Republican Gov. Chris Christie is basking in the national spotlight while actively campaigning for the job of VP on Romney’s ticket. In his absence from New Jersey our state is in dire economic decline and our governor does not appear to notice or care.
Christie is busy trying to paint the state's black economic picture white by spinning a tapestry of fiscal fantasy. But there is a point where realty becomes unavoidable and no amount of bombastic rhetoric will hide the dismal truth that New Jersey is in trouble as the result of Christie’s failed economic policies.
As Christie campaign’s across the nation, property taxes are eating up a larger share of family income in New Jersey. In fact, net property taxes are 20 percent higher under Christie than they were 2 years ago when he became governor. With property tax credits and rebates included the average New Jersey homeowner paid $7,519 in net property taxes last year, up from $6,244 in 2009 according to statistics released by the State Department of Community Affairs. A significant part of the problem is that New Jersey is the only state other than New Hampshire where local property taxes are higher than state income, sales and corporate taxes combined.
The March 2012 unemployment figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics add to New Jersey’s economic distress under Christie. New Jersey’s state unemployment rate is still at 9 percent, far higher than the national average of 8.3 percent. Our unemployment rate is even more dismal when compared to surrounding states, while we remain above 9 percent, Maryland’s unemployment rate is 6.6 percent, Delaware 6.9 percent, Connecticut 7.7 percent, Pennsylvania 7.5 percent, and Virginia at 5.6 percent; no wonder Christie is looking for a job in Washington, DC.
Our state’s high unemployment figure is directly related to the fact that New Jersey’s housing market continues to fall. According to the housing index from online marketplace LendingTree LLC, New Jersey’s housing market ranks near the bottom in the nation due not only to unemployment rate but also rate of foreclosure, home vacancies, loan to value ratio, and equity. In the LendingTree index, New Jersey was 47 out of 49 geographies in the nation, ahead of only Florida and Nevada.
New Jersey homeowners need to remove their blinders and see the economic crisis that has been the true result of Christie’s failed economic policies, as Truman said, “The buck stops here." And here for New Jersey is on Governor Christie’s lap.
Christie needs to worry less about his personal political future and more about the economic future of New Jersey families.
for ruffus I supported Steve Lonegan BUT you have to remember this is the peoples socialist republic of NJ do you really think Lonegan would have been able to get anything more done with a dem majority as stated above?
LOL LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bob is your typical biased partisan leftwing anti American/capitolist "reporter". So bob how many times a day do you light the candles at your oboma alter? Remember these LIEberal pinheads are still trying to rewrite history telling us carter was a great president & Reagan was bad.
Why is it Christies fault? these same LIEberals who always claim to be for the little guy & always claim that schools, police & other emeregncy service are essential aer teh 1st ones to cut these essential programs while keeping the political croanies & pork barrell projects alive? The real problem in many schools, state & local government is the number of adminsitrators! Many are "politically connected" croanies & out right idiots who if they worked in the "real world" would have been fired if not demoted. As for bob remember patch is owned & operated by far left zelot arianna huffington. you know leftist LIEberal who made millions with the huffington post & refused to pay her reporters & bloggers... again so much for the LIEberal being for the little guy
typical LIEberal when they cant argue facts its insult & play the race card
I get a kick out of him. Always avoiding, always dodging direct questions. Both parties stink, but you'll never see the truth or a non biased story from ol' Bob! In his mind, the far left fly on gossamer wings.
"A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid; it is only deferred, and we must come back and settle the account at last."
...
This comment made me laugh. Well, I am at my desk writing, so that part is correct, although it’s not hard to point out the hypocrisy and of far right today. Conservatism in America is no longer the political movement of sincere, thoughtful, leaders such as Ike Eisenhower, William F. Buckley Jr., or Ronald Reagan; instead it has become the shelter for neo-conservatives with pseudo knowledge of history that only goes back to 2008. I think a water shed moment for the demise of the conservative movement occurred when Sarah Palin could not name a single newspaper she consumed, maybe she said that because she didn’t know if the National Enquirer was a newspaper or a magazine. But then there is always Fox News? The way I see it the Huffington Post leans to the left, but Fox lies to the right. I can’t wait until tomorrow, because the conservative movement’s lack of common sense is the gift that keeps on giving to Progressives in America.
How do you figure New outlets have anything to do with what the commentators on this thread gain knowledge from? Whatcha working on now Bob? Give us all a clue so we can watch Fox News for our political learnin' so we can comment our ignorant thought to you.
Hey Bob, please can you answer a sincere question for me? Honestly too. What makes having the government have more control of our lives better for us than leaving our own lives to us?
The whole Progressive idea is more government compared to how I was raised to not trust government and less of it is better for me.
And slinging insults? How very generous of you. You may go back to your desk and fabricate more crap now.
Does anyone else understand my question? I bet many do.
As soon as the dems take over, Clinton or Obama, then every war is justified and all the secret agencies and intrusions on our personal lives and freedoms are somehow okay. Right BOB? ...