NJ Budget Crisis

[Zkribbler]

Republican Governor Christie and the Democratic Legislature failed to reach a budget agreement by the deadline.

NJ's government is now closed, including the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Happy 4th of July.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Compromise is for Commies!

 

[Cutlass]

Multiple states have budget impasses. Economies aren't growing enough, and ideologues are screwing with people's lives for political gain.

 

[FriendlyFire]

How do these Republicans get elected ?
While it might be legitimate for State government to mandate private healthcare profits be put to use for extra healthcare benefits, the problem was mandating it for a single healthcare insurer then shutting down the government smacks of Republican corruption.Obamacare already has placed a cap on profits for private healthcare insurers. This entire shutdown is vindictive

“The governor has a residence at Island Beach. Others don’t,” Christie said. “Run for governor and you can have the residence.”

New Jersey owns a residence at the beach the governor can use. Christie’s office confirmed Saturday evening that Christie would be spending the holiday weekend with his family at the beach house in the park. Christie returned to the statehouse on Sunday, where he called lawmakers back in a failed effort to resolve the budget stalemate.

During a press conference with reporters on Sunday, Christie said he is planning on returning to Island Beach State Park by helicopter tonight.

 

[Arakhor]

It gets better, of course. Now Christie has been sighted enjoying the beach he closed to everyone else.

 

[EgonSpengler]

It's actually not that they couldn't reach an agreement on the budget, per se. Gov. Christie demanded the state legislature agree to a "horse trade" and agree to two, unrelated demands in exchange for signing their budget. They agreed one but not the other, so Christie went to the beach. fwiw, his current approval rating is somewhere around 15%. He's done at the next election, and he knows it, so I suppose he feels free to do whatever he wants.

The holdup is that Gov. Christie wants to force a not-for-profit health insurance provider to divert money from its reserve fund into public health programs. The state legislature agreed to the deal and approved the governor's bill, but the Speaker has refused to put it for a vote, because he believes that the health insurance provider will simply shift the burden to its policy holders by raising its premiums. So aside from whether or not the Governor and/or Speaker are petulant brats, the stupid, stupid, stupid American health insurance system once again makes life hard for everybody.