Green to Christie after Supreme Court smackdown: Learn to compromise

Plainfield's Assemblyman Jerry Green had a few choice words for Gov. Christie after the New Jersey Supreme Court administered a smackdown to the governor yesterday over his attempt to dismantle the state's affordable housing program.

What did Green say?

In a release issued by Green, the Speaker Pro Tem of the Assembly, and posted on his blog (see here), he says --

...[t]oday’s court ruling is one more example of the governor’s failure to lead on important issues such as affordable housing.

Everyone agrees the Council on Affordable Housing has been an ineffective agency that has failed to accomplish its goal. That’s why the Legislature voted in January 2011 to abolish COAH, only to have Gov. Christie inexplicably veto it.

Our bill was backed by a broad range of businesses, housing advocates, legal experts and local officials who understood it was the best way to provide housing for working class residents, create jobs and spark the economy.

The governor, sadly, wanted a court fight. That accomplished nothing.

If Gov. Christie is truly interested in affordable housing reform, he should take another look at the Democratic bill to abolish COAH and truly work to find a compromise that will benefit everyone...

Christie's attempt to dismantle the Council on Affordable Housing was blocked by Wednesday's 5-2 Supreme Court ruling that he does not have the power to do so without the consent of the Legislature (see coverage by NJ Spotlight, PolitickerNJ, the Courier, and the Bergen Record).
 
The ruling is important not only with regard to the affordable housing question, but because Christie has shown an interest in politicizing all independent agencies by giving himself the ability to appoint their directors.

Not a good idea in general and certainly not with a proven bully like Gov. Christie.

Green is right: Christie should learn to compromise; but we'll see how that goes. I am not particularly hopeful.

---

• Jerry Green's Page:  "Christie should have signed bill, now he must learn to compromise"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]




View today's CLIPS here. Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to subscribe.