The final governor named in Governor Christie’s back & forth with the husband of a NJ teacher has spoken.
Governor McGreevey shared his reaction with me via email.
“Prisoner Reentry, addictions treatment, and training and employment are my primary focus. Everything else is pretty much everything else.”
Certainly a different tune from the other governors named (the other three each defended their record). I wrote about Whitman’s & Florio’s reaction here and Codey’s exclusive reaction here.
Ultimately, none of it really matters. We can sit here and argue all day about whose fault it is, but naming names doesn’t solve the pension crisis here in NJ. NJ’s credit rating has been downgraded 9 times since the Governor took office and negotiations with the NJEA to build a “roadmap for reform” have stopped.
And while Governor Christie’s administration has appealed Judge Mary Jacobson’s ruling that he must make the full pension payment, we sit and wonder what will happen if he loses? He’s said that in order to make the payment he’ll have to raise the sales tax from 7% to 10% or raise the income tax by 29%. In the exchange that got us talking about this from Town Hall 135, Steve Panagiotou (who asked the question) suggested eliminating “corporate welfare.”
So do we reduce the pension payment? Raise taxes? Reduce/eliminate corporate subsidies/incentives? All of the above? Or something else? Leave a comment or tweet me @ChasingRonica.
Yesterday, Governor Whitman and Governor Florio responded to Governor Christie’s recent remarks regarding their management of the NJ pension fund in this post.
Today, I spoke exclusively with Governor Codey for his reaction. Codey called the Governor’s remarks “classless.”
And as the other two Governors did, he defended his record.
“I had one budget, I made a pension payment. He’s had nine credit downgrades. I had none, no downgrades, and only an upgrade after my budget in terms of bond ratings. And as a result we saved taxpayers money.”
As for why he believes the Governor called him out by name? “He thinks that it’s good for him politically. Why else would you lie?” He further explained there are two types of “facts”: “The facts you look up and the facts you make up.”
Ultimately, Codey said, “It’s an old political game of ‘it’s not my fault’.”
I reached out to Governor Christie’s office via email for a response to Governor Codey’s remarks:
“Senator Codey may not like that the issues we are confronting today were well underway under his watch and he chose to do nothing about it, but those are the facts. The enhanced benefits that couldn’t be paid for, the chronic lack of funding or underfunding, and the lack of political courage to talk about these issues all persisted on his time in office.”
And in reference to the entire crisis:
“It’s widely recognized that the issues we face in our pension system today are the result of more than a decade of mismanagement. They ignored the obligation and as a result, we are where we are today. But don’t take our word for it. Look at what the Star-Ledger and the Washington Post wrote recently, and what others who have examined this situation concluded in the past. This is the first administration to seriously take on the problem.”
We’ve now heard from 3 past Governors along with Governor Christie. Do you feel more informed about the pension crisis? More confused? Leave a comment or tweet me @ChasingRonica.
I reached out to Governor McGreevey again for comment, and he has still not responded. I will provide an update if he responds.
Governor Christie hosted his 135th Town Hall in Hasbrouck Heights on April 16th.
Steve Panagiotou is married to a NJ public school teacher and asked the Governor about the pension crisis. He opened with these words: “I am nervous and emotional. My wife is one of those people out there.” (Steve was referring to the protestors outside of the town hall, however his wife was not actually protesting that day. Steve explained to me that he misspoke and was “trying to say she is one of them.” He and his wife did protest outside of Town Hall 134 on April 7 in Matawan.)
He barely spoke his question when the back & forth began over solutions to funding the pending system in New Jersey, along with the problems that caused the crisis to begin with.
The back & forth went on for about 16 minutes, and you can watch the entire exchange here.
As of my writing of this post, it has been viewed over 5,700 times.
The Governor defended his record saying he “paid more money into this pension system than any Governor in history. Anybody. And in fact, more than the last 5 combined by $800MM.”
And then he started naming names; past governor’s names.
“Where were they [protestors] when Jim Florio wasn’t paying into the pension? Where were they?…Where were they when Christie Whitman was not paying into the pension? Where were they when Jim McGreevey was not paying into the pension and Dick Codey was not paying into the pension?…You know what Whitman did to get her deal? She gave teachers 2 years off from paying anything into their pension to buy them off to get the deal done that she got done.”
I requested interviews with Florio [D], Whitman [R], McGreevey [D], and Codey [D]. I spoke with Florio & Whitman by phone today.
