Governor Chris Christie Hospitalized

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the man that many national polls show Republicans wish could be their presidential nominee was rushed to Somerset Medical Center by his security detail early on Thursday. While in route to a bill signing ceremony regarding open space legislation, the Governor experienced difficulty breathing. Early reports indicated that the detour to the hospital was simply an intentional “abundance of caution”.

Early reports from Governor Christie’s spokesman Michael Drewniak suggest that all indications are that “the governor will be OK.” Christie’s deputy chief of staff, Maria Comella, told The Associated Press that the Governor is “fine and in charge.”

Meanwhile Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno is reportedly in his office and Christie’s wife, Mary Pat, is at her husbands side in the hospital . So far everything on Christie’s schedule for Thursday has been cancelled. This includes his monthly appearance on NJ 101.5 for the “Ask the Governor Show”

Christie, who is 48, overweight, and suffers from asthma for which he uses an inhaler, is said to be undergoing a breathing examination, along with an EKG to rule out heart problems, as well as blood tests and chest X-rays to look for pneumonia or other infections. There is no word yet on any changes to his Friday schedule.

The Governor, who has been in office for only 18 months, has taken Republican circles by storm with his frank talk and bold leadership on spending cuts, entitlement reforms, and an unusually courageous approach to unions which have historically run the show in New Jersey. While Christie has repeatedly declared that he is not ready to run for the White House, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney recently went public with his desire to seriously consider Christie as a running mate in 2012.

As for the rest of the Republican presidential field, there has not yet been any reaction to the news of the Governor’s hospitalization, but Texas Governor Rick Perry, a potential candidate for President did offer the following tweet in his Twitter feed:

“Our prayers are with Governor Christie.”

Reckless Debt Accumulation & Misleading Environmental Policy: Vote No On Ballot Question #1

    On November 3^rd, those voters in New Jersey who realize that there is an election is going on will be deciding who their assemblymen and state senators will be. They will also be choosing who the Governor of the state for the next four years will be. The choices for governor are dismal. Essentially it is a decision between bad, really bad and not as bad as the other two. Three weeks before the election and it looks like the candidate not as bad as the other two is Chris Daggett. But no matter who it winds up being, New Jerseyans are screwed. None of the candidates have a clear plan for placing the state on a path to prosperity and none of them bring new innovative approaches and solutions to old, debilitating issues and problems.

The person in charge for the next four years is not likely to lower the costs of living in New Jersey anything else, including the mounting debt that we are accumulating. That is why it is important for us New Jersey voters to look out for ourselves and to vote correctly on a little known ballot question that will be before us on Election Day. It is Ballot Question Number One, the “Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009.”

The language used in it is not short and snappy. At length, it broadly explains that if passed, the measure will increase the state debt by $400 million through bonds. With this borrowed money, New Jersey bureaucrats will determine how to protect state waters, what lands to preserve and how to attain and create land for recreation use. The increased debt spending is also suppose to be used for bureaucrats to purchase land for agricultural and horticultural preservation and to purchase property that has been damaged by storms and floods for state conservation or recreational purposes. Lastly , question number one is intended to  provide money for preservation projects and to pay off the interest on the debt it all creates.

Now the green lobby would have you take that all as necessities crucial to clean drinking water, keeping farms up and running, preserving a clean environment, saving wildlife and insuring that New Jersey does not lose all of it’s natural beauty and bounty.

As positive and noble as that sounds, what you must remember here is that many of those who are promoting question number one in such a positive way, are also making money from the passage of question number one. You must also remember that it is the state government which makes the determinations that determine which, how, and why lands are to be used with this bond debt program. You have to understand that there is a translation problem between English and government talk. This is the same government that defined the property that former State Senator Ellen Karcher owned as “farmland” because she sold three tress that grew on her property as Christmas trees . That “farmland” designation entitled her to special tax breaks and other benefits.

Do you really think that the state and state bureaucrats will not stretch and abuse the meaning of such terms as “preservation”, “storm damage”, and “conservation”?

You must also understand that the most dangerous aspect of any legislation or proposition is what is not mentioned in it. In this case what is not mentioned are the countless other entities that will be profiting from the increased debt that question number one would have us  approve.   Attorneys, consultants, developers, accountants, soil analysts, surveyors, resource management advisors and others involved in the lucrative field of conservation and New Jersey political patronage will all be sharing in the $400 million of debt we are being asked to approve.

