Is Gov. Chris Christie of N.J. Now a Global Warming Alarmist?

By Kevin Mooney

After expressing skepticism toward the concept of man-made global warming at a town hall meeting in Toms River, New Jersey last year, Gov. Chris Christie appears to have shifted over into the alarmist camp.

This has become a sore-point for free-market conservatives who have held out hope Gov. Christie may yet emerge as a GOP savior in the 2012 presidential race. On the scientific side of the equation, he is sending out mixed messages. On the economic side, he has delivered.

At a press conference in Trenton earlier this month, Gov. Christie announced that he would withdraw New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which requires participating states to cut their emissions by 10 percent come 2018. The program did not have any appreciable impact on the environment and only serves to burden state residents with higher costs, Christie pointed out in his public comments.

“RGGI does nothing more than tax electricity, tax our citizens, tax our businesses, with no discernible or measurable impact upon our environment,” Christie said. “So, we will withdraw from RGGI in an orderly fashion by year’s end. This also corresponds with the end of the first compliance period when compliance entities must true up, match their allowances to their emissions. By giving them this notice we are confident that the market and the participants will be able to adjust to our withdrawal from RGGI.”
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Court Rules N.J. Governor Must Fund Low Income Schools

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he will not defy Tuesday’s state Supreme Court ruling to increase aid to low-income school districts, but called the decision legally faulty and bad education policy.

He said it will be up to the Legislature to decide how to do it as it wrestles with the state budget over the next five weeks, and added he would veto the budget if he doesn’t like the Legislature’s approach.
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in a 3-2 decision Tuesday that the state must increase its funding to low-income school districts by an estimated $500 million. The ruling was the latest in the state’s long-running court battle over spending in poor schools, known as Abbott v. Burke.

That’s almost exactly the amount state says it has in a windfall from tax revenues coming in higher than expected. But Christie has said he wanted to use that money for other purposes, including property tax rebates.

Christie said the ruling represented “everything that’s wrong with how Trenton has historically operated.”
He said he does not believe that an additional $500 million will not make a difference in schools that already receive about 10 times that much in state aid each year.

Christie previously said he would consider defying the court if he disagreed with the much-anticipated ruling. But on Tuesday, he downplayed that comment, made on a radio show, saying that it was just one option.
Christie had warned for weeks that he feared the court would order the state to put another $1.6 billion toward schools. That’s how much a judge found it would cost to run the state’s full school funding formula.
If that happened, he said, the consequences could be dire, with money for town governments and hospitals on the line.

Written by Associated Press

56 New Districts Join the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, Providing Better Educational Opportunities for Students and Families

Trenton, NJ -- Fifty-six new districts will take part in the Interdistrict Public School Choice program in the 2011-2012 school year, increasing and improving educational opportunities for children and families, Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf announced today.


The Interdistrict Public School Choice program allows students the option of attending a public school outside their district of residence without cost to their parents.

“The Christie Administration wants all children to have the same hope and opportunity that comes with attending a school that fits their needs. The Interdistrict Public School Choice program empowers parents to make the best educational choices for their children, so they have the best chance for a successful future,” Acting Commissioner Cerf said.

“I also want to commend the 56 districts for participating in the program. It’s a clear sign that districts are taking steps to make better and more efficient use of their available space,” the Acting Commissioner added. “Choice is good for students because it expands opportunities, and it benefits taxpayers because districts are tapping a new revenue source.”

In the 2011-12 school year, students will be able to choose to go to a school outside their district of residence if the selected school is participating in the choice program.  Transportation of up to 20 miles, or funds to pay for transportation, will be provided by the district of residence to a student going to a choice school.  If the school is outside of the 20-mile radius, transportation will be the responsibility of the student, parents or guardians.

Currently, 15 districts are in the program. Today’s announcement brings the total number of districts participating in the program to 71. The students benefiting from choosing their own public school will nearly triple, from about 1,000 students now to nearly 2,900 students in the fall.

District participation in the program is optional.  The decision to apply to participate is made by the local board of education.  The district then sends an application to the Department of Education for processing and review.

The choice school sets the number of openings per grade level.  If there are more students requesting admission to the school than there are available openings, the school chooses the students by lottery. Any student currently attending New Jersey public schools is eligible to take advantage of this program.

For Immediate Release: Contact: Alan Guenther, Director

Olympian Carl Lewis To Run For NJ Senate

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis will today announce his intention to run for the New Jersey Senate as a Democrat.

Lewis emailed a media advisory to reporters saying he will be giving a speech at 2 p.m. at the Old County Courthouse in Mt. Holly to "make an announcement regarding his political plans." Democrats have been in talks with Lewis about a potential state Senate run in the 8th Legislative District against incumbent Dawn Addiego (R-Burlington). Lewis, a 49-year-old Medford resident, has never run for office. The 8th District, where Lewis will run, leans Republican. But Democrats feel that a famous and wealthy candidate like Lewis could make the seat competitive.

Although he's one of the most famous athletes in the world, rumors about Lewis' sexuality have been blamed for his lack of post-Olympics endorsement deals. Lewis has always denied that he is gay.

posted by Joe