Richard Perry/The New York Times
Running for New Jersey governor in 2009, Chris Christie hammered the Democratic incumbent, Jon S. Corzine, for using “one-shot gimmicks” to balance the budget, called it “unconscionable” to take away property tax rebates and railed against issuing more debt for transportation projects, promising to “start saying no to spending.”
But in four years in office, Governor Christie, a Republican, has relied
on the same kind of short-term strategies, diverting money for things
like affordable housing and property tax rebates to balance the budget,
and tapping funds intended for development of new sources of energy to
keep the lights on in state buildings.
Mr. Christie made headlines when he declared he was canceling
construction of a tunnel under the Hudson River to halt runaway costs,
but he has issued more debt for transportation projects than any of his
predecessors. Overall spending has risen 14 percent, and while state
surpluses nationwide are growing, New Jersey’s has shrunk to its lowest
percentage in a decade. The state’s bond rating is among the worst in
the country.
Article continues at nytimes.com
