RSS Feed MenuNew Jersey Governor Chris Christie is emphatically swinging his budget axe, in so doing providing perhaps the earliest window into voters’ newfound respect for fiscal austerity.
The early results are encouraging. Proposing $820 million in cuts in state school aid, Governor Christie had urged voters to reject budgets at the ballot box in districts refusing to implement a wage freeze for teachers. “I just don’t see how citizens should want to support a budget where their teachers have not wanted to be part of the shared sacrifice,” Christie said at the time. New Jersey Education Association President Barbara Keshishian, whose union boasts a membership of 200,000, said then: “I guess that just says a lot about what the governor thinks about public education.” Last month though, 58% of such budgets went down in defeat.
Elected to lead the Garden State amidst economic stagnation and record job losses, Christie campaigned almost entirely on an economic platform, and is now fulfilling his campaign promises to return the state to fiscal discipline. Facing declining revenues despite increasingly oppressive tax rates, Christie wisely determined that the annual wage increase for teachers was a low priority in light of a projected $11 billion deficit for fiscal year 2011.
Given the referendum issued by New Jersey voters, Christie would appear to have successfully reframed the debate. Powerful labor unions may like to equate the interests of their members with the well-being of the average citizen, but Christie has couched the discussion in terms of the greater and longer term good: In a time of economic strain, the gain of some comes at the expense of the whole.
As the summer approaches, more concessions are being demanded throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, with budget elections being held in many of those school districts. Christie’s hard line in New Jersey has rendered him a darling of budget hawks, and the question is whether voters will share that affection. For all the politicians who have pledged to control government spending, there may be at least one who actually meant it.
TerryF98 // May 13, 2010 at 12:37 pm
If this is so popular why is Christie tanking in the polls. His promise to reduce property taxes in the run up to the election only to hike them as soon as he got power may be a reason.
I want to go to Vermont for vacation. Any suggestions on places to go? | The Big Vacation Site // May 13, 2010 at 12:44 pm
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MikeGSP // May 13, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Here’s a question. Where are the $820M in school aid “cuts” going? Are they going back to taxpayers in the form of income tax cuts (after all that funds state aid) or are they just going to pay for other Trenton programs? Hmm, last time I checked there were no income tax cuts. perhaps, that’s a hint.
Here’s another question. How does Christie’s budget compare to Corzine’s FY ‘10 budget when the property tax relief (state aid and property tax rebates) are added back in? Oh, that’s right. It’s $1B more than Corzine’s. Oops.
bamboozer // May 13, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Christie now enjoys a 31% approval rate, has his wife on the state payroll in a $100,000 “job” and has antagonized everyone he can get his hands on. Way to go , big boy! As the son of a teacher I can also say that budgets are routinely voted down as no one wants to pay more tax’s, to defeat 58% of these budgets is normal and no measure of success.
Slide // May 13, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Do you guys just make up this stuff?
Wingnut speak: NJ Voters Back Christie’s Budget Slash
Reality check:
TRENTON — Public opinion of Gov. Chris Christie has taken a dive in the aftermath of his first state budget, according to a poll released today.
The Rutgers-Eagleton poll found that Christie’s favorability rating sank 12 points since February, when 45 percent of residents had a favorable opinion of the governor and 26 percent unfavorable. Now that stands at 33 percent favorable and 37 percent unfavorable, according to the poll.
The survey did not measure Christie’s job approval ratings. Another poll, released by Fairleigh Dickinson University last week, found his job approval rating dropped 9 percentage points, to 43 percent, after he introduced his budget in March.
The governor’s $29.3 billion budget proposal makes wide-ranging cuts — including to property tax rebates and school, town and college aid — while resisting broad-based tax increases. The Rutgers-Eagleton poll said that 43 percent of those who had heard about the budget are very or somewhat pleased with it, while 50 percent are somewhat or very displeased.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/nj_gov_chris_chrstie_poll_numb.html
Slide // May 13, 2010 at 1:57 pm
NEW JERSEY (WABC) — New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been in office for just three months, and a new eyewitness news poll shows voters are not giving him any kind of a honeymoon as he presses for budget cuts.
Only 33% of New Jersey residents approve the job Christie is doing as governor.
Nearly twice the number, 63% disapprove.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/politics&id=7403264
mpolito // May 13, 2010 at 3:27 pm
His policies, particularly those designed to go after the corrupt and shameless NJ teacher’s union, are, in fact, popular. Take a look:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_state_surveys/new_jersey/65_in_new_jersey_favor_pay_freeze_for_teachers_school_employees
Someone has to stop these people from bankrupting the state, which is hemorrhaging population as we speak. Most blue states are losing population because people just get sick of the obsence taxes (just like in my state, CT).
