newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ADELE SAMMARCO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The unabashed, “take me as I am or leave me”-style of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has struck again.

Christie, who has been known not to mince words, had some very direct and pointed directives for billionaire investor Warren Buffet.

"He should just write a check and shut up.... really, and just contribute," Christie quipped in a CNN interview.

Christie was referring to Buffett's support of being taxed at a higher rate than those Americans who are not earning his equivalent.

Buffet, widely referred to as “The Oracle of Omaha”, has advocated taxing the wealthy at a rate at least as high as that of middle-class Americans.

He penned his support in an op-ed New York Times piece last August entitled, "Stop Coddling the Super Rich".

Christie was on the hot seat Wednesday opposite interviewer Piers Morgan, defending his across-the-board 10 percent tax cut plan for all New Jerseyans.

The Garden State Governor has faced much opposition for his tax proposal and widespread criticism from Democrats who call the measure unfair to the middle class.

However, the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy is gaining strength as the economy continues to lag.

The latest budget plan proposed by President Obama requires Americans making more than $1 million to pay taxes at a rate of at least 30 percent.

The individual tax rate for the top one percent of Americans has been on a decline since the recession, falling to 19 percent in 2007, according to the Tax Policy Center.

Christie says he wants to be fair and give everyone a break by cutting all income taxes by 10 percent, and called upon Buffett to take matters into his own hands instead of advocating for a boost in taxes for the wealthy.

"I'm tired of hearing about it," said Christie. "If he wants to give the government more money, he's got the ability to write a check. Go ahead and write it."