Democrat Criticism of Governor Christie’s Apportionment Committee Visit is Just Plain Stupid

New Jersey Democrats (and their willing accomplices in the old media) are trying to spin Governor Christie’s weekend drop-in on the Legislative Apportionment Commission as something sinister. It’s part of Democrats’ ongoing and as-of-yet unsuccessful attempt to cast Chris Christie as an undemocratic bully.

Go fish, Wisniewski & Co.

Your latest argument against the Governor is stupid for two reasons…

 

  • Who says apportionment deliberation is an exclusively legislative function? Not the State Constitution.

Article IV of the New Jersey State Constitution concerns the state legislature, and Section III specifically addresses the legislative apportionment process (which, by the way, is not the same as the “redistricting process” concerning federal house districts; the media continually gets this wrong in its coverage). Paragraph 1 provides:

“…the senators and members of the General Assembly shall be apportioned among them, by an Apportionment Commission consisting of ten members, five to be appointed by the chairman of the State committee of each of the two political parties whose candidates for Governor receive the largest number of votes at the most recent gubernatorial election.”

Where is the Senate President mentioned? Or the Assembly Speaker? Loretta Weinberg? The ghost of Frank Farley?

They’re not.

Paragraph 2 continues:

“If the Apportionment Commission fails so to certify such establishment and apportionment to the Secretary of State on or before the date fixed or if prior thereto it determines that it will be unable so to do, it shall so certify to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and he shall appoint an eleventh member of the Commission. The Commission so constituted, by a majority of the whole number of its members, shall, within one month after the appointment of such eleventh member, certify to the Secretary of State the establishment of Senate and Assembly districts and the apportionment of senators and members of the General Assembly.”

Apportionment obviously concerns the Legislature, Save Jerseyans, but it also isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s more accurately described as a political process, and our state’s constitution clearly establishes roles for all three branches in addition to two political party chairs who aren’t popularly elected (at least not for that office). Furthermore, the public is supposed to have input in this process and I would think the Governor qualifies! That’s why we stage a long series of public meetings with professors, politicians, taxpayers, union reps and village idiots testifying before the committee uncensored and with virtually no moderation. We want a broad array of opinions on this all important process.

So why can’t the Governor show up and throw in his two cents? Why are the Dems so threatened? Intimidated? Maybe it’s because they’re tired of losing at this hand. Democrats are barking up the wrong tree unless someone can prove that Governor Christie tried to threaten the members!

  • And since when do Democrats care about government overreach? Laughable!

We live in the most-taxed state in the nation. Trenton oversees the most bloated and inefficient state government in the country. The State Supreme Court dictates school funding and one modern governor tried to tax toilet paper (Answer: Florio). Democrats have made it so you can’t pick a school or decide how to go to the bathroom without government interference. How can they make a credible argument that Governor Christie’s apportionment committee cameo is an overreach? Besides, as I’ve already alluded to: the Legislature needs to talk to the Supreme Court if it’s really concerned about the erosion of its authority – not Chris Christie.

Brian McGovern
About Brian McGovern 748 Articles
Brian McGovern wears many hats these days including Voorhees Township GOP Municipal Chairman, South Jersey attorney, and co-owner of the Republican campaign consulting firm Exit 3 Strategies, Inc.

1 Comment

  1. Great article. If you look at politicker's homepage it looks more like the cover of 'Star Magazine, NJ Edition',

    with articles that basically boil down to:

    'Mysterious governor exiting the hotel from a back stairwell'

    and

    'Rosenthal not impressed by Christie'.

    With all of that crap out on the interwebs for everyone to see this really cheered me up lol

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