Proving again that he cannot effectively govern, New Jersey Republican Governor and presidential aspirant Chris Christie lost a lawsuit for failing to pay adequately into his state’s public employee pension system.
After passing legislation that required both the state and its public employee unions to increase their contributions to the state’s pension system and after the unions met their obligations, Governor Christie used his line item veto to not pay the state’s full contribution required by a law he championed, signed, and took national credit for getting passed.
Once again Christie proves just how cynical, and in fact, how incompetent and ineffective he is.
The ruling against Christie came from a state judge appointed by a former Republican governor. There can be no cries of political favoritism.
The lawsuit Christie just lost was brought by the state’s public employee unions, which have been paying the higher contributions to the pension system required by the law Christie championed.
Christie began his tenure as governor by beating up on state and other public employees. He once famously attacked a woman at a town hall meeting for asking if Christie sent his own children to public schools. That episode along with the unnecessary lane closure episode during election season, and his relationship with the media have given Christie the much deserved reputation of a political bully.
Now Christie is running for the Republican nomination for president. Once thought of as a major contender, Christie’s personality and governing faults have greatly diminished his prospects in that campaign.
Image source: DonkeyHotey (CC BY 2.0)