Christie's concept of ‘shared sacrifice’ has become a distant dream

BY SALVATORE PIZZURO

COMMENTARY

The concept of “shared sacrifices” has become a distant dream in New Jersey.

In April 2008, the Daily Record and NJ.com reported that Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello had demanded that U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie step down. The disagreement between Cresitello and Christie stemmed from issues related to whether undocumented immigrants had committed a crime. Cresitello believed that undocumented aliens had broken the law, while Christie asserted that it was an administrative issue, rather than a legal one.

Christie gained state-wide and national attention with his “no-nonsense” zero tolerance of crime. However, on the immigration issue, he appeared to be soft. Nevertheless, by 2009, Christie’s star had risen, and the public, fed up with crime, especially by public officials, was looking for a savior from the unwanted curse of an economy that appeared to be dismantling.

Property taxes were higher than ever, and people were leaving New Jersey to take up residence in Pennsylvania, Florida and the Carolinas. Only the influx of immigrants prevented the population total from dropping.

Upon his election, Governor Chris Christie promised an economic salvation for taxpayers. Now, with nearly half his term completed, we find the economy weaker than ever. Unemployment has not dissipated, property taxes have not dropped, public schools are operating with fewer teachers to serve our children, public safety is in jeopardy with less police and fire professionals, and the public colleges are raising tuition for already financially strapped students.

Health care costs are rising each year, yet the Governor has not gone after the insurance and pharmaceutical industries in order to control health care costs. Rather, he proposes to make it more difficult for working New Jerseyans to afford heath care. Poorer New Jerseyans are in danger of losing all medical care with the Governor’s declaring that most of them will be ineligible for Medicaid services. Furthermore, affordable housing, once considered a goal in New Jersey, has now become a distant dream.

The future looks bleak with no hope in sight.

The New Jersey Network, the State’s singular source for in-house news (especially about State Government), is scheduled for extinction, ostensibly to save 11 million dollars, while the Governor is giving 180 million dollars to wealthy executives to save the Xanadu project which has already lost billions. In addition, the Sports and Exposition Authority has lost hundreds of millions over the years. Would it not be more cost effective to eliminate the Sports Authority and keep NJN?

When referring to Christie, Cresitello was quoted in 2008 as saying, "He should resign from office today." Perhaps he knew something at the time that we didn’t?

The poor and the vulnerable are being asked to pay for the mistakes of the wealthy. A millionaire’s tax is considered to be a sacrilege in Christie’s eyes. However, cutting Medicaid for the poor, eliminating teachers of working class children, laying off police and fire personnel, and cutting basic services in municipalities is considered ethical.

When he took office, our Governor asked us to make sacrifices. Nevertheless, he did not tell us that he was advocating that only one segment of the population make those sacrifices, while another segment was exempt.

Dr. Salvatore Pizzuro is a disability policy specialist and civil rights advocate in New Jersey.