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The Record--Christie cancels Fair Lawn forum to campaign with Trump
Governor Christie has canceled a Monday forum in Fair Lawn where he was expected to promote his new school-funding plan to instead campaign with Donald Trump.
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed that Christie will travel with the presumptive Republican nominee on Monday. Trump is scheduled to make a “speech on veterans reform” in Virginia Beach, Va.
In the aftermath of the fatal shootings of five Dallas police officers Thursday, Trump canceled a Friday event in Miami in which Christie was expected to appear. Hicks provided no other details about Monday’s event.
Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie, said that the forum “is being rescheduled, not canceled.” He added, “In response to the tragedy in Dallas many schedules were adjusted over the past few days.”
Trump recently has met with and campaigned with politicians cited as short-list contenders for vice president, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, in advance of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this month. Ernst effectively took herself out of contention after the meeting.
Christie, who is leading Trump’s White House transition team, has been rumored for several months to be on the short-list. Trump has said Christie is in contention for some high-ranking position, but has declined to say what it may be.
Christie’s office announced the cancellation of the Fair Lawn event on Saturday evening, six hours after Trump announced his speech in Virginia.
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI |State House Bureau | The Record| July 9, 2016
Star Ledger--How Christie's school funding plan could affect your property taxes
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's proposed school funding overhaul could produce property tax relief from as much as $4,500 for the average homeowner in Glen Ridge to a little as $5 on average in Mount Ephraim, according to state data.
Across New Jersey, 368 towns would see property tax reductions including 90 municipalities that would experience at least $2,000 in average household savings, according to an analysis released by the governor's office.
The relief from New Jersey's highest-in-the-nation property taxes would be widespread and substantial according to the state's calculations: A $4,262 reduction for the average homeowner in Mountain Lakes, $3,339 in Montclair and $3,268 in Mendham Township, all without any reduction in local services.
But that scenario — one that governor declined to explain the math behind — wouldn't come without consequences.
In promoting the plan, Christie's office makes no mention of the towns that would not see tax relief. For those 145 municipalities, the ramifications could be devastating, an NJ Advance Media analysis found.
Stephen Stirling and Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com |on July 11, 2016 at 7:00 AM, updated July 11, 2016 at 7:32 AM
NJ Spotlight--At NJ Spotlight Roundtable, Competing Visions of How to Fix Public-Pension System
Heated discussion leaves little room for common ground; former governor says situation may need federal intervention
It’s been well over a year since the New Jersey Supreme Court invalidated a key component of a bipartisan state benefits-reform law, throwing new doubt on the future of the $71 billion public-employee pension system.
Yet a dispute between Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic legislative leaders about what to do in response has now dragged on into this summer.
Christie wants to make drastic changes, including freezing current pension funds and slashing public-worker health benefits. Democrats and unions instead want to ask voters this fall to write into the state constitution a guarantee that the state will soon begin making the full pension contributions, as calculated by actuaries.
Both ideas were put under the microscope for a few hours on Friday during an animated panel discussion hosted by NJ Spotlight.
John Reitmeyer | July 11, 2016
