BLINDED BY THE LIGHT: Christie’s Attention-Seeking Antics Leave New Jersey in the Dark | EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL
by Christopher M. Halleron

“Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Oh, but Mama, that’s where the fun is…”
-Bruce Springsteen

At the risk of piling it on here, it’s well past time that New Jersey took a serious look at Governor Christie’s ambitions.

A little over two weeks ago, when our Icarus came crashing back to Earth following a failed Presidential campaign, many of us here in the Garden State had a long list of items that required attention.

Governor Christie’s answer? He scurries off to Fort Worth, Texas so that he can endorse Donald Trump for President.

While the ideologies of the Trump/Christie union present an everlasting gobstopper of political fodder, let’s just focus on our Governor’s current elected position—the one he seems so determined to ignore.

There was a time not so long ago when we embraced Governor Christie here in Hoboken. His post-Sandy visit was honestly uplifting to anyone who saw what we were facing here at that time, as it reassured people who had lost so much that their elected officials were there to help them through. He showed us all a fleeting glimpse of what committed leadership in New Jersey could have looked like.

Fast-forward a little more than three years later—the Governor’s answer to coastal flooding is, “I don’t know what you want me to do; you want me to go down there with a mop?”

In between all of that, in our little corner of New Jersey alone we’ve faced the petulant fallout from Bridgegate, accusations of spiteful threats to withhold funds for Sandy relief over favors, the universally panned effort to cut the PATH Train, and infuriating attempts to develop Liberty State Park.

Larger issues loom statewide—including the ongoing battle over pension cuts, the privatization of New Jersey’s drinking water, and a growing list of improprieties… not least of which being the question of who is paying for our Governor’s relentless dalliances with the national spotlight.

It’s apparent now that our Governor has no inclination to address any of these issues. The only commitment he’s making is to his own endeavors on the national stage.

In regards to those endeavors, I will wish him some form of luck… in the meantime, New Jersey needs leadership.

Phil Murphy, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany—and likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate—has called on Governor Christie to, “make a choice: Do your job or quit.”

As of press time, nearly 11,000 New Jerseyans have signed this petition. For what it’s worth, I’ve added my name.

Not that this is about me, but I feel it’s important to point out the fact that I’m a registered Republican here in the New Jersey. This goes beyond partisan politics—Governor Christie’s actions are destabilizing the State. While the overall damage to New Jersey’s Republican Party is very much self-inflicted, right now there are bigger things to worry about.

“Blinded by the light” of his own perpetual self-aggrandizement, our Governor—a renowned Springsteen fan—needs to “cut loose like a deuce,” and let New Jersey get back to business. Odds are the Garden State will get on just fine without him.

To quote Bruce one last time, “She’ll make it, alright.”

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Christopher M. Halleron is the Publisher/Editor of hMAG.
As a columnist and journalist, he has covered various aspects of life here in the ‘greater Hoboken area’ for the past two decades.
His opinions are his own.