we really supposed to roll over like loyal little doggies and hand over our nest eggs; just so HRH can “live his dream” of being POTUS??
    HRH feels entitled to shove his cloven hooves into our hard-earned Pension funds to fatten the purses of those who will carry him on his guilded chair/throne so his little hooves don’t touch the ground as he makes his way to the gatherings of his Chosen Few. These persons, also known as THE 1%, grovel and fight over who will be filling his pockets first, and giving the most–in exchange for getting to kiss his ring and doing his dirty work.
    The “bodyguards” who keep HRH safe? They get their own extra special “dip” into the nest eggs of the workers; the ones who live only to serve. “Double Dippers”= the Porkbarrel Posse, the Chosen ones. If you are EXTRA SPECIAL, you get an extra “dip” at the trough. Super-favorites are “TRIPLE-dippers”. On top of stealing from the working class, they too get to use an AmEx without any limits. They can even splurge for the wife and the kiddies! Who would DARE question?

    Folks, back to Earth. I am so sick of Chris Christie that I could scream. This man is not only a thief; but he is cruel, despicable, ill-mannered and slimy. He needs to let go of this Governor position if he wants to be POTUS.
    The people have spoken.
    Finally, he needs to be legally investigated and prosecuted for misuse of funds that he is NOT ENTITLED TO. He needs to return the money he has misappropriated. If he and his PP do not man up, they should go to a real prison–NOT a “country club”– and work until they pay up their debts.
    There needs to be ONE SET OF LAWS for every citizen of NJ, with no exception. Christie needs to get over himself.

  6. Hasnt been as good as made out.Hia absence in any other job would not have been tolorated or paid for. Agian our only choice comes at election time and he made me change parties that iv supported for some fourty years!

  7. Absolutely not support that they are nuts ! He can multi task at home or by car . Loretta Weinberg and RAy lestiac.They should apologize to Governor Christie for their witch hunt on Bridgegate . They are Haters of conservatives trying to fix Nj . These people are to blame for so much problems in New Jersey economy for their refusal on reform and working with Corslime!

  8. .The reason your taxes went up is do to the exceptions on the 2 % cap which democrat forced him to do on the firsts reform like debt from new schools and storms increases and their Healthcare increases for the school teachers and the freebie retiree healthcare . The dems wanted 16 cap exceptions- Christie needed the reform he mistakingly agreed to four. I thought that was crazy but he needed to deal with democratic legislature strong hold like Sheila Oliver and Sweeney now Prieto stubborn union thugs and reform with these exceptions , it just wasn’t enough !. It was a bad idea from the start to allow these exceptions. Like we should pay for their increases ? Who else gets that ? I can only imagine how much higher property taxes would be without the 2 % cap ! Or if Corzine was in office now ! His first year he gave a 14 % raise along with cola) to teachers this made our taxes go up and damaged our economic future since then !!! The boat was already full and Corzine just tipped it over were hanging out on life vests and those 65 % rescued left the sea ( or left New Jersey ! ; (

    Does Christie want votes ? Lower our sky high Nj property taxes by executive order change school property taxes !!

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