Year of Rollback, Retreat, and Appeasement – Christie Worse Than Whitman 1994

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Bill Wolfe

The year 2010 began with low expectations for environmental progress.

We started in the wake of Obama’s disaster at the global warming treaty collapse at Copenhagen; with deep disappointment with Congressional Democrats’ inability to enact real reforms despite huge majorities in both Houses; and under a dark cloud cast by the election of  NJ Governor Chris Christie.

But remarkably, events actually were worse than anticipated, while we broke new ground on the appeasement front.

Needless to say, we have been very closely following the Christie Administration – and we’ve exhaustively documented a monstrous record.

In sum, we see 5 deeply disturbing trends:

  • Christie is engaged in systematic environmental rollbacks and attacks on regulation and government. There are indications that Christie’s policy and politics have become a model for fellow Republican Governors and Tea Party extremists;
  • the environmental community’s largest groups are asleeep or in retreat (with the exception of Jeff Tittel of Sierra Club, Environment NJ, and, more recently, the Highlands Coalition);
  • the NJ Environmental Federation is engaged in appeasement;
  • the press hasn’t even scratched the surface or tried to hold the Governor accountable;
  • the Democrats in the legislature either support the Governor or don’t have the spine to take him on (with the exception of Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono).

So here is the NJ 2010 year in review – a monthly calendar of major events followed by Wolfenotes.com (for national issues, visit the DC PEER site).

Our first installment covers the campaign, transition, and first quarter of 2010.

We set the stage for 2010 and begin with 2009 campaign and post election transition lowlights:

Campaign issues

Post Election transition: 

January

February

March

Come back tomorrow, when we present the second quarter of 2010.

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