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!