What is also not mentioned in the ballot question is that through the advice, consent and determination of all those people and Trenton’s bureaucratic legislature, many projects financed by the debt will include the creation of parking lots, bathrooms, Astroturf covered ball fields, and even the purchase of condemned inner city buildings. To one degree or another all of these projects could be considered some kind of “open space”, but is it really the type of open space that we thought they meant? And who will benefit from such projects? The developers hired to pave the way for parking lots, roll the asphalt, paint the parking space lines and ultimately charge people to park there, will be the beneficiaries, that’s who.

Let’s face it, who doesn’t like mountains or lakes? Who doesn’t like clean water or a nice park to run in or picnic in? The answer to those rhetorical questions need not be answered. We all appreciate a sound environment and as such, responsible local action should be in order. Local municipal and county governments should choose wisely how to use their land and how to preserve and protect it. Does anyone think that Governor Corzine, who, in all likelihood has never even been to a town like New Jersey’s Sunberry Village in Pemberton township,  know what the people of the village need as far as land use better than the people of Sunberry Village do?

Does anyone assume for one single minute that state government will spend money that they don’t even have, responsibly?

On November 3^rd, things will be bad enough. We will be stuck with a state legislature that is deaf to our needs, local officials dumb enough to believe them, and one of the three blind mice governing us. So unless all of your senses are dead, don’t go out of your way to make things any worse than they already are or will be. Don’t help finance a bureaucratic boondoggle that will help fund corruption, patronage and false promises.

Vote “NO” on ballot question number one “Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009”

To familiarize yourself with the ballot question below is the exact language that will appear on the ballot. Read it. Understand it. And REJECT IT!!!

• Shall the “Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009,” which authorizes the State to issue bonds in the amount of $400 million to provide moneys for (1) the acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including lands that protect water supplies, (2) the preservation of farmland for agricultural or horticultural use and production, (3) the acquisition, for recreation and conservation purposes, of properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage, and (4) funding historic preservation projects; and providing the ways and means to pay the interest on the debt and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof, with full public disclosure of all spending, be approved?

Jersey’s Largest Paper Pokes Dems & Reps Right In Their Eyes and Endorses Chris Daggett for Governor

    The Star-Ledger is one of New Jersey’s largest newspapers. It mainly serves Northern and Central New Jersey, where the largest portions of the state’s population exists. Like most newspapers, they are struggling for readers. With 24 hour news outfits on radio and television and the internet, they are hardly do or die sources of the most up to date news anymore. But the Star Ledger just did something that transformed it from being an outlet that delivers the news, to an outfit that is the news.

In a surprise move, The Star-Ledger has come out and endorsed Chris Daggett for Governor of New Jersey.

Under funded and underexposed, Chris Daggett has been running as an independent candidate. His campaign has been as well run as any effort of its size could be. He does not have party powerbrokers wheeling and dealing for him, he has no union bosses intimidating their members into canvassing communities for him and he has no major corporations, lobbyists or political party throwing oodles of dollars into his campaign. Given that and the fact that it is uniquely difficult to become known statewide in New Jersey, Chris Daggett has been doing remarkably well for himself. His polling numbers haven’t hit 20% yet but they are still higher than 10%. Not bad for a candidate who, in a matter of months, has come from relative obscurity to prominent player.

Daggett’s plight would not normally garner much attention and to be honest, he’s nothing special. He is not a particularly unique or great leader. But with less than four weeks till Election Day what just happened makes Daggett and his candidacy newsworthy and a powerful force to reckon with. The Star-Ledger’s endorsement of Chris Daggett creates a partnership of sorts  between a struggling newspaper and a struggling candidate and together, they have just poked their fingers into the eyes of the political establishment.

In plain English, the Star-Ledger came out and endorsed Daggett, not because he is uniquely qualified or even the most qualified person for the job. They did so because Democrat Governor Corzine and Republican candidate for Governor, Chris Christie have proven themselves to not be up to the job and because, as they put it, both Democrats and Republicans:

 “have forfeited any claim to the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey. They share responsibility for the state’s current plight.”

