Fat Cat: New Jersey’s Christie shuts down beach, takes family

New Jersey is currently in the midst of a government “shutdown” brought on by government inability to manage the state’s budget. And the “shutdown” turned out to be bad news for thousands of New Jersey residents hoping to hit the state’s public beaches over the July 4th holiday– Gov. Chris Christie closed them down. Of course, that didn’t stop him from enjoying some taxpayer-funded rest and relaxation along the Jersey shore.

Christie made clear last week that the government “shutdown” in New Jersey was unnecessary and avoidable, saying he was prepared to sign a budget that would have kept state services running smoothly. But the governor also took great pains to blame the shutdown on New Jersey House Speaker Vincent Prieto during a press conference over the weekend.

“This is embarrassing and it’s pointless,” Christie said during a press event.

At the center of the state’s shutdown saga is Prieto’s refusal to allow a vote on controversial legislation that would bring more oversight to Horizon, a public-private insurance entity in the state. Christie said he wouldn’t sign a budget as delivered by the legislature unless Prieto.

He didn’t– so Christie did his best to blame one man for the state’s “shutdown.”

The governor went so far as to approve posters for government buildings that announce closures with a big picture of the speaker.

No joke.

“They’re advice to people about why the buildings are closed,” he told a reporter. “And yes, they were approved by the governor.”

Basically, all the New Jersey residents who didn’t get to celebrate Independence Day at the beach over the weekend because of the government shutdown are political pawns to the governor. It’s sort of a Christie tradition to massively inconvenience the people of his state for political purposes. Anyone remember Bridge-gate?

After using tax dollars to make his political posters, Christie must’ve called it a day. Because NJ.com caught the governor soaking up rays on one of the states closed beaches.

From their report:

People hoping to visit Island Beach State Park this holiday weekend were not allowed in because of the state government shutdown Gov. Chris Christie ordered amid the state budget standoff in Trenton.

But there was one family there: Christie’s. They are using the summer beach house provided by the state for a weekend down the Shore.

Christie’s Sunday beach adventure is the stuff political PR nightmares are made of– but the tone deafness of parking himself on the beach as state residents were turned away probably didn’t cross the governor’s mind.

Reason Magazine noted that Christie is just another entitled politician:

The New Jersey governor already has a government home: Drumthwacket, a mansion outside the state capitol. Why the hell does he need some beachfront property too? In a sane world, Christie’s historic unpopularity would create the momentum for scaling back the governor’s perks. But that would require a shift in attitude toward the people attracted to high office. It would require people … recognize that Christie isn’t an aberration; he’s the norm.

No doubt. And crooked, conniving politicians probably need rest and relaxation more than the average person. Political shenanigans are tiring, what with all the required word twisting and lies.

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