Christie would not say how he would close the gap, other than to rule out raising taxes. He said he would try to implement a Corzine cost-cutting proposal to require school districts with excess surplus to use the money in place of state aid beginning next month..."

Gov. Chris Christie signs executive orders, says state is $1B deeper in debt

By Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau

January 20, 2010, 1:56PM

TRENTON -- In the first hours of his term, Gov. Chris Christie today announced the state is $1 billion deeper in the red and signed a series of executive orders that could have sweeping consequences for towns, businesses and labor unions.

The text of the eight executive orders was not immediately released, leaving advocates scrambling to interpret the new landscape. Christie said they included fulfilling campaign pledges to halt unfunded mandates on towns, freeze new regulations on business and broaden state pay-to-play prohibitions to limit donations by labor unions -- a key Democratic constituency.

Among the other executive orders were steps to make state spending more transparent online, and to ensure casino regulators can continue to work in the event of a state government shutdown -- unlike in 2006, when Atlantic City gambling halls were shuttered during a week-long budget dispute.

Christie said he was not laying the groundwork for such gridlock this June, when he will have to agree on a budget with a Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Christie criticized outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine for leaving a "final parting gift" of an undisclosed $1 billion shortfall in the current budget, which runs through June. The Republican said he learned of the deficit at 2 p.m. Tuesday, two hours after he took the oath of office, and would begin to tackle it by meeting with economic advisors on Thursday.

"It's my responsibility now, not his," Christie said at a late-morning press conference.

Christie would not say how he would close the gap, other than to rule out raising taxes. He said he would try to implement a Corzine cost-cutting proposal to require school districts with excess surplus to use the money in place of state aid beginning next month.

Christie was harsh on his predecessor, saying Corzine refused to push for legislative approval for the school aid plan while instead signing lesser bills and appointing allies to state posts during his final days in office. Corzine has defended his actions to leave Christie a balanced budget with a surplus.

Christie gets to work

Christie: Unemployment, deficit both higher

January 20, 2010 • 12:20 pm

By Michael Symons, Gannett Bureau

News and notes from Gov. Chris Christie’s first news conference:

·  He signed eight executive orders. Four dealt with freezing, reviewing or revising state regulations. Another keeps Atlantic City casinos open in the case of a future government shutdown. The most politically explosive adds labor unions to the list of entities whose campaign contributions are limited by pay-to-play rules.

·  Unemployment in New Jersey rose to 10.1% in December, putting it higher than the national average.

·  The Corzine administration had information, which it didn’t share with Christie’s transition despite requested requests, forecasting that revenue for FY2010 would be $1.2 billion behind budget. It had dealt with the problem created by a $373 million revenue shortfall, plus increased spending demands. Christie said the new current-year problem is roughly $1 billion.

·  Christie will meet with his economic team tomorrow. Layoffs and furloughs will be among the topics discussed. He’s been saying the state could miss payroll come March, and he now says that date could be a lot closer.

·  The state has already paid, by wire transfer, the $121 million in special municipal aid to five cities that Christie said last week, when it was awarded, that he’d review.

·  Christie said the first group he encountered when arriving at the Statehouse this morning was some elementary school kids from Colts Neck touring the building. He said he’d never taken the tour, so he tagged along.

·  Christie wore an American flag tie for his first day at the new office. After signing the executive orders, he handed the pens used to sign each to people with a stake in that issue — ie., the Atlantic County area members of the Assembly got the pens for the casino-related order. Christie pocketed the union/pay-to-play pen: “I’m keeping that one for myself.”