Chris Christie says he's for promoting business in New Jersey. What he fails to understand is that the engine of business is not capital from his greedy Wall Street friends, but the people who build the products, provide the service, and run that engine.
Over the past two years, the state's ubiquitous mass transit system, NJ Transit, has been left to flounder. While raising fares, the Governor has failed to support mass transit with the investment needed to get people to and from work.
Today, NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor is in a shambles. Due to a downed wire in Metuchen, riders are being swept past their destination station and are being forced to take slowly moving trains in the opposite direction to get to work. This helps business?
NJ Transit busses, especially in North Jersey, are overcrowded and unreliable. This helps business?
Mass transit reduces traffic congestion on our deteriorating highways and thus helps mitigate air pollution. Healthy workers show up for work. Sick workers don't help Christie's business partners.
I realize that the Northeast Corridor's tracks are owned by Amtrak, but let's face it. Christie's partners in Republican crime at the federal level are doing everything they can to eviscerate the national rail service, too.
If Governor Christie wants to demonstrate that he's pro-business, the least he can do is help ensure that the workers can get to their work place. He should put ideology aside, sit down with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Senator Frank Lautenberg, a big proponent of world-class transit, and come up with a plan to improve and promote safe, clean, and fast transportation throughout the state.
Tonight, Governor Christie will visit the shrine of the second worst president in my lifetime. From the Ronald Reagan library, he will pontificate about American Exceptionalism.
Even as he prepares to speak, his own state of New Jersey is crumbling. Today, once again, the New Jersey Transit rail lines are experiencing severe delays due to "switching problems" in Newark. Christie and his ilk are ignoring infrastructure needs like mass transit while kowtowing to millionaires. He raised taxes prices on those who depend on NJ Transit to get to and from their jobs, while cutting or cancelling job-creating infrastructure projects.
Mr. Governor - instead of raising megabucks for your patrons, how about staying home and addressing New Jersey's real problems? We can be an exceptional state, but your policies are a race to the bottom.
If Planned Parenthood didn't exist, what would be the GOP's biggest bogeyman? Arguably it would be Amtrak.
Rail transport is an often under-appreciated aspect of the engine that drives the economy. It is more fuel-efficient than automobiles, and the portion of the Northeast Corridor that runs through New Jersey is critical to the state's and nation's economy.
Yet, two days after Irene, a portion of the Amtrak system in New Jersey remains closed. This also impacts New Jersey Transit which uses the same tracks.
The faux-fiscal conservative GOP has consistently worked to reduce and eliminate Amtrak subsidies, probably because the typical passenger is not one of their millionaire benefactors. Yet, the impact on the economy due to workers unable to get to their jobs is never a factor in the GOP's calculation.
Europe and China are making huge investments in infrastructure to benefit their economies. Floods, snowstorms, and hurricanes are a fact of life in the northeast. Amtrak needs funds not only for their day-to-day operations, but to invest in preventative and restorative infrastructure so that events like those this past weekend don't make New Jersey less competitive in the world market.
I wonder how much productivity is lost and what is the economic cost due to events like these and if we had alternate routes through another trans-Hudson tunnel how much of that cost would have been averted.
"Governor Christie is relying on the Port Authority of NY-NJ to contribute $1.8 billion to pay for road and bridge projects that should be paid for by the state's bankrupt transportation capital program. The Governor canceled one of the country's most worthy transit projects, the ARC commuter rail tunnel, so he could redirect Port Authority's monies for that project to his state's transportation program."
It's great that our transportation fund will receive an infusion of $1.8 billion. It's not so great that this income will be funded by a base fare increase of $1 (57% fare increase!) on the PATH line and a toll increase of $4 for EZ Pass and a surcharge of $3 to increase the rate from $8 to $15 for those who pay cash. The plan has to be approved at an Aug. 19 Board meeting and is subject to a veto by either the NY or NJ governors.
As a result of this arrangement Christie does not have to increase our taxes, but we pay the Free lunch bill through higher fares and tolls. He may not be technically raising our taxes but the impact on our cost of living is the same as the money comes out of our pockets. With NJ Transit service cuts and a 22% fare increase in 2010 this maneuver is all too familiar, and particularly difficult for those with less income. Furthermore, playing this game of how to raise money for our transportation fund is neither a viable nor long term solution.
