Christie told audience that Legislature has called hearings neutering pets, notification of dental patients, but not on 'tool kit' matters
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — They’ve held hearings on everything from neutering pets to establishing penalties for lock picking, but the state Legislature has failed to get down to business when it comes to passing laws to curb state spending, Gov. Chris Christie said today.
At the ninth of his town hall meetings on his reform agenda, Christie took some more swipes at the state Legislature and once again prodded them to tackle reforms of public employees’ health benefits, pensions and education and ethics reform for legislators.
"They say I’m impatient because they haven’t acted yet," Christie told a crowd of more than 200 at the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department in South Brunswick. "I plead guilty."
He questioned why the legislators did not take on these so called tool-kit issues before taking a legislative break — one he called a ‘‘vacation’’ — until Nov. 8, nearly a week after the election.
Derek Roseman, spokesman for Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), said, "the Senate president has said many times before that the Senate will complete its work on the tool kit by year’s end, a timeline the governor himself agreed to three weeks ago."
Christie, a Republican, also took a jab at South Brunswick’s Democratic mayor, saying Frank Gambatese does not want the tool kit or a cap on property taxes. The governor urged South Brunswick residents in the audience to express their dissatisfaction on Election Day next Tuesday.
"He called those ideas unnecessary," Christie said. "I wonder if all of you might send the mayor a message next Tuesday about what’s necessary and unnecessary."
In his 22-minute talk before taking questions from the public, Christie noted a new report pinpointing New Jersey as one of 11 states whose pension fund could be bankrupt in 10 years if no reforms are made.
He also criticized state legislators for trying to water down his proposal to put a hard cap on binding arbitration awards in public employees’ contract disputes. The Assembly on Monday, however, did not act on that bill because it lacked support among the Democratic majority. ‘‘If we have a hard cap on property taxes, we should have a hard cap on arbitration awards,’’ Christie said.
Christie again reiterated his disinterest in running for president in 2012.
"I’m not running for president," he said to loud applause. You’re stuck with me for the next four years."
Previous coverage:
• N.J. Democrats propose changes for police, firefighter contract dispute arbitration
• N.J. Gov. Chris Christie challenges lawmakers to move quickly on 'tool kit' reforms
• Gov. Christie seeks private companies to operate charter schools
• Gov. Christie makes campaign stop in Ohio, denies presidential aspirations