As a Republican, I have to agree with that assessment too.

As a Republican there are few  incumbent G.O.P. legislators in New Jersey who adhere to the conservative principles that make me a Republican and  translate them into the practical application of our government and its policies. I won’t corner myself by claiming that there aren’t any good New JerseyRrepublicans.  There are a few stands out who are exceptions to that opinion.  A  handful of worthy, conservative Republicansdo exist.   In the state Assembly there’s  Jay Webber, Michael Carroll, and Michael Doherty . In the State Senate, while not exactly being the most conservative, Bill Baroni and Jennifer Beck are still quite promising figures. In Congress, Rep. Scott Garrett is a true and outstanding voice for traditional Republican policy and values. So there are exceptions but since none of them are running for Governor, and since the majority of New Jersey Republicans fall far short from those I mentioned, my opinion of the Jersey G.O.P. remains negative.

Chris Christie and the events leading up to his candidacy only enhanced that view. Before Christie even announced that he would run for Governor, rank and file Republicans came out and endorsed him in unprecedented numbers . Establishment New Jersey Republicans always manage to get behind a lousy losers either because they have name ID or money. To hell with what they believe in or how good the candidates in question are.   Republican leaders in New Jersey give away the nomination to anyone with good  name recognition or lots of money.   In 2008 they got behind Rudy Giuliani like teenagers waiting in line to buy the hottest new single by Madonna.   This year they did it again , but with Chris Christie for Governor instead of Rudy giuliani for President.  Christie never earned the nomination by proving himself or presenting solid plans for the state’s future.  The status quo, establishment  just said, “Here.  The nomination is yours”.  

 And so what did they get?

They got a man who had a reputation as great crime busting federal prosecutor but failed to demonstrate how that reputation will translate into being a good governor.  Aside from saying that he will do things differently than Jon Corzine, Christie has wasted valuable time not telling us what he would do differently nor has he given a detailed answer to any question or presented a solid plan for New Jersey. This has not helped to instill any confidence in him among the voters.

With little to say, his campaign has not had much to go on and it shows because his campaign has been a poorly run effort that has dropped the ball on many issues. It is also why his once double digit lead over Jon Corzine has evaporated.

As for Jon Corzine, his record speaks for itself. As Governor he has presided over nothing less than a mess. As a leader, he has failed to control any circumstances or conditions. He has consistently been a victim of circumstance who has constantly been shaped by events and unable to shape events. On this, the Star-Ledger writes;

 “Corzine is the chaplain on a pirate ship, not really its captain.”

Here again, I agree with the Star-Ledger.

None of this is new for New Jersey Republicans and Democrats. Recent history shows that Jersey Republicans have only come into the power of majority status whenever Democrats fail and screw everything up. They never win based on any credit of their own. As for New Jersey Democrats, they too only regain majority status after Republicans screw up. The Star-Ledger puts it this way:

“For too long, the cliche about New Jersey’s two great parties has seemed all too true — that Democrats are corrupt, Republicans incompetent. Nothing will cause them to change their ways for the better except repudiation at the polls Nov. 3.”

They may just be right about that too. However I do not believe that Republicans are inherently incompetent. When true conservative principles are translated into the practical application of government, those policies work. From fighting crime to combating unemployment and taxes, innovative conservative thinking based on less government and more freedom do work. The problem is that New Jersey Republicans never see their ideological train of thought completely through . If they did, perhaps the success of such right of center policies could be seen. But we will not find that out anytime soon because Christie is not a conservative. He’s a Democrat-lite candidate and not even a very good one at that.

I have tried to give Chris Christie a chance each and every day, and each and every day he disappoints me. With a little more than 3 weeks to go, I still will give him a chance. Perhaps he will release a well thought out plan that shows he means business. One that allows us to take him serious and offers hope for turning things around in the state.

I really do not want Jon Corzine to be reelected. His shallow, Obama-based campaign and grossly incompetent management of the state make him the last person to vote for.  However, unless Christie proves to me that he can and will govern based on the principles that make me a Republican, than I do not want a Democrat-lite like him to win either. That will only encourage the establishment Republicans and to continue watering down our principles.

That explains why, although I do not want to, I may very well for Chris Daggett.

