Christie on being away during the storm: 'I would have been doing the same thing here as I was there' Watch video
TRENTON — At his first public event since a blizzard slammed the state, Gov. Chris Christie praised state workers and his administration for their response to the storm and said he wouldn't have done anything differently.
Christie signed a letter in Freehold officially requesting aid from the federal government and then took questions, blaming mayors for people being trapped in their homes and Democrats and the media for the attention being given to his decisions to remain in Disney World on a family vacation while the state was inundated with snow.
"I would give the folks in New Jersey state government and the county government an A for the effort we put in," Christie said. "We probably get a B for results."
Christie said the state will review the clean-up effort and report to him and the public about changes that should be made to better respond to future storms.
By Thursday 95 percent of state roads were cleared and the state Department of Transportation received no requests from mayors to help clear local roads, Christie said.
"I don't know whether we're supposed to have ESP when we have 566 municipalities," Christie said.
When asked about the hundreds of people trapped in their homes for days, Christie said unless they lived on state roads, it's not something his administration would have been able to change.
"If someone is snowed into their house, that's not our responsibility," Christie said.
When asked about mayors who said they were forced to divert their resources to unplowed state roads instead of clearing local roads Christie said, "I know who these mayors are and they should buck up and take responsibility for the fact that they didn't do their job."
Christie made international news when the storm dumped nearly three feet of snow in some places and he remained in Florida. He said he had promised his children that he would take them to the resort the week between Christmas and New Years and didn't want to go back on that promise. He said since he flew on a commercial airline it would have likely been impossible for him to return to the state earlier, adding that his flight this morning was delayed several hours.
Gov. Chris Christie heckles news photographers while walking through 3-foot high snow banks: "You guys are out here just waiting for me to slip and fall, aren't you?" as he leaves a post-blizzard news conference in Monmouth County after returning from a family vacation at Disney in Florida earlier this morning."I wouldn't change the decision even if I could do it right now," Christie said. "I had a great five days with my children. I promised that."
When it became clear that the storm was getting worse, Christie said his wife warned him to not "even think about" canceling the trip.
"I would have been doing the same thing here as I was there," Christie said. "I would not have been out driving a plow. I would be in a room somewhere on a telephone. That's exactly the same thing I was doing in Florida."
He said he was making hourly phone calls with staff about the response that by selecting strong leaders for the DOT and State Police, he had ensured the best response.
"You can decide to be a showboat, hop on a plow and act like you're doing something or you can actually put leadership skills to work that put competent people with good character in important positions," Christie said.
He slammed those who were critical of him, saying that it was partisan response to him being away. Democratic state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) was the first to criticize Christie for being away, questioning why a lieutenant governor position was created if both the governor and lieutenant governor were going to vacation at the same time.
Christie said Lesniak, who was also vacationing in Florida this week, should return his legislative paycheck since he spends so much time in Paris, France.
"All of the Monday morning quarterbacking and the harping and complaining should just take a breath," Christie said.
He went on to say that given the holiday lull, the media would have otherwise been left to report on year end summaries and the news of him being away provided "filler" for reporters.
Flanked by State Police Col. Rick Fuentes (left) and N.J. DOT Commissioner Jim Simpson (right), Gov. Chris Christie defends the work of state agencies as he takes questions at a news conference after returning from a family vacation in Florida while New Jersey was hit with a blizzard.Christie confirmed reports that Lt. Gov. Guadagno was out of the state because she was vacationing with her ailing father. She is on a two-week cruise, Christie said, that her father organized for all of his children and grandchildren given the possibility that it could be his last Christmas.
Christie praised the work done by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) who served as acting governor from Sunday at 9:30 a.m. until this morning at 5 a.m.
"If you live in the northeast this is going to happen sometimes," Christie said. "We just have to be the tough New Jerseyans that we are and grit our teeth and get through it."