On “60 Minutes” Gov. Chris Christie Recites GOP’s Mantra: Austerity for Thee, But Not for Me

[Donnachaidh]

http://firedoglake.com/2010/12/20/on-60-minutes-gov-chris-christie-recites-gops-mantra-austerity-for-thee-but-not-for-me/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

On “60 Minutes” last night, wingnut favorite Chris Christie sat down with Steve Kroft and wagged his finger at people who work for a living.

…after looking at the books, he decided to walk away from a long-planned and much-needed project with New York and the federal government to build a rail tunnel into Manhattan. It would have helped the economy and given employment to 6,000 construction workers.

Gov. Christie acknowledged that’s a lot of jobs. “I canceled it. I mean, listen, the bottom line is I don’t have the money. And you know what? I can’t pay people for those jobs if I don’t have the money to pay them. Where am I getting the money? I don’t have it. I literally don’t have it.”

Asked if this is going on all over the country, Christie told Kroft, “Yes. Of course it is. It’s not like you can avoid it forever, ’cause it’s here now. And we all know it’s here. And the federal government doesn’t have the money to paper over it anymore, either, for the states. The day of reckoning has arrived. That’s it. And it’s gonna arrive everywhere. Timing will vary a little bit, depending upon which state you’re in, but it’s comin’.“

But the federal government has plenty of money, apparently, to spend about $1 trillion annually in defense, and about $3 trillion (and counting) on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The federal government must have plenty of money, because it just granted a $900B tax cut, including hundreds of billions to millionaires and trust fund brats. And it had more than enough money to bail out Wall Street banks and Fortune 500 companies, to the tune of some $3T and change.

More at the link --

[geardaddy]

1. What a pig.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Was wondering about how to respond...but I could do no better than you have. Thanks.

[whathehell]

3. Yes, I believe that was the speech Joey Scar and the MJ Crowd were cheering on this a.m.

[geardaddy]

4. Thanks

That's just the first thing that came to mind.

[Lorien]

5. Let's not forget the 9 TRILLION (yes, with a "T") that we gave Wall street

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x45488 gotta give 'em everything we have and then some to fuel their gambling addiction, don't you know! :grr:

[JustAnotherGen]

6. The majority in New Jersey

Got what they voted for. The 48.5% that voted for him they wanted this. Now they have to live with - as do I . . . even though I did NOT vote for him.

But - in the meantime - if he was such a 'practical' guy - he would lower the tolls. For those outside of NJ - the tolls were raised just a couple of years ago in anticipation of this project. Well- he killed it. And you know what? The tolls are too damn high. Put them back to pre-tunnel rates.

And yes - I've written, whine, cajoled, sneered, and cried to my NJ State reps about this - but it's like an extra 'eff you NJ' by not putting them back to pre-project rates.

[mistertrickster]

7. Amen. That was the same thought I had watching this.

In fact, I had to hold myself back from shooting the TV.

"Private employees don't have pensions anymore, so why should state workers?"

Yeah, great idea. Two wrongs now make a right.

[Johonny]

8. He can do everything but raise taxes on rich people

heaven forbid we start taxing the generated wealth of the nation. Instead we'll just cut programs that drive more people into poverty. Genius!