Jersey Republicans need to wake up. Perhaps losing a race that they once had in the palm of their hands, will do that. I do not want to encourage bad behavior or reward it. That is why I am preparing to vote for Chris Daggett. And the sad thing is, I believe an awful lot of Republicans will feel that way too. Many Democrats have similar sentiments towards Corzine. They see he has been a failure and many democrat voters who feel that same way, will also be voting for Daggett. Will it be enough to pull Chris Daggett over the top? At this juncture in the race, I don’t think so. I do however believe that Daggett may syphon off enough votes from Chritie  to deny him the margin of victory.

Add to that the combination of Corzine’s personal wealth, unlimited spending and union support, his Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort will be far superior to Chris Christie’s and ultimately I believe a strong showing from Daggett and a weaker than expected turnout for Christie will give New Jersey what it deserves. Another four years of Jon Corzine.

Of course, we could all just join together like Dagget and The Star-Ledger did. Us struggling citizens of New Jersey could take the lead of a struggling newspaper and support the struggling candidacy of Chris Daggett. That would in fact send the right message.   The Star-Ledger articulated that point  quite well in their endorsement of Daggett when they wrote;

“As for government experience, Daggett, who has a doctorate in education, has at least as much as his rivals, having worked for both Democratic and Republican governors and served as regional administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. His mastery of detail is impressive.

The reservation one hears about Daggett among the surprising number who say they’d like to vote for him is that he can’t win. And, indeed, the ballot position assigned Daggett and other independents makes his task daunting. You’ll have to hunt to find him.

But the value of a vote is not limited to picking a winner. The real value lies in the signal it sends about what the voter believes is best for the city, county or state — not merely at the moment, but long-term.

We believe Daggett is best.

For disappointed Democrats and Republicans, a decision to vote for Daggett will mean a break with party loyalty — no easy thing. What we’re suggesting is a temporary suspension of that loyalty as a way to begin changing the corrosive culture of Trenton. Daggett would owe nothing to either party establishment; he’d be free to recruit best talent wherever he found it. As he told The Star-Ledger editorial board, he’d feel no obligation to honor the traditional Democratic-Republican deal that requires bipartisan balance on the Supreme Court. He’d apparently take the best he could find regardless of party affiliation — or lack thereof.”

It is not often that I agree with the lamestream media but unless Chris Christie gives me reason to believe otherwise in the closing days of this election, not only will I agree with them, I will be taking their advice.

Governor Corzine Tries To Appeal To Voters By Changing His Name

   In what, to date, has been an issueless and unenthusiastic race for Governor of New Jersey, incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, (D) has shaken things up in dramatic ways. Just days before state ballots are prepared for printing, the Governor has gone to court to have his name legally changed.

After a summer of trailing his Republican opponent Chris Christie by double digits, efforts to make the unpopular Governor somewhat more likeable, forced the Corzine campaign to closely associate him to the still popular image of President Barack Obama. The move has worked and the gap has been closed. But with Christie still 3 percentage points ahead of the Governor, Jon Corzine decided that he needed to do more than just compare himself to the President of the United States. Hoping to take the lead over Christie, Governor Corzine took his case to court where he filed papers to change his name to Jonnie Obama.

A spokesman for the Governor called the move “an act of necessity”. Campaign spokesman Jack Kennedy (formerly known as Adolf Mitler) explained “we just have not been able to move our numbers lately and with nothing else for us to add to how we intend to improve the quality of life in New Jersey,  Governor Corzine felt that the people of the state would appreciate having a Governor named after our President”.

In a statement released by now Governor Obama the newly named candidate for reelection focused on what he called his “willingness to go to great lengths to win”. He further stated “if sacrificing some of my personal fortune accumulated by a lucrative Wall Street golden parachute is not enough to get votes, than I am willing to sacrifice my identity and my name for the sake of New Jersey”

Prior to this extreme move, then  Governor Corzine, had sought medical advice regarding the best way to change his complexion. In a process opposite to Michael Jackson’s skin bleaching, the Governor wanted to darken his skin with a political procedure called Obamanizing. In the end strategists decided against the procedure due to fears that a dark skinned Corzine might come across too minstrel show-like and too politically incorrect.

