Christie Reverses Stand on Tax Increases After Storm.

[elleng]

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has pushed aggressively for cutting and capping taxes in New Jersey during his three years in office, said Tuesday that people who lived in towns destroyed by Hurricane Sandy were likely to pay higher taxes to help rebuild.

“It’s got to be paid for,” he said. “There’s no magic money tree.”

In a 40-minute news conference in Trenton, Mr. Christie said he expected the federal government to do as much as it had done for victims of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast to help rebuild New Jersey. And he said that municipalities would be allowed to raise property taxes more than the 2 percent limit that he signed into law in 2010 to cover costs brought on by the storm.

“No one’s ever happy with higher taxes, but the fact is, what annoys people more than anything else is waste,” he said. “As long as they know that the money’s being spent in a way that’s helping to bring their town back to life, I think people will understand it’s got to be done.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/nyregion/chris-christie-reverses-stand-on-tax-hikes-after-storm.html?hp

[Kalidurga]

1. Uh oh if he keeps this up...

He will end up with a D by his name. How will we handle that?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. How about we welcome him with open arms?

He might make a pretty good Democrat!

[Agschmid]

13. +1 n/t

[Exen Trik]

18. Hey could play one well enough

And he'd side with us to further his ambitions, but he'd never be worthy of ours or anyones trust.

[Flatpicker]

30. But that's most politicians

Through out history.

As long as he votes for our issues, I'd say take him in.

He's already a better Dem than Lieberman was.

[Bake]

24. My dear Peggy!

Christie's still got a long way to go before becoming a D, but who knows? He might get there!



Bake

[awoke_in_2003]

32. One thing I will give that man...

is that he speaks his mind. I may disagree with him sometime, but I can respect a man who "tells it like it is" and is wiling to evolve.

[cstanleytech]

34. Considering he still supported Romney? I'll pass.

However I wouldnt object to Obama nominating him for the position of Ambassador to Germany, France or Japan.

[snooper2]

5. nobody will make fun of his inability to put the Quarter Pounders down?

[NYC Liberal]

19. Another DINO? I think the GOP needs more moderates, not fewer.

The whole problem at this point is that almost all the moderate conservatives have left the GOP. Either they've become Democrats (pulling the party to the right, which is another problem) or they've become independents. Either way, moderates jumping ship is exactly why the GOP is so extreme now.

[PatrynXX]

25. think the storm during him into a Moderate

D no. R no. Moderate yes. which is where the Republicans (Reagan) used to be.

Nothing to it. When one faces such a thing. It may wake one up. without Revenue the Rich go bankrupt.

Course whats always misunderstood on Rich is shopping. Love going to Dollar General and finding BMW's usually current models in the parking lot. Yeah thats how they save money. They don't do Donald Trump . Thats the normal Rich. The VIP Rich not so much.

[Scootaloo]

26. I'd rather he spearhead reform in the GOP

I like what he's doing... just so long as he's doing it over there.

[Barack_America]

2. Based on what property value?

[Tx4obama]

4. How about the land developers cough up some money, since it was stupid to build so close to water ..

... in the first place.

[Mothdust]

6. how about big shot

Donald Trump pay for it ?

[ceejdre82]

10. he can donate $5 million.....or what about Mitt...he has some extra time on his hands

[whistler162]

21. True and he has experience shoveling

worthless sh#t!

[ceejdre82]

36. and cleaning a football stadium...did you see when he said that, comparing Sandy's aftermath to

cleaning a football stadium after a game!

[pnwmom]

23. It wasn't stupid a hundred years ago, when much of the shore was first developed.

Environmental science didn't exist as a field then and climate change wasn't on the horizon.

[iemitsu]

7. It seems, on the surface, like Christy may be softening up a bit on the

ultra-conservative approach toward governance but if you read closely his tone suggests otherwise, "No one’s ever happy with higher taxes, but the fact is, what annoys people more than anything else is waste,” he said. “As long as they know that the money’s being spent in a way that’s helping to bring their town back to life, I think people will understand it’s got to be done.” The implication is that when he sees a need for higher taxes "people will understand" but when a democrat sees a need for higher taxes he/she is advocating for waste.
He knows that government needs revenue but he, like other republican authoritarians, is sure that only he, or others who share his world view, can make responsible public policy.
What he is demonstrating however, is that he is a human being, who wants good things for his community and who is willing to be flexible in his governance to promote that goal.
That is not such a bad reputation for a republican governor.

[JI7]

8. Republicans seem to only see things when it happens, these people are the moderates

and then there are the others which probably make up the majority of republicans which is that what happened is because of the gays , godless country, socialism etc.

[Major Hogwash]

9. Reality hit Christie in the ass on October 29th.

No more posturing, no more bullshitting, no more Jersey shore.

Yeah, revenues are going to have to go way up in order to rebuild.
And Democrats call those revenues, "taxes".

Get used to it.

[bluestate10]

12. Yep. I love how he has called out Gulf State aid twice. Wonder whether Jindal still like Christie? n

[John2]

11. Da!

Go tell your buddies in the GOP that, this country doesn't run on air. So Christie believes in Big Government now. The poverty rate would go up in New Jersey if they got their way. Northern Republicans use to didn't side with State's Rights Politicians in the South. They just hijacked your Party and called themselves Republicans. Now you got people like Todd Akins, Mitch McConnell and Newt Ginrich. These are Strom Thurmond and Jessie Helm's politicians. You add in Gary Bower,Pat Robertson and Mike Huckabee what do you have. Then you add Rush Limbaugh ( the Republican's Archie Bunker).

[sheshe2]

14. Bye Bye Norquist and his pledge

Hello happiness!

Are they finally learning something! Please tell me they are.

[elleng]

15. SURE HOPE SO, she.

Lots of opportunities for 'them' to learn a thing or two, and seems as if some have done so.

[sheshe2]

16. We can only hope!

Thanks for the post! We need good news!

[4lbs]

35. Rachel Maddow said today that the number of GOP Congressmembers who signed the

Norquist pledge is very low.

He's gradually losing his power and influence.

That's good for us!

[Voice for Peace]

17. didn't he sign with grover?

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. The entire GOP front is collapsing

Attack!

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Maybe Christie should address Congressional Republicans

No magic money tree?

Bwahhhhhhhhhh! I want my millionaire tax cut so I can buy a new yacht!

[veganlush]

27. hey I'm starting to like this guy

he knows how to talk

[donco]

28. Grovers not

gonna like this.

[Javaman]

29. It appears as if christi is going to run for prez under Obama's platform. lol nt

[Flatpicker]

31. Just proves that Reality has a Liberal bias.

[benld74]

33. Is there an over/under line as to when Christie begins to act like his old self?