Governor Whitman first defended her record. According to Whitman, when she left “both pension systems were fully funded. We totally eliminated the unfunded liability and I left the state with, what at that time was, the largest surplus that the state had.”
I then learned exclusive details about her follow up with Governor Christie after his remarks. Governor Christie sent her a text today thanking her for saying “nice things” and that he would “love to talk at some time in the future.” Whitman believes this was in response to a recent blog she wrote commending the Governor for “speaking frankly” about entitlement reforms. What she had hoped for was a response to the call she put into the Governor’s office after hearing his remarks from Town Hall 135. She told me she planned to politely text back and clarify that she wanted to talk about his town hall remarks, and not just her piece praising the Governor. Later, Whitman informed me that Christie responded “right away” to her clarifying text, though she did not share further details.
Governor Florio first noted that there is an “unwritten code” that you “don’t criticize by name your predecessors.” He also defended his record. “I was the last Governor to fully fund the pension system…if you’re gonna denounce, make sure you denounce the right people.” He would not name the people the Governor should have criticized, seemingly sticking to his own “code.” Ultimately, he said, “I’m trusting that his staff didn’t provide him with accurate information.”
There are so many aspects of this to consider. The Governor’s record. The Governor’s willingness to discuss an issue for 16 minutes with a constituent. The Governor’s decision to name names. The responses. What are your takeaways? Leave a comment below or tweet me @ChasingRonica.
If I do hear back from McGreevey or Codey, I will update this post.
On April 7, 2015, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky announced that he is running for the GOP nomination for President.
@RandPaul tweet on 4/7
And while it felt like the social media world was abuzz with people proud to #StandWithRand, there was one place in America that seemed to not notice: Matawan, NJ.
In the Old Bridge High School gymnasium, hundreds gathered for Governor Christie’s 134th Town Hall. For about 90 minutes, Christie addressed issues related to New Jersey’s budget, pension crisis and questions from the audience. And while it is fairly common for one person to ask Christie about possibly running for President at these town halls, it happened not once, not twice, but three times.
The first was asked by a man in the audience who held up a sign that said “Christie For 2016 President” when the Governor arrived. He compared this moment in Christie’s life to one from the movie “Rocky II,” saying America was whispering in Christie’s ear to “win,” just as Adrian had done to Rocky.
Man with “Christie for 2016 President” at #TH134.
In the middle of the town hall, a teacher asked about his style and how it would play nationally. She even gave him some advice: “I really feel that you need to tone it down a little!” And the final question came from a Girl Scout who wanted to know how the Governor would change the “way things are going in Washington, DC today.”
In total, the questions and answers took about 20 minutes, so I edited them down into one clip.
In Christie’s first response he noted how flattering it is to be asked the question. “Thank you, that’s very nice. And I try to remember to say that all the time because it is really nice for anybody in this country to say to somebody else that you should consider running for President, and I am considering running for President.” He stressed that he hasn’t made up his mind yet and needs to answer the following questions. Is it good for him? Is it good for his family? Is it good for the country?
Next Christie addressed his bullish style that might not be appreciated across the country. “Everything that I’ve ever said in public life, um, is not something that I would necessarily say again.” He told a story he regularly tells about his mom: “My mother used to say to me, you know, ‘Christopher, be yourself, because then tomorrow you won’t have to try to remember who you pretended to be yesterday’.” He said that too many people in public life “pretend to be something,” which was received with applause.
Finally, he shared a personal story about his relationship with James Comey (current Director of the FBI) from when he was US Attorney. Comey took a job with the NY Times Editorial Board and taught Christie the lesson that you should work closely with those you might not like, saying “It’s harder to hate up close.” Christie feels DC politicians should heed that advice and work more with those from across the aisle in order to build trust.
So if you had the opportunity to ask Governor Christie one question, what would you ask?
Today I had the opportunity to speak exclusively with Donald Scarinci who has known Senator Menendez since he was 16 years old, and says he knows Dr. Sal Melgen “very well.” Scarinci describes Menendez as a man with “great integrity” who “abhors official corruption.”
Last week Senator Menendez was indicted on 14 counts of corruption, along with his long time friend Dr. Sal Melgen who was indicted on 13 counts. Both have since pleaded not guilty to all charges. You can read the 68-page indictment here. According to an FBI press release “Menendez allegedly accepted gifts from Melgen in exchange for using the power of his Senate office to benefit Melgen’s financial and personal interests.”