Both the fare and toll increases are too high. Senator Frank Lautenberg says, "This is an outrageous proposal by the Port Authority. It's yet another assault on New Jersey's commuters. These increases are disproportionately punitive to New Jersey residents and fundamentally unfair. Even toll increases half of this size would be unacceptable." Governor Christie should disallow these increases and insist that they be substantially reduced. Then the "free lunch" will have a fairer cost and reduce the burden on those who cannot afford it.
I happen to like Wawa coffee much better than I do Starbucks. And the price at the yellow goose is much less than the price at the green siren - about $1.80 for a 16-oz cup.
Governor Christie recently cut $10 million from the state's aid for legal services to the poor and indigent. Ten million sounds like a lot of money, but it's 37% less than the cost of a cup of Wawa coffee for each citizen of New Jersey.
Assemblyman Peter Barnes held a hearing of the Judiciary Committee yesterday in Trenton to learn about the impact of the governor's cuts to an already decimated budget for legal services. Testimony was presented by law school deans whose internship programs to help the poor in Newark and Camden are affected, the head of New Jersey's Legal Services group, a union representative, and a citizen-advocate.
An Amtrak VP has confirmed to Asbury Park Press that Amtrak is in talks with NJ Transit to salvage the largest infrastructure project in the country - ARC Tunnel - after Gov. Christie pulled the plug a few days ago.
The plan could recycle NJ Transit's design, developed over many years of planning, engineering and environmental work, as part of Amtrak's first phase of a national high speed network. NJ Transit's already spent $500-$600 million of state and federal money on tunnel design, planning and securing environmental permits, in addition to construction work on an overpass to take Routes 1 & 9 over the tunnel mouth in North Bergen.
This confirms for the first time that a second set of rail tubes to join the 100-year-old single-track tunnels built by Pennsylvania Railroad are in Amtrak's Northeast Corridor High Speed Rail Plan. But besides the costs associated with delay, it looks like Christie's decision will still cost New Jersey big. Assembly Transportation Chair John Wisniewski:
I encourage Amtrak and NJ Transit to continue their discussions, but the bottom line is Gov. Christie mismanaged this project so badly that we've apparently already lost the $3 billion in federal aid allocated for this project. That stunning lack of foresight on the governor's part will hurt our taxpayers and economy for years to come.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg is trying to negotiate a reduction in the amount NJ Transit will have to repay the federal government for $350 million in stimulus funds used toward the ARC Tunnel. Already gone is that $3 billion in Federal Transit Administration "new starts" money. Officials said that money cannot be used for a joint Amtrak-NJ Transit tunnel. NJ Transit spokesman Paul Wyckoff:
The new starts money can't be repurposed. That program is competitive, and projects are ranked. We can't roll it (over to another project) and the FTA can't. It is a statutory process.
I randomly found something interesting. I stumbled onto a New York Times article about Xanadu, and here's what our governor had to say about spending money to supplement billion-dollar projects three months ago:
With the Xanadu entertainment and shopping complex three years behind schedule and in need of an estimated $875 million to open, Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday that it was time for the state to help resuscitate the project.
So using state money to save a private, unnecessary entertainment complex funded by billionaires is more important than supplementing federal funds already appropriated to add a lifeline to a failing train fleet?
With Chris Christie spending most of this month out of state for GOP political trips - sometimes with a powerful GOP lobbyist along, sometimes getting in the face of people with questions - NJDSC produced a video primer of our Governor, with some of the things he might not be mentioning as he helps Republican candidates rake in the money in the days leading up to the November election. Here it is, called "Consequences of Christie. Does it tell the story?
He just beat me to the punch, saying what I was writing for a post here - but saying it better, and saying it as a NJ Senator. Lesniak just made a public statement calling for the re-hiring of a NJ Transit worker who did something Lesniak does not agree with - and I think is offensive and dumb - but nonetheless has nothing to do with how he does his job for the public. In this morning's News Roundup, I asked the question whether the firing of a New Jersey Transit worker because he burned the Quran by the misnamed 'Ground Zero' Muslim cultural center site.
Derek Fenton, 39 and from Bloomfield, was apparently inspired by "Reverend" Terry Jones' threats to do the same thing, but Jones backed down. Fenton didn't. In a NJ Transit statement, the agency said Fenton's actions violated "New Jersey Transit's code of ethics."
