Saturday, January 19, 2013

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Christie Uses NRA To Silence His Biggest Critics

Jersey Jazzman: Christie Uses NRA To Silence His Biggest Critics:



Oversight of Education Dies In NJ

Here's an interesting tidbit I haven't seen reported in the local press:
Bill Would Require Public Disclosure of Private Funding of State Services
Assembly Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto and Assembly Education Chairman Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. announced  December 14 that they have introduced legislation to establish legislative oversight of private money being used to pay for state services. 
The legislation comes on the heels of press coverage outlining several grants provided by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to the New Jersey Department of Education in recent months.  The grants total over $430,000 education grant, and include a stipulation that the funding is available only as long as Gov. Chris Christie remains in office (Private education grant tied to Gov. Christie staying in office, NJ 



Christie Uses NRA To Silence His Biggest Critics

Say what you will about Chris Christie, but always takes advantage of a good political opportunity.

Yesterday, with one simple statement, he managed to pull himself toward the political center in anticipation of his upcoming campaign for reelection as New Jersey's governor, and set up a defense against what could be one of the most effective attacks against him in that campaign.

Because when Christie lashed out against the NRA, he not only created his own Sister Souljah moment; he set up a defense against his personal hypocrisy on the issue of school funding.

Popout

Let me start by giving Christie his due here. The plain truth is that even if I believe the power of the NRA is way overstated, it still takes political courage for any nationally recognized Republican to take them on. Christie deserves credit for doing so; however, it would be naive not to acknowledge that there is a benefit, in a deep blue