Democrat Lt. Gov. Nominee Loretta Weinberg

Democrat pollster B.J. Clinton, (formerly known as Ernest Madoff) pointed out that the name change has already had a positive impact on Governor Obama’s once static numbers. Analysts from the Jim McGreevy School of Political Ethics believe that the Governor’s name change was a wise move. The schools executive director Patty Pantsdown (aka: Lou Morella) called the name change a stroke of political genius. According to Pantsdown “Oh honey, now after months of trying to associate himself with President Obama in an attempt to deflect the focus off of the Governor’s higher taxes, tolls, unemployment and lower state revenues and job opportunities, changing his name to Jonnie Obama does a number of things. First of all it adds a little spice to an otherwise drab name. Secondly, right away, it brings the voters minds to exactly what the Governor needs to put the focus on, which is anything but the condition that the state is in right now and last but not least, it adds more meaning to the phrase ‘my brutha’ which is how the Governor ends all of his speeches when referring to the President”.

Estelle Getty as fiesty Golden Girl Sophia Petrillo

Kitty Litteur, a spokesman for Governor Obama’s lieutenant governor running mate , Loretta Weinberg, notified members of the press that Senator Weinberg is also going to seek a name change. The state senator who describes herself as a “feisty Jewish grandmother” is exploring the possibility of changing her name to Sophia Petrillo, the name popularized in the role played by Estelle Getty on the hit 80’s sitcom Golden Girls. According to Litteur, “we have the Jewish grandmother vote in the bag, now we’re going after the Soprano vote and Italian grandmothers”.

Meanwhile the campaign of Chris Christie released a statement of their own which made clear that as usual, they would “not go into detail”. They do however claim that the Republican nominee for Governor anticipated this from the beginning. Chris Christie denied that he would try to change his name before the November ballots were printed. “I do not intend to seek a name change that distracts from any of the distractions that I have been working hard to create during the course of this campaign” said the Republican hopeful.

Representatives for his lieutenant governor nominee, Kim Guadagno, confirmed that she too will not have her name changed. Press Secretary Barnaby Jones claimed that no one knows who Kim is or that she is running for anything so we would rather not have to explain who she is, what she is running for and her name change all at the same time.

The Christie camp is dealing with it’s own troubles and does not want to play the name game. The Republican ticket is finding it hard to keep pace with all the spending that Governor Obama has invested in the race. So avoiding the $39.95 legal fee for a legal name change in New Jersey is seen as a cost saving measure. However, the lack of finances in the closing days of the campaign still concerns Christie.

For a quick infusion of cash, the Christie campaign has signed on to two new contracts. One has Chris Christie contracted to be in the cast of next seasons, “Biggest Loser” which is a show that has teams of overweight celebritiy has-beens, compete against one another to see which team can lose the most weight. The other contract is for a string of 15 new ads that will feature Chris Christie along side of Jenny Craig spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli. Mr. Christie will be used for the “before” pictures used in comparing the dramatic results seen after one has used a new Jenny Craig diet program that is designed for men.

Gubernatorial Cnadidiate and Wannabe Chris Christie

The unorthodox campaign tactics being seen in the race for Governor of New Jersey has many scratching their heads. Shaquida Nelson of Newark said “I thought Jon Corzine was that white boy who hits that doohickey on ice for the New Jersey Devils, I never knew he was a brutha”. Denis O’Shea of Matawan wanted to know why Valerie Bertinelli still has not gotten back together with Eddie Van Halen.

Political analysts claim that the disinterest in the campaign is to be expected when the top two major candidates have upside down poll numbers that indicate more people have unfavorable opinions of them than favorable opinions of them. They add that the lack of any public awareness in the campaign is in large part due to the fact that neither Corzine or Christie have said anything of value during the campaign. That and the state’s unique North-South divide and its disjointed news coverage that relies on New York and Philadelphia, helps to keep New Jersey voters uniquely uniformed.

As for their assessment of Governor Obama’s name change one Quinnipiac pollster who wanted to remain anonymous believes that the biggest difference the name change will make is in the area of billboards. According to him, Governor Obama invested a lot of money in billboards that connect him as close as possible to the President and now the Governor will have to invest some money in having those billboards changed from reading Obama/Corzine to now read Obama/Obama.

Corzine Campaign Billboards Before The Name Change

How the new Governor Obama campaign billboards will appear