Christie’s Talk Is Blunt, but Not Always Straight

[dtotire]

Christie’s Talk Is Blunt, but Not Always Straight
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
Published: March 9, 2011


New Jersey’s public-sector unions routinely pressure the State Legislature to give them what they fail to win in contract talks. Most government workers pay nothing for health insurance. Concessions by school employees would have prevented any cuts in school programs last year.

Statements like those are at the core of Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign to cut state spending by getting tougher on unions. They are not, however, accurate.

In fact, on the occasions when the Legislature granted the unions new benefits, it was for pensions, which were not subject to collective bargaining — and it has not happened in eight years. In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. The few dozen school districts where employees agreed to concessions last year still saw layoffs and cuts in academic programs.

“Clearly there has been a pattern of the governor playing fast and loose with the details,” said Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University. “But so far, he’s been adept at getting the public to believe what he says.”


more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/nyregion/10christie.html?_r=1&hp

[Zoeisright]

1. "Fast and loose on the details."

In other words, LIES.

[rfranklin]

2. I read that as "fats and loose"...sexiest man alive according to Republicans...

Gov. Christie called 'hot and sexy' at town hall meeting
HOPATCONG — Gov. Chris Christie was thrown off guard, but only for a moment, at Wednesday's town hall when an admirer in the audience called him "hot and sexy" and the audience erupted.

"I'm going to ask you, before leaving here, to write a note to my wife," Christie interjected to Debra Nicholson, who was playing off a Quinnipiac University poll finding that the governor is slightly hotter -- albeit in a political context -- than President Barack Obama.




http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110310/NEWS01/103100318/Gov-Christie-called-hot-and-sexy-at-town-hall-meeting?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s