Huh?
I think it's groovy that the bus and train people have hammered out their own set of ethics and all, but if they're being applied when employees are off-duty and doing things unrelated to their work, it's time to re-think. Given the facts as we know them, Fenton's First Amendment rights were violated.
And that don't make the trains run on time.
I'm going to print Lesniak's full remarks after the jump, because he was first, and they're worth reading. So, jump.
A story is up on nj.com saying that Christie is claiming it was his decision to put a 30-day hold on construction of the ARC Tunnel, the new rail tunnel connecting NJ with New York, two days ago.
Up til now, it has been unclear what was going on with this hold. This story makes this a big deal for a few reasons:
So, in sum, this should be a no-brainer for anyone - we are using mainly other people's money to make our state a more attractive and wealthier place. And it's about time - wasn't Christie just complaining a couple of months ago about how little we get back from Washington?
NJ Transit commuters were dealt a major blow after its board green lighted a plan to increase fares by a whopping 25 percent–the largest fair increase in the history of system–for rail and commuter bus lines. Worse yet, it seems as though the plan includes gutting off peak discounts for commuters who choose to ride during non busy periods. The monstrous fare hike is scheduled to take effect May 1st.
Would it help if I informed governor Christie that commuters don’t use the train to teach New Jersey’s schoolchildren?
Governor Christie’s madman quest for savings and to fulfill his campaign pledge of bringing NJ out of insolvency with fierce fiscal responsibility seems to overlook the roughly 380,000 hard-working, tax paying citizens of NJ who rely on NJ transit to commute to work on a daily basis. Moreover, in his support for this massive fare hike Gov. Christie fails to see the obvious consequences that are surely follow the fare hike. For example, this tiny little recession thingy in which our country is still very much ensnared. Therefore, this increase is nothing short of a "turnstile tax,"unduly thrown onto the laps of the poor and working-class families of New Jersey and blatantly overlooking the great many NJ residents who have no choice but to take the bus and train to get to where they're going.
For instance, in his blind search for savings Governor Christie may have also overlooked the fact that a major fare increase will lead to less ridership and more motorists on the road, thus creating more pollution and congestion.
One commuter, for example, predicted that the fare hike would prompt more people to jump into cars. "When the cost of gas hit $4 a gallon in 2008, people drove less," he said. "When the cost of transit goes up 25 percent this year, fewer people will ride transit. This will put more commuters onto our highways, which are already over-crowded."
Indeed, commuters who can't absorb this egregious fair hike during already rough economic times might instead choose to drive.
On the fare Hike, Governor Christie had the following to say:
“I feel badly for those folks that are impacted by it, but this is the mess I was left with and I am not going to clean it up by putting under the rug, which has been done over and over again for the last two decades in New Jersey.”
In sum, if Governor Christie is so bent on closing the 300 million budget gap and if he really ‘feels bad,’ then perhaps he can take a 25 percent pay cut in his salary. Of course that would be the noble thing to do and nobility and politics go together like Tiger Woods and monogamy.
Following three days of public hearings, the head of NJ Transit signaled there may be a slight reprieve to the hit riders are about to face:
"I would suspect that it probably is going to be adjusted," he said following a hearing at the East Brunswick Community Arts Center Theater.
"At this time, a 25-percent increase is an extraordinary, extraordinary burden, so we'll take that into consideration," he said.
Many who attended said its a tax hike, not a fare hike. NJ Transit said they'll make adjustments where there are unintended consequences. The NJ Transit Board is scheduled to meet on April 14th with the changes going into effect May 1.
Gov. Christie's plan to hike public transit fares 25% - while cutting service - was met with outrage and class resentment at public hearings conducted by NJ Transit last night. Fares would go up, but 32 trains and 33 buses dropped; 200 transit workers laid off. A dozen more hearings tonight and tomorrow (schedule below) are the public's chance for feedback on the governor's plans.
Some of the strongest audience response came during angry testimony by David Peter Alan of South Orange, a legally blind attorney who calls himself "transit dependent" (a video tracks his 2-hour commute). He called the pricing policy "a flagrant act of contempt against people who do not have access to an automobile ... implemented with reckless indifference to our mobility." Some commuters said they now face a choice: transportation or food. And there's little question many riders are already living on pared-down budgets, with their daily to-and-from carefully planned for. A sharp spike in those costs is a threat to their solvency, and for some commuters that's particularly irritating coming from a wealthy car-culture governor.
