Christie Defends Privatization, Corporate Power, Guns & Attacks on Women
Democrats Neutered by Sham “Bipartisanship”
[Update: 7/10/13 – Colleen O’Dea at NJ Spotlight writes a good story: Christie Vetoes Bill That Would Check His Power to Privatize – good fit with my initial observations with exception of the “balance” thing, which creates a form of false equivalence. As usual, the commenters get it – end update]
The Star Ledger budget signing story today mentioned that Governor Christie vetoed 8 Democratic bills in its headline, but failed to report exactly what those bills were, explain why the Governor vetoed them, or draw any meaning from the Gov.’s exercise of the veto power.
I guess Trenton insiders are familiar with the substance of the vetoes, but the 99% of the rest of us aren’t.
This is the typical Trenton Statehouse biased journalistic way of hiding the Governor’s controversial and unpopular moves – while making him appear bipartisan.
No wonder the Gov. remains popular in the polls – the media consistently fails to report the substance of his unpopular policy agenda, while the Democratic leadership is complicit, thereby squelching progressive voices.
So, I figured I check out the Gov.’s website and find out what he was up to in exercising more record breaking veto power – what has been called “executive over-reach”.
On that website, the vetoes were summarized and a link was provided to an “Omnibus Veto Message”, but the document is not formatted correctly and mostly illegible as posted, but seems to state that the vetoed bills were:
not part of the negotiated appropriation, were proposals that would deplete the state’s fiscal resources, restructure government in a significant manner, and alter the policy and spending priorities set forth in the appropriations Act.
As suspected, the Governor’s veto’s illustrate his right wing policy agenda and political commitments to privatization and corporate power, and opposition to women’s health.
This is what the weekend and compromised Christiecrat Democrats get by playing “bipartisan” political games.
Here is the list of the 8 bill’s Christie vetoed:
BILLS VETOED:
SCS for S-968, 1494/A-998 (Weinberg, Turner/Vainieri Huttle, Watson Coleman) – ABSOLUTE – Establishes procedures and standards regarding public service privatization contracts
S-2188/A3775 (Gordon,Weinberg/Wagner,Eustace,DeAngelo,Benson) – ABSOLUTE – Requires employer notification when relocating call center services outside the United States
S-2644/A-4233 (Vitale, Gill, Weinberg/Oliver, Prieto, Quijano) – ABSOLUTE – Expands Medicaid eligibility pursuant to federal “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”
S-2825/A-4172 (Weinberg, Greenstein, Sarlo/Mosquera, Lampitt, Stender, Jasey, Watson Colman, Wisniewski, Caride) – ABSOLUTE – Makes FY 2013 supplemental appropriation to DOH for $7,453,000 for family planning services
A-3668/SCS for S-2467, 2471 (Jasey, McKeon, Cryan, Johnson, Quijano/Gill, Weinberg, Codey) -ABSOLUTE – Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies manufacturing, importing, and selling assault firearms for civilians use
A-3807/S-2595 (Caputo, Tucker, Wagner, Eustace/Rice, Gill) – ABSOLUTE – ‟Corporate Disinvestment Property Tax Relief Act”; appropriates $13.5 million
A-3878/S-2673 (Conaway, Riley, Lampitt, Eustace/Gill) – ABSOLUTE- Requires Commissioner of Banking and Insurance to establish public awareness campaign about new federally required health insurance exchange
A-4171/S-2824 (Wagner, Vainieri Huttle, Stender, Quijano, Eustace/Weinberg, Gill) – ABSOLUTE – Provides Medicaid coverage for family planning services to individuals with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level
The 2016 presidential campaign started with these vetoes and his statements on DOMA/Marriage Equality – he’s so comfortable with his lead in the governor’s race that his pandering to the right has already begun. Hard to take, but it’s been enabled by Dems as well. Ugh.
@scott olson
Yup – and because I sometimes criticize Democrat -including the handful of progressive Dems – I’ve been banned from cross posting and commenting at Blue Jersey, which should be the home of these kind of discussions.
So, the problems are very, very, deep.
Just look at how the Obama supporters have sat in silence as Obama goes to the right of Bush on major issues.