Scarinci discussed the close friendship these men share. “The long term relationship between Bob Menendez and Sal Melgen is critical here. This isn’t somebody he just met. This isn’t somebody he knew as a Congressman or as a Senator…He’s known this man for over 20 years. He vacations with this man. It’s a personal friend. The day Bob Menendez’s mother died, Sal Melgen got in his plane, flew up to New Jersey to be with Bob Menendez. This is a friend.”
L to R: Donald Scarinci, Senator Menendez, Abe Antun, John Palumbo Photo provided by Abe Antun
Scarinci called the indictment an insult to the Senator. “To suggest that Bob Menendez was going to help a long-time friend because of campaign contributions is insulting.” He compared the indictment to a late-night comedy show. “The complaint reads like a Saturday Night Live skit. And the sad part? It’s written by the Justice Department and approved by the Attorney General of the United States.”
When asked what he believed the Senator would do in response to the allegations and indictment? “This is Bob Menendez. And he’s not a person who sits and does nothing.”
Another close friend of Senator Menendez’s, Abe Antun, spoke with me on Friday, April 3. Antun has known the senator since grammar school and calls the Senator a “tremendous worker” and “very loyal.” He also said, “If you were ever in the trenches and you needed someone to cover your back, he’s the guy you want.”
On Monday, 3/23/2015, Robert Kennedy Jr. (son of the former US Senator from NY; nephew of the former President) spoke at the State House in Trenton, NJ. He discussed the issue of vaccine choice and stressed his concerns over the Center for Disease Control (CDC). He framed the importance of choice around his belief that the CDC is a “cesspool of corruption.”
When the event opened for questions I was very curious to find out if he planned to meet with Governor Christie during his visit. I asked him and he did not answer my question. You can watch the exchange here.
You may recall the controversy that resulted after Christie’s remarks about vaccines during a trip to the United Kingdom in February, including his belief that “parents need to have some measure of choice” when it comes to vaccinating their children. You can read exactly what was said here.
I was a little annoyed that he didn’t answer my question, but my interest was also piqued. Was there a secret meeting? Why wouldn’t he just answer “yes” or “no”? So, of course, when I had a moment to interview Kennedy one-on-one outside of the event, I asked again: “Are you meeting with the Governor today?” He answered this time saying “I was on a tight schedule, and we made the offer to Governor Christie, and I would love to talk to him at some point.” You can watch his answer here.
I was eager to tweet my exclusive tidbit. That being said, the lack of a meeting didn’t surprise me at all. Why would the Governor go anywhere near the topic when there was such a backlash last time. Even Hillary piled on the attack with a tweet encouraging vaccinations and her now famous hashtag #GrandmothersKnowBest.
And that was it. I thought.
That night, Governor Christie did his monthly radio appearance on NJ101.5 for “Ask The Governor”. The host told him that Kennedy was in the State House today. Christie’s response? “Was he? I didn’t know. He didn’t stop by to say hello.” Watch here starting at 42:49.
Wait, what? According to Kennedy he asked for a meeting. According to Christie he didn’t even know he was in town. There is definitely the possibility that Kennedy did request the meeting and Christie’s gatekeepers never let him know. There is also the possibility that one side is being dishonest.
Wondering who voters are most excited about? You can look to a poll, but the most telling numbers might be a lot easier to come by. Social media followers provide an interesting glimpse into the popularity of a candidate.
With Senator Ted Cruz’s announcement that he’s running for President via Twitter this morning, it adds to the idea that social media will hold a tremendous amount of power in this election cycle.
Let’s take a look, keeping two things in mind: Senator Cruz’s numbers have likely taken a jump since announcing this morning, and social media followers/likes change regularly.
March 23, 2015 Twitter followers *Does not appear to be an active account.
I chose a handful of people who are rumored to be considering a Presidential run (along with Senator Cruz who is no longer rumored). I also included multiple accounts for a candidate, if they were verified accounts. There are other social media platforms, but Twitter provided a simple way to take a quick glance at the field.
It’s no surprise that Clinton and Trump are in the lead. Clinton’s run against President Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary made her a household name, if her marriage to the former President hadn’t done so already. Then her role as Secretary of State kept her in the spotlight. And Trump’s long-time run with NBC’s Apprentice, his real estate empire, along with his ability to attract media attention have certainly helped his numbers.
