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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Gov. Chris Christie (NJ) is a vile tub of lard

Which is why many in the GOP want him to run for President. His initial honeymoon with the media may be ending soon though. Seen, initially as a personable new Republican Governor, prepared to make the tough choices. Some turned out to be too tough. He turned down federal money to build a new much needed tunnel under the Hudson River to help with traffic into New York, costing the state jobs and ensuring the painfully long commute into New York will continue. It's also going to cost the state $271 million in funds that will have to be paid back to the government.

His cuts to the public schools were so big a court ordered them to be rescinded. Budget cuts were needed but when his budget included $1 billion in tax cuts for people making over $400,000 a year he became just another GOP governor whose idea of shared sacrifice is that it's only going to be shared by middle and lower income earners. He's declared war against evil teachers and other public unions as well.

As NJ Attorney General, Christie had been accused of using his office's role in crafting deferred prosecution agreements to award lucrative federal monitoring positions in no-bid contracts to friends, supporters, and allies. Various other ethics charges followed him but he still won the Governorship in 2009 just as the Tea Party wave was beginning.

Christie has shown over and over again that the rules don't really apply to him or os cronies. As with so many politicians like him, he will eventually step on a gooey dog turd that will stick to him. That 'dog turd' moment happened last week when he used a state owned helicopter to go to his son's baseball game costing the state about $2,500. That's a trivial amount but the symbolism of the governor who preaches austerity so arrogantly showing the rules don't apply to him.

There were already chinks in his armor. His approval rating at the start of the year was 51% but had dropped to 44% before the helicopter incident. It's likely to drop further. Not only did he need the helicopter to get to the ballgame, there was a car waiting to drive him the last 100 yards. The fat fuck couldn't even walk.

His latest budget cutting gimmick won't win him too many friends either but will be less damaging than the helicopter ride. In another draconian move, he wants to cut the Medicaid maximum income for a family of three from $24,645 to $5,317. At that level a parent working part time for a minimum wage won't be eligible for Medicaid.

The good news is that such a change will require a waiver from the Federal government which won't be forthcoming.

There is another aspect of this sort of budget cutting that doesn't occur to people like Christie. Depriving that many people of access to Medicaid will probably end up costing the state more than they're saving. People get sick. People who have health care go to the doctor. People who don't are more likely to delay getting treatment until it becomes an emergency. Who pays the bill then? It's the state and the delayed treatment is going to cost far more than it would have had the person been covered.

The mendacity and stupidity of politicians like Christie is far too commonplace these days. Let him run for President. He already comes with baggage and his complete arrogance and disdain for fairness will only add to it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Let's hope the "Tea Party Tiny Brains" don't get the emperor of N.J., Tvrdvs Maximvs (Turdus Maximus) elected president. You can never underestimate the fucking stupidity of the people in this country!