Governor Christi stars in a new video highlighting Republican infighting (click here)
Governor Christi needs to take the problems surfacing with the Port Authority seriously and have an investigation carried out for several reasons.
Bill Baroni’s resignation (click here) as deputy executive director comes as New Jersey Democrats allege that officials loyal to the New Jersey’s Republican governor on the agency, which runs the bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey among other transportation infratructure, shut down lanes on the busy George Washington Bridge as payback for the refusal of Fort Lee mayor, a Democrat, to back Christie’s reelection. Fort Lee is directly affected by bridge traffic.
Bill Baroni was a law professor and career politician. This is more than a surprise and I don't know if he resigned because he doesn't want to be connected to the scandal or because he is involved, but, this is a real surprise. I would not expect him to be involved either.
The Governor forgets within his successful administration are many career New Jersey employees. Many of them are unionized and protected from political whip lash that may manifest over this. But, career employees of the State take themselves and their regulations very seriously. They hold no loyalty to anyone but themselves and rightfully so. In some ways, New Jersey can run itself without a governing body. It is well established government that runs fairly smoothly most of the time.
The other aspect of this is the fact this is The Port Authority. Officials are connected to New York Port Authority as well and I guarantee you the New York Attorney General is already looking into their responsibility in this matter. There are financial implications and all kinds of pollution issues. New York will not simply look the other way.
So, while the New Jersey Governor is recently off a political run for the office he was re-elected into, he needs to realize something is seriously wrong here and call up an investigation and get this resolved. It is his responsibility both as Governor and the leader of the State Republican Party to clean up the hubris and realize lives were effected by this.
Straight up and honest. It's the only way. There are too many involved to think the truth isn't going to come out in the wash. I guarantee you it will.