As for the rest of the group, it’s about a 645K follower spread. What do a few 100K followers mean for a potential presidential contender? Do followers translate into votes and movement on election day? Well, maybe. I follow a handful of people on this list and obviously can’t vote for all of them. And the difference between polls and follows, is that you can actually learn about the potential voter in a poll. A person might follow a candidate she hates and wouldn’t vote for – that differentiation can be shown in a poll. While I don’t think we’ll see Twitter followers replace the need for polls, the numbers do speak to the popularity of a candidate and the potential impact she can have with 140 characters or less.
Social media is a fun and exciting part of modern politics. Politicians are more accessible and interactive. They have the ability to share their message without the filter of the press or the cost of advertising. 2016 has begun and I can’t wait to follow it. #2016election
At Governor Christie’s 131st town hall in Freehold, NJ, one person addressed Governor Christie as “President Christie.” I have heard comments like this at previous town halls, and comparatively, the response was lukewarm. Christie did not indulge and simply answered the man’s question regarding property taxes.
What do you make of the response? Does it surprise you?
Governor Christie said this during his first town hall of 2015 in Moorestown, NJ. This was his 128th town hall since he became Governor. Some in New Jersey believe he may care more about a 2016 Presidential run than leading the state. At this town hall he noted he still has not made up his mind about a possible 2016 run.
“I can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
~Governor Christie, February 25, 2015, Town Hall 128
If you read the headlines, you probably think there is only one side to Governor Christie – brash, loud, bossy. But when you’re on the ground with him at event after event like I am, you know there are at least two sides to the man.
When Governor Christie makes an appearance, he’s very good at connecting with people. He listens and nods knowingly. If a person wants a selfie with the Governor, he’s always game. When someone says “Governor, remember me from <insert small event or meeting place>?” “Yes, of course!,” he replies.
And when I see these interactions, I have to wonder if the people will forget the headlines and remember the small talk? The answer to that question could be the difference between a successful Republican primary for the Governor, or a complete dud.
Retail politics is a phrase used regularly when talking about a politician’s ability to make personal connections with the people. Politicians can’t just shake your hand and keep walking; they have to shake your hand and then have a personal conversation with you. And when it comes to a presidential election, it is well known that retail politics matter in the state of New Hampshire.
Here’s some background: New Hampshire, a state with only four electoral votes, hosts the first in the nation primary. While the number of votes won’t sway an election, the state is still tremendously important to presidential hopefuls. New Hampshire polls and the primary results set the tone for each election cycle.
I recently visited New Hampshire to cover Governor Christie’s remarks at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Concord. And while I was there, I took every opportunity to speak with the people about politics, since the state plays such a meaningful role in the selection of each President.
The majority I spoke with took an interest in and concern for the election. Most had met past presidents and presidential candidates. One shared a running joke that sums up the culture pretty well: “If you don’t meet a presidential candidate at least twice in a diner, than they’re not getting your vote.” Another told me that when a candidate comes to town, “…you can only get away with canned lines and worn out speeches for so long before somebody calls you on it.”
Governor Christie shaking hands at the Merrimack County/Concord City Republican Committee Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Concord, New Hampshire
Before the Lincoln-Reagan dinner began, I was trying to find out what time Governor Christie would begin speaking. He was scheduled for 6:55PM, and I commented that the Governor is usually late. The woman I was speaking with responded that he better not be late; the people of New Hampshire expect and deserve more. And wouldn’t you know it, he was on time.
I had to wonder if Governor Christie made the effort to be on time because he knows it matters to the people of New Hampshire? And could he possibly think it doesn’t matter to the people of New Jersey? I regularly tweet pictures of an empty podium as I wait for the Governor to arrive at events in New Jersey. Is it possible that he focuses on a small detail like timeliness in New Hampshire more than he does elsewhere? Or was his timeliness just an accident?
A recent article in the New York Times (Critics in G.O.P. Say Chris Christie Is in a ‘Bubble’) listed arriving late amidst a host of “complaints” about the Governor. Not returning phone calls and limited thank you notes were also mentioned. And this time it had to do with potential donors.
Whether it’s a potential donor or a potential vote, you don’t need to be an expert at retail politics to know these details matter. Shaking hands and friendly conversation can only take you so far.
Ronica Chasing The Gov 