Christie: 'We're not trying to break the unions ... unions are trying to break the middle class in New Jersey'
Gov Chris Christie blasted public unions today saying, "The unions are trying to break the middle class in New Jersey."TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie said this morning there was no political agenda behind his push to rollback public employee benefits, just hard numbers.
“These fights are going on all over the country, not just with Republicans, but with Democrats,” Christie said. “This is about reshifting our priorities.”
One day after delivering his $29.4 billion budget proposal to the state Legislature, Christie went on the morning talk show circuit today, appearing on NBC’s “The Today Show” and then MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Unions were a constant target, and Christie blamed them for layoffs, rising property taxes and the state’s underfunded pension system.
“We’re not trying to break the unions,” he said. “The unions are trying to break the middle class in New Jersey.”
In his first appearance with Ann Curry, Christie said Democrats like California Gov. Jerry Brown are taking similar steps to curb the cost of public employees.
“We have a pension deficit of $54 billion in New Jersey,” he said. “That wasn’t created by Wall Street. That was created by the fact that benefits are too high and the payments in are too low.”
Christie said the problem wasn’t necessarily collective bargaining, but lawmakers who have been too generous to public employees.
“It’s an issue of wanting to say yes to everyone as a public official,” he said. “It’s time to start saying no to certain things to be able to say things that will help grow our economy and create a more prosperous future.”
As always, Christie vigorously denied interest in running for president and declined to endorse a Republican challenger to President Obama.
“I don’t think there’s any frontrunner right now,” he said. “Is Mitch Daniels going to run? I don’t know. Is Haley Barbour going to run? I don’t know.”
Next Christie appeared with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on “Morning Joe." Scarborough is one of Christie's biggest fans in the media, and at the end of the interview he mouthed the words to the Foo Fighter song “My Hero:” “There goes my hero. Watch him as he goes.”
Christie continued his criticism of public employee unions, blaming them for police layoffs in Camden and Newark.
“We’re not trying to break the unions,” he said. “The unions are trying to break the middle class through expenses.”
He also skirted questions about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s attempts to curb collective bargaining rights, saying he didn’t want to second-guess Walker’s policies from New Jersey.
But he did say public employees should still be able to collectively bargain.
“They should have responsible collective bargaining,” he said. “It should be an adversarial situation. Somebody should be representing the taxpayers.”
Fourteen union contracts for state employees are up for renegotiation this year in New Jersey.
Christie’s weight loss also was a topic of discussion on both morning shows, although he declined to put a number on it, saying that sets him up for failure.
“He’s look great. 30, 40?” television commentator Jim Cramer asked him.
“You don’t want to give numbers Jim!” Christie said.
“He’s getting there,” Brzezinski said. “Not yet.”
Earlier, Christie told Curry he’s feeling better and wants to improve his health for his family.
"I started to do it because I have four children,” he said. “I want to be there for them.”
Previous coverage:
• Mercer County braces for the latest cuts in Gov. Chris Christie's budget
• Christie says his proposed budget represents 'new normal' of not blindly funding commitments
• Christie budget to cut $540M from Medicaid funds, transfer participants into managed care
• N.J. education officials continue to worry despite Christie's proposed increase of school aid
• Gov. Christie delivers budget address to N.J. Legislature - live coverage