By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
While Governor Christie continues to spend an ever-increasing amount of time out-of-state, Save Jerseyans (he’s in Idaho today), Lieutant Governor Kim Guadagno is relishing her role as not-so-just-acting governor.
The latest: on Wednesday, she rolled out the report of the Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force that she chaired.
You can view the full report here.
Recommendations include expanding educational opportunities for members of the military and improving long-term planning coordination between all levels of government impacting the region.
“The State must take all reasonable steps to fortify our military bases, and it must take them now,” Guadagno concluded in a statement accompanying the report’s release. “New Jersey must demonstrate with a unified voice that it is military friendly and that the retention of missions not only makes strategic sense, but also makes economic sense,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue or a red or blue issue. It’s a red, white and blue issue on which we all can agree. Only together can we protect the military bases that provide so much to our communities.”
Rep. Tom MacArthur (R, NJ-03), whose district is home to the sprawling Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, was quick to praise the LG’s efforts.
“I applaud Lt. Governor Guadagno and the Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force for submitting their recommendations to ensure the strength of New Jersey’s military installations,” said MacArthur in a statement. “This is precisely the kind of strategic thinking that is necessary to help protect Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst from a future BRAC. One of my top priorities in Congress has been working with Members of both parties to preserve and grow Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. I was particularly proud of bipartisan efforts in the House to prevent another round of base closures this year and protecting the KC-10 from early retirement. The Task Force rightly points out that a long term, coordinated, strategic effort at the federal, state, and local level is necessary to fortify our military installations. I look forward to providing necessary support at the federal level, because the Joint Base is too important to the economy of South Jersey and the defense of our nation to leave to chance.”
New Jersey-based military installations and activities account for 73,000 total jobs (including direct and indirect employment), contributing $6.5 billion to the state’s $560 billion GDP. Consequently, anything involving the perennially-endangered joint base or veterans issues generally is politically-potent in South and Central Jersey (read: MacArthur’s “CD3“).
Having been given the opportunity to take over as the Administration’s public face in Chris Christie’s absence and recently cleared of Bridgegate-related wrongdoing, there’s every indication that Lt. Governor Guadagno is taking a hard look at 2017. Photos of politicians surrounded by impressive-looking military brass don’t hurt in the optics department!
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Damn straight! We need visible and solid leadership.
When is this absentee landlord of a Governor going to resign?