Hearings were held in 4 communities last night; Paterson, Trenton, Manalapan and at NJ Transit's Newark HQ, where it was standing-room-only inside and waiting list outside. There were about 140 people in the room when Adya Beasley of Star Ledger shot this video:
Angry commuters respond to proposed NJ Transit fare hike
There are 12 more hearings, all tonight & tomorrow. Looking for one near you? Complete schedule's after the jump.
Here is a video NJ Transit put out with a powerpoint explaining the FY 2011 budget:
I'll put the full schedule of hearings and locations below the fold. If you attend a hearing, drop us a report in the comments. If you can't make it to a hearing, you can still have your voice heard through this online comment form. To date, they've received over 2500 comments and I'm sure they get some pretty entertaining responses.
On the losing side, well, just about everything else.
When it comes to the service cuts and fare increases for NJ Transit however, this is a world of hurt for New Jerseyans on so many levels. NJ Transit recently released a "proposal" with public hearings to be held later this month, that deal with a 25% fare increase in many instances to deal with the funding cuts Christie proposed last month. On top of the fare increase - which largely hits those who commute into Manhattan for work as well as those who rely on public transportation (read: more lower and middle income people) to get to work or to get around. So while the super rich get a tax cut that can help them with their vacation home or 4th car, everyone else gets a transportation tax increase.
Further modernization of these systems in New Jersey is fundamental to providing a safe and operational infrastructure while improving the quality of life for the state's residents.
So not only does Christie screw over those who can afford it least, he does it by cutting mass transit and public transportation services, which could very well lead to more use of cars, more pollution and more stress on our already overstrained roads and bridges.
But at least Wal-Mart and the super rich will be happy.
Update by Hopeful: Reactions from legislators are posted in comments. Republicans are supportive, Democrats promise a "long, hard look."
Chris Christie will be addressing the legislature today and is expected to describe how he will close this year's budget gap. The speech is scheduled for 10:30AM and we'll live blog it.
Gov. Chris Christie will declare a state of emergency in a major budget speech today, laying the groundwork to make a range of cuts that will include $475 million in withheld state aid to schools, according to people familiar with his plans...
Christie will introduce $475 million in cuts to school funding to more than 500 school districts, a move he will not need legislative approval for, according to a Democrat who was briefed by Christie administration officials Wednesday night.
More furloughs, however, are not expected.
You'll remember that Corzine had proposed cuts to state aid in December, but thought he needed legislative approval and didn't get it by the time he left office.
Passengers said getting rid of Train 4610 on the Atlantic City line would hinder their ride to work. The train leaves here each weekday at 5:49 a.m., and arrives at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station at 7:24 a.m.
NJ Transit said it's shifting schedules and making some cuts to match demand. But spokeswoman Penny Basset-Hackett said the agency does not have ridership details for the 4610 train.
Service will end Friday unless a quick change is made to NJ Transit's plan
Shouldn't you get the details on how much lines are used before you decide to cancel them? What if demand is actually high on this line, compared to others. And that's not the answer they gave NJN, event though they wouldn't talk on camera:
...declining overall ridership on the line coupled with the need to operate as efficiently as possible, has made this necessary
So one spokesman says they don't have details of ridership, but the other one says that the declining ridership forced the change. Maybe they're right and demand is so low that the line should go, but shouldn't they have the details before making the move? Or shouldn't they get their stories straight at least?
Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who has railed against New Jersey's mix of high taxes, fees and tolls, today would not rule out raising fares on NJ Transit trains and buses as he introduced two of his transportation policymakers. ...[H]e said that would tie the hands of James Weinstein, named today as executive director of the transit agency, as he tackles its budget.
Yet, he still insists on tying the hands of policymakers in creating a fair Transportation policy for NJ by refusing to consider raising the gas tax.
Christie reiterated his vow not to raise the gas tax to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund, a state account for road and transit projects that officials say will run out of money by 2011.
While we've seen many examples of Christie's hypocrisy and impossible inconsistencies in his campaign promises. Get ready to add this one to the list.
The 