Carney // May 13, 2010 at 3:58 pm
This is heartening. Can it be than even in a handout-addicted blue state, the people will back a serious retrenchment?
Slide // May 13, 2010 at 4:16 pm
you gotta love the way Rasmussen phrased this poll question:
Governor Christie’s proposed budget calls for approximately $820 million less in local school aid. To help make up this deficit in funding do you favor or oppose a one year pay freeze on administrators, teachers and school workers salaries?
So, the person taking the survey is told that there WILL be a cut of $820 million in school aid. The people being surveyed are not asked if they approve that $820M cut but rather are asked if they favor a one year pay freeze to make up that $820M. Well? Yeah. Better than closing down schools. Better than firing teachers. Better than shortening the school year.
Rasmussen is very savoy in writing poll questions to get responses that seemingly support Republican positions. It is why they are hired by the GOP.
Why didn’t they ask, “Do you support Gov Christie cutting $820M from NJ schools?” Won’t that have been the more relevant question?
TerryF98 // May 13, 2010 at 5:31 pm
“Carney // May 13, 2010 at 3:58 pm
This is heartening. Can it be than even in a handout-addicted blue state, the people will back a serious retrenchment?”
Only a deluded parrot could deduce a 33% approval rating as a vindication of a Governors policy.
MikeGSP // May 13, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I’m a conservative and I can tell you Christie’s budget stinks. It actually grows government. He is trying to balance the budget on the backs of the very people who elected him. His cuts to state aid are going to cause massive property tax hikes. When that happens, you can call him a one-termer — and deservedly so.
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Carney // May 14, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Slide, is this $820 million a real cut, or merely a “cut” consisting significantly or entirely of slowdowns in future growth, as most “draconian cuts”, “heartless slashing of essential services”, etc. usually turn out to be?
Also, equating reducing the state education budget with “cutting money from schools” is just as misleading as anything you object to. Do you doubt that overhead, administration, union activities, cushy staff salaries and benefits, lefty politics and PC fluff, constitute an enormous and rapidly growing part of any spending, and can be drastically cut without hitting textbooks, facilities, and the like?
Slide // May 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Careny, Don’t get your panties all in a knot. I’m not taking a position on the proposed cuts to NJ education. I don’t live in NJ and I don’t have a clue as to whether or not they are appropriate. My objection was with the very very misleading headline, “NJ Voters Back Christie’s Budget Slash”. That is just empirically false or at least unsupported by the evidence. The polling shows Christie sinking like a stone after unveiling his budget and the Rasmussen poll sited is faulty for the reasons I stated.
The truth matters. Facts are stubborn things.
easton // May 14, 2010 at 2:27 pm
To be honest, I wouldn’t have had a hard time criticizing his wage freeze if he went about it hat in hand and modestly. Believe it or not, teachers are patriots too. But if he thinks teaching in an inner city school in a place like Orange is easy, he is an idiot. His style is that of a thug. He lacks all of the dignity of Whitman or Kean who knew how to work across the aisle with Democrats and who both left office with high approval ratings. From wiki “Kean proved hugely popular in office. In striking contrast to his slim 1981 victory, he won re-election in 1985 with the largest margin of victory in the history of New Jersey gubernatorial races, defeating Peter Shapiro, then Essex County Executive, 71%-24%”
easton // May 14, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Slide, I think Christie probably is not tempermentally fit to be Governor, he better get an attitude adjustment quick or he is in deep trouble. I voted for Christie because Corzine was a jerk, and not effective (hell, he was at war with is own party in the Legislature), and Christie did come off as a fiscally Conservative yet reasonable guy, someone who would work with the Democrats. I guess the problem is he was US District Attorney where he was the boss, where he could be as hard driven as he wanted and for that attitude is what makes someone successful.
gmckee1985 // May 14, 2010 at 3:35 pm
When someone has the balls to actually cut the budget, it’s not going to be very popular in modern American where the statist entitlement attitude has taken hold, especially in a dying blue state like New Jersey. The model of constantly growing government and raising taxes does not work, as we’re seeing demonstracted throughout the world and in our own country. Evenutally people will wise up.
MikeGSP // May 14, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Unfortunately, he’s not cutting the budget.
Read this: http://www.taxpayerminute.com.php5-3.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/budget.pdf
Rabiner // May 15, 2010 at 8:08 pm
MikeGSP is right. So is Slide.
The budget isn’t becoming smaller and programs aren’t being restructured to reduce spending.
Rasmussen consistently asks questions in polls in a biased way to elicit the results that their client, the Republican Party, can then use to state that the public is with them.