As a child I learned not to spend what I don’t have.
It seems simple. Yet, few politicians understand the premise. Thus, I’d like to
contrast the governor of my State, Chris Christie, and California’s governor, Jerry
Brown.
After
taking office Governor Christie was faced with a state budget out of touch with
reality, overflowing with kickbacks and favors. Due to rising property taxes, a
real estate bubble and increased costs of living, people were leaving the state
in droves. It almost seemed as if North Carolina would soon become the New- New
Jersey.
It
was then that Governor Christie was faced with the 8.7 billion dollar trans-Hudson
tunnel that former Governor Corzine rushed through his administration in an unsuccessful
bid for reelection. (Yes, the same Corzine who mysteriously lost over a billion
dollars of his company’s money. Hey, maybe it allocated to the tunnel project?)
The truth is that a trans-Hudson tunnel would certainly be nice. However, there
was absolutely no way to pay for it. What is 8.7 billion dollars now could have
easily bloomed into 20 billion within a few years. Anyone who had construction
done knows the game.
And
this is where Governor Christie immediately stood out as someone different-
someone who’d do the right thing even if it were not popular. He knew there was
no way to build the tunnel. He understood the enormous costs of such a venture.
He also understood that raising taxes would cause the entire state to relocate.
Between NJ’s three former governors (I say the term loosely), Corzine,
McGreevey and Codey, the state had been taxed out and run into a financial
abyss.
Thus, Governor Christie
vetoed the bill, essentially ending the recent era financial insanity. He knew
the tunnel was pushed through Trenton not for the people but as a kickback for
those that got Corzine elected. He knew the cost would suffocate the state’s
floundering economy and create a mass exodus of its population.
Now let’s contrast Governor
Christie to Governor Jerry Brown. Unlike a measly 8.6 billion dollar bill for a
tunnel, he gave the green light to an 86 billion dollar mega-kickback known as
the high-speed rail. I don’t have to remind everyone out there that the socialist
state of California is bankrupt. What is happening out there is the exact
opposite of the gold rush. Instead of rushing in, people are rushing out to the
surrounding states.
The funny thing is that
some have called this trans-San Francisco to LA train the “Train to Nowhere”.
However, I’m labeling it the train to economic destitution. With California’s
economy totally in the crapper, this 86 billion dollar behemoth is set to
financial cripple the state indefinitely. What Jerry Brown has done is
essentially drove a spike straight through the financial heart of the state.
Caring more about re-election, paying off cronies and appeasing the groups that
got him into office, this governor set the stage for the second greatest
financial disaster our country has ever seen (the first being Obama’s 6 trillion
dollar deficit).
Now let’s think
logically. There is no possible way for the state of California to pay for this
train. Plus, how much revenue will it eventually bring in? The answer is: not
nearly enough. Plus, California has become one of the most business-unfriendly
states in the union. So tell me, what hard-working, responsible person would
really want to live in California anymore. Between Jerry Brown running the
budget and the lunatic senator, Nancy Pelosi, it has in Washington, what chance
does the state have for the future. The answer is: none!