The Gov, The Bridge, Yougottaproblemwiddat?

 

Once you are a Jersey Girl, you are always a Jersey Girl.  It doesn’t matter if you move to California, Massachusetts or Honduras. (Has anyone ever lived in Honduras?)  If you are from New Jersey, (and it doesn’t matter what exit off the Turnpike -- we don’t identify ourselves with an exit), having suffered endless teasing, you are always particularly protective about other people from New Jersey.  And the fact that you never have to pump your own gas at a service station.

That being said, I have been asking myself, (no one else cares, so I ask me a lot of questions), what do I think of Chris Christie and all the hoopla about lane closing and excessive advertising expenses.  

Let me say upfront, there are often high level staff people in any administration who try to be too smart, and too cute, with political decisions they make.  Anyone who has worked in politics has come face to face with these yahoo’s.  They think that they will win favor with their boss if they find a clever way to make a point.  Closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge is neither cute nor smart --- so let the investigations begin. 

There is hardly a person who has worked at a senior level in any Administration who doesn’t think, at some point, that they are smarter than the Principal.  They are usually wrong, and more importantly, when things don’t work, they might get fired, but they will inevitably really screw things up for the person to whom they answer. Staff doesn’t suffer serious consequences.  The loss of a job is just the way they will learn their lesson.

It’s a fact that I don’t agree with most of what Christie believes is the right direction for the State or the country.  But, I understand why staff people do stupid things.  Do I believe that the Governor didn’t know about what his staff was doing?  It doesn’t pass the laugh test. But what’s more important to me is that he went to the Mayor of Fort Lee and he apologized.  He has apologized again and again. Even in the State of the State.  That will make a big difference to the people who he represents. Jersey girls and boys alike.  Personally, I don’t care who knew what when. Other people will figure it out.  When you get seasoned, (not old), you just have a different perspective on political decisions.

Now, let’s briefly talk about the excessive payment for the advertising agency.  First of all, payments to all advertising agencies, are excessive.  Of course the Gov was in the commercials, hey, He’s the Governor!  And did the commercials give people an upbeat sense that the future of the State and all those devastated areas was on the mend? Yes.  And did most of the people in New Jersey feel comforted by the Governor’s involvement? Yes.  Christie is a no bullshit communicator.  All you have to remember is “get the hell off the beaches!”

I do not mean to be too forgiving, but we just need to keep this country and New Jersey, moving forward.  I remain a very wised-up Democrat, who maintains my sense of self and humor.  We’re just sayin’... Iris