Teacher Bashing by Helicopter

by: Jersey Jazzman

Tue Jun 14, 2011 at 11:46:48 AM EDT

Well, here's a list of Christie's helicopter trips and their purposes; at least, the ones we know of so far (Christie's administration hasn't been fully forthcoming about the details).

According to this list, on March 24, 2010, Christie held a political rally disguised as a "town hall" in Nutley. What did he say that "demanded" that he travel by helicopter to the event?

"Teachers who crowded the statehouse on Monday to try to intimidate public officials like Assemblyman Schroeder and Assemblywoman Vandervalk into not voting for pension and benefit reform.

"And when one teacher was asked, "What are you doing here today? It's a Monday in the school year." She said, 'Oh, we got a substitute. I left a plan; it's not like they're watching videos or something.'

"They. 'Not like they're watching videos or something.' I thought that was a really interesting part of the quote. That contraction: 'they're.' They didn't say 'the kids' then, did they? No, they only use the words 'the kids' when they want to evoke an emotional response from you which will get you to open your wallet and pay them.

"When they're talking about protesting and fighting in Trenton, then it's 'they're.' 'They're watching videos or something.' I thought that was an interesting part of the quote. Language matters, ladies and gentlemen. Language is a window into attitude. And this isn't about the kids. So let's dispense with that portion of the argument.

"And I have heard these stories over the last week,  over and over again from all over New Jersey about teachers standing in front of classrooms, and lying about and excoriating the governor and the lieutenant  governor."

To be clear: Christie used taxpayer money to chopper to what was clearly a political rally to call teachers liars. Not NJEA officials; teachers.

In many ways, I find that worse than using funds to go to his son's baseball game.