APP: Elect Christie to second term
October 25, 2013Asbury Park Press Editorial Board | October 25, 2013 | Asbury Park Press
Four years ago, we endorsed Chris Christie for governor. We argued that he was the best hope for turning this state around, for containing government spending at all levels of government, bringing public employee salaries and benefits under control and making New Jersey attractive to businesses again.
To a large degree, he has succeeded. New Jersey now has a 2 percent cap on government spending. Public employee pension and health benefits have been reined in, with the largest impact on taxpayers still to be felt. Caps on arbitration awards equal to the 2 percent cap are in place. And while the rate of unemployment in the state remains high, Christie at least has sent a clear signal to the business community that it is welcome in New Jersey.
Perhaps more importantly, through the force of his personality, his forthright style and his powers of persuasion honed as a prosecutor, he has forged a leadership style that has resonated not only with a majority of New Jersey residents, but nationally as well. He has almost single-handedly rebranded New Jersey.
