Gov. Chris Christie today described the game of chicken he played with top Democratic lawmakers over funding for staff salaries
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Gov. Chris Christie, shown in this file photo, today discussed the struggle with Democrats over N.J.'s budget. TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today described the game of chicken he played with top Democratic lawmakers over funding for staff salaries.
When battling with Democrats over this year's state budget, Christie vetoed $3.8 million in salaries for legislative staff. He said it was payback for when Democrats removed funding for oversight at the Department of Environmental Protection.
Christie's message? "You want to cut positions out of me, I'll cut positions out of you," he said.
But the Democrats who control the Legislature were going to force Republicans to bear the brunt of the cut.
"Instead of distributing that cut fairly and evenly across both parties, they decided they would do it solely upon the Republicans," Christie said.
Staff members play a critical role in lawmaking, and Christie said the cut would have almost wiped out all of the Republicans' staff. So the governor used an obscure accounting procedure to restore the money for legislative salaries.
"It doesn't change the principle of why we cut it out in the first place, but that's the kind of politics they play down the hall," Christie said.
He said Democrats haven't restored the oversight money at the Department of Environmental Protection, which he said would be used for energy and economic development programs.
Derek Roseman, a spokesman for the Senate Democrats, said the money could have been used for schools or social services.
"By the governor's own admission, he protected his political allies at the expense of middle class property tax relief and programs vital to the most vulnerable," he said.
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