Why Does Gov. Christie Get A Pass On Regulatory Policy?

Regulatory Policy Impacts Clean Air, Clean Water, Land Use, & Climate Change

Eyewitness News Reporter Jim Hoffer: – “You’re saying that this executive order will bring the polluters and government to an even cozier kind of relationship?”

Wolfe: “Right, it will make government facilitate, not regulate, but actually promote the interest of the polluters, protect the polluters, not the people of the state.”

Whether on the campaign trail or at a Trenton State House press conference, Gov. Christie reflexively rails against taxes and regulation. Those two issues are the meat and potatoes of traditional Republican politics.

Christie’s tax policy is routinely examined and criticized: everyone knows Christie vetoed the millionaire’s tax, blocked the gas tax, and provided over $5 billion in tax breaks to corporations. There have been hundreds of news stories and many “Think Tank” reports on the Christie tax policy.

But what about regulation?

The issue Gov. Christie regularly slams with slogans like “job killing red tape”?

Not so much.

I closely follow Trenton policy and media affairs, but – with the exception of a few superficial stories about Lt. Gov. Guadagno’s “Red Tape Task Force” –  I can’t recall an intrepid state house political reporter popping up at a press conference and asking Gov. Christie about his regulatory policy.

I do recall that there was one NY reporter, a TV reporter – the only reporter I am aware of that EVER asked Christie a direct question about Executive Order  #2 “regulatory relief” policy – Jim Hoffer from WABC TV news, who asked Christie a question about Executive Order #2 “regulatory relief” policy –

You can watch Governor Christie flat out lie in response to Hoffer’s question.

Ironically, long before the story broke on Christie’s Exxon billion dollar sweetheart deal – and the Exxon climate coverup revelations –  that question was asked as part of a story on the Bayway refinery: ( – at time 2:28 – transcript)

Wolfe says the massive spill in the gulf occurred because B-P cut corners on safety while the regulators looked the other way. Wolfe says Gov. Christie is making the same mistake, by issuing executive orders.

Bill Wolfe:  – “This executive order will put into force of law, the exact same policies that led to the disaster in the Gulf.”

Eyewitness News Reporter Jim Hoffer: – “You’re saying that this executive order will bring the polluters and government to an even cozier kind of relationship?”

Wolfe: “Right, it will make government facilitate, not regulate, but actually promote the interest of the polluters, protect the polluters, not the people of the state.”

Governor Christie, who months ago called for a ban on all oil and gas drilling off the Jersey coast, disputes claims he’s weakening the state’s environmental oversight.

Governor Christie: “There’s none of that stuff going on. I don’t know where you’re getting that from but none of that is going on.” 

Hoffer: “In your executive orders when you call for less regulation?” 

Governor Christie: “No, what we call for is common sense regulation, we don’t call for less regulation, we call for common sense regulation.”

FACT: Christie Executive Order #2 calls “for immediate relief from regulatory burdens”. “Relief” means “less regulation”.

So, as the media spotlight is focused on the Paris climate negotiations and now that Gov. Christie’s Republican nomination campaign seems to have been restored to life by the New Hampshire editorial endorsement, perhaps some intrepid reporter might ask Governor Christie about his regulatory policy in his own Executive Orders.

Even Christie Whitman took a LOT of media heat for her “Open for Business” regulatory policy.

So why is Chris Christie given a pass?