N.J. Gov. Chris Christie says Statehouse rally had 'absolutely no effect' on him

With crowds estimated between 30-35K, governor says he hoped they 'had a good time, and I hope that it helped to spur Trenton's economy'

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerNJEA President Barbara Keshisian speaks to the crowd during the protest in Trenton against N.J. Gov. Chris Christie on Saturday. Christie said today the protest had "absolutely no effect on me."

TRENTON -- N.J. Gov. Chris Christie today shrugged off Saturday's record-breaking Statehouse protest, saying it had "absolutely no effect on me."

The Republican governor said he hoped the 30,000 to 35,000 protesters "had a good time, and I hope that it helped to spur Trenton's economy."

The crowd, mostly from public worker unions and other progressive groups, flooded the capital on Saturday to rally against Christie's proposed budget cuts and property tax proposals. Speakers, including New Jersey Education Association president Barbara Keshishian, said the protest was also a warning to Democrats -- who have traditionally received backing from organized labor -- not to serve as Christie's "accomplices."

Asked about the warning, Christie said "good try" and disappeared into his office without taking further questions.

The protesters said they objected to Christie's proposed $29.3 billion budget because it contains cuts affecting the poor and middle-class, while at the same time the governor has vetoed a tax increase on millionaires. They also vented their anger over recent pension and benefit reforms -- which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support -- and Christie's proposed 33-bill "toolkit" for local governments to control costs. Union leaders called the toolkit a "smokescreen" that would harm their collective bargaining rights and lead to mass layoffs of police, firefighters and teachers.

"We are experiencing the most severe, pervasive and sustained attack on public employees, public employee unions and public sector collective bargaining" since workers got the right to organize, Chris Shelton, a vice president with the Communications Workers of America, said Saturday.

"We are saying loud and clear to those folks in the Statehouse -- whether they are sitting in the governor's office or the Legislature -- we are fed up, and we are not going to take it anymore."

Few Democrats -- who control both houses of the Legislature -- were in attendance on Saturday. They said organizers had not invited them.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), an ironworkers union official, said union leaders are doing their members a disservice through boisterous protests.

"Instead of showing the public that we're in it together, they're showing them that they still don't get it," Sweeney said Saturday. "We're not accomplices. If anything, we're trying to fix the state with him."

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said Democrats had not "walked away from" organized labor, or "any constituency in this state." She said their support of the millionaires tax to restore property tax rebates for senior citizens demonstrates the party is not complicit with Christie's agenda.

"We all understand that we have a serious fiscal problem in this state," said Oliver, who like Sweeney did not attend the rally. "People are very concerned about the policy direction that the governor is taking. It is not just those who have narrow interests because they are public employees."

While many doubted the governor would listen, protesters said they had to send a message.

"I feel that he needs to know that he’s single-handedly being a bully," Peter Harrington, a Sussex County resident and teacher at West Orange High School, said Saturday.

"He should have sat down and talked with us. You can't dictate education."

Peggy Ackermann/Statehouse Bureau contributed to this report.

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