Gov. Christie Says No More Spending Until He Gets A Tax Cut
By Pat Loeb
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) - No more Mr. Nice Guy! That's the message Governor Chris Christie delivered at a South Jersey Chamber of Commerce Thursday.
The New Jersey governor threatened to veto every supplemental spending bill the legislature sends his way, unless they cut taxes.
Christie is nothing if not tough on state legislators, but, he told the friendly audience in Cherry Hill, when it comes to fighting for his ten-percent income tax cut, the legislature hasn't seen anything yet.
"That ends today," he said. "I am tired of them lying to the public and that's what they're doing. They have the money to cut your taxes. All they need to do is cut spending but instead of cutting spending, what are they doing?"
Christie read a list of half a dozen recently passed bills, including improvements for day care, mentoring for parents and housing help for the elderly. Together these would cost several million dollars, to refute legislators' claim that the state can't afford a tax cut.
Christie said he'd veto all of them, and any others, until he gets his tax cut, which he estimates would cost $250-Million.
Senate president Steve Sweeney says the governor was being selective.
"Some of the supplemental spending bills are things his administration's asking us to do," he said.
Sweeney called the threat "political theater" and says lawmakers will be happy to cut taxes if there's money for it at the end of the year.
