As long as you are going to lie and raise taxes...

by: Adam L

Tue Jun 29, 2010 at 02:30:00 PM EDT

Chris Christie said many many a time that he would not raise taxes. And yes, this was a transparent promise that very few (outside of some of the hardcore conservatives) took seriously in any way. But when he first was sworn into office and raised "fees" or increased charges for the same services, cut property tax rebates and did a slew of other things that would result in tax increases - the cat was out of the bag.

It wasn't "raising taxes". It was "raising CERTAIN taxes" that was the issue. On others who were out of favor in Christie's class warfare, it didn't matter if you were paying more for less (like public transportation, for example) or if you were getting less in tax rebates - it was part of the not-quite-so-shared sacrifice. And when the millionnaire's tax was introduced and promptly vetoed, Christie said the following:

"Now is not the time for more of the same. Ultimately, another tax increase will punish the state's struggling small businesses and set our economy further back from recovery."

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, and there is the rub. It isn't JUST another tax increase - it is a tax increase that Christie knows will hit him and his cronies, so therefore, it must be vetoed. Now fast forward to this draconian budget and even his fellow Republicans have called this budget full of tax hikes.

So now we know that Christie was pushing his fellow Republicans to vote for his tax hikes. It was just a matter of which tax hikes he wants - on everyone who isn't super duper rich. And when he tries to say how "fees" aren't taxes and how he won't raise taxes, he is either lying or leaving out the words "on the super wealthy" after the words "I won't raise taxes".

Either way, Christie's true colors of a bully and a liar are showing through, yet again.

Adam L :: As long as you are going to lie and raise taxes...