Excerpt from Governor Chris Christie's 2013 State of the State address “…In K-12 education, we have made great strides, but there is much more to be done… In New Jersey, we have combined more funding with needed reform. Both money and reform of our schools are essential, but neither alone is sufficient. In New Jersey, we are leading the way for the nation by providing both. • Ensuring accountability by passing the first major reform of tenure in 100 years; Establishing performance-based pay in Newark through hard-nosed collective bargaining so that we can reward and retain the very best teachers where we need them most; Implementing inter-district school choice, which has tripled its enrollment in the last 3 years and will grow to 6,000 students next year; Growing the number of charter schools to a record 86 in New Jersey; Signing the Urban Hope Act to turn failing schools into Renaissance Schools in Newark, Trenton, and Camden; And finally, investing the largest amount of state aid to education in New Jersey history — $8.9 billion in this year’s budget, over $1 billion higher than in Fiscal Year 2011…” For FULL TEXT of the Governor's address, go to Members Only, sidebar left on this homepage...

Star Ledger - Gov. Christie pledges devotion to Hurricane Sandy recovery in State of the State address

By Christopher Baxter/The Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger on January 08, 2013 at 2:32 PM, updated January 08, 2013 at 5:05 PM

TRENTON — In a New Jersey comeback of an entirely different sort, Gov. Chris Christie today pledged in his annual State of the State address to devote the final year of his first term to rebuilding and reinvigorating areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy, particularly the iconic Jersey Shore.

"New Jersey’s spirit has never been stronger," Christie said in a 42-minute speech. "Our resolve never more firm. Our unity never more obvious. Let there also be no mistake: much work still lies ahead."

In his address one year ago, the governor declared, "The New Jersey comeback has begun," referring to the state’s halting economic recovery. He called for a 10 percent income tax cut, but by summer he had dropped the slogan as the economy continued to falter and Democrats pounced.

Now, the storm that ravaged the state on Oct. 29 has given Christie another kind of comeback to promote as he begins to campaign for a second term.

"Sandy may have damaged our homes and our infrastructure, but it did not destroy our spirit," he said. "The people of New Jersey have come together as never before. Across party lines. Across ideological lines. Across ages, races and backgrounds. From all parts of our state."

In a speech that was far more inspirational than aspirational, the governor did not lay out any new programs. And he said nothing of last year's repeated call for an income tax cut.

He made only a passing reference to the environment, and did not address social issues before state lawmakers, including an increase in the minimum wage and the effort to legalize same-sex marriage. And his Democratic rivals in the Legislature took notice.

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said after the speech the governor failed to mention how state revenue continues to fall far short of his projections, how crime increased across the state in 2011 and how the state remains one of the worst in terms of foreclosures.

"While we will focus in on what we need to do in ocean and Monmouth and southern Middlesex and Bergen, there are other counties in this state that are faced with critical challenges and the governor’s going to need to address those issues as well," Oliver said.

Rather, all passages led to Sandy, and Christie saluted some of the storm’s many heroes. He told the story of Frank Smith Jr., the volunteer fire chief in Moonachie who, despite his home and headquarters being destroyed, led a team of rescuers who saved more than 2,000 lives.

He thanked Marsha Hedgepath of Toms River, who swam through floodwaters, hitchhiked with a utility worker from Michigan and got to a hospital where she worked for a 12-hour shift to treat citizens injured in the storm. And he praised Tracey Keelen and Jay Gehweiler of Brick, who saved more than 50 residents and their pets from rising floodwaters.

"You see, some things are above politics," Christie said. "Sandy was and is one of those things. These folks stand for the truth of that statement."

But the governor said a lot of work laid ahead — both in New Jersey and in Washington, D.C.

The governor again called on Congress to pass the rest of the $60.4 billion relief package expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives next week. He also yet again sounded a cautious note to residents that rebuilding homes and and infrastructure will takes years.

"We will need to spend our funds wisely and efficiently," Christie said. "We will need to cooperate. We will need to learn the lessons from past disasters and listen to each other. The good news is that strong leadership and bipartisan cooperation makes all those things possible."

Christie said the storm also took a toll on the state’s economy.

"Just when we were coming back from the national recession, Sandy disrupted our economic life: cars weren’t bought, homes weren’t sold, and factories couldn’t produce. From those things we can catch up, and we are catching up. But make no mistake ... Sandy hurt New Jersey’s economy."

But despite the financial damage, the governor said he would not relent on keeping spending low and blocking any new taxes.

"We will deal with out problems but we will continue to do so by protecting the hard-earned money of all New Jerseyans first and foremost," he said. "We will not turn back.

The governor’s address came a day after a poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University showed nearly three-quarters of residents approved of his work as governor, and amid unrest within the state Democrat Party about who will step tot he plate this year to face him in the election.

So far, Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), is the only challenger to have jumped into the race.

Trying to draw a contrast with the governor, Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and other Democratic leaders on Monday said Christie was using the storm to distract residents from other problems such as weak job growth and a budget falling far short of revenue projections.

"His jobs package is a hurricane," Sweeney said at a news conference. "I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came. I shouldn’t say that. I apologize for saying that."

But Christie struck back, not with barbs but with bipartisanship. The governor said changes to health and pension benefits for state employees, a 2 percent property tax cap and the reorganization of the state’s higher-education system showed what cooperation can accomplish.

"Here in Trenton, in this chamber, we have had our fights," he said. "We have stuck to our principles. But we have established a governing model for the nation that shows that, even with heartfelt beliefs, bipartisan compromise is possible. Achievement is the result."