* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is heading to Illinois next week…
The trip coincides with advertisements that [Christie’s] administration began running Tuesday in publications including the Chicago Tribune and the State Journal-Register in Springfield, encouraging businesses to relocate and invest in New Jersey, Christie said. […]
“If [Gov. Pat Quinn] wants to tank his economy, that’s just fine,” Christie, a 48-year-old Republican, said in an interview at Bloomberg News headquarters in New York on Tuesday. “I’ll go and try to collect as many businesses as I can, and every job that I create, that I take from Illinois, which comes to New Jersey, will be a net plus for us.” […]
Christie characterized Quinn’s move to raise taxes as a “typical bait and switch” after the Illinois governor campaigned saying “he might raise taxes about half as much as he wound up doing.”
Christie said Quinn did it because “he got in bed with the public-sector unions in order to win election by half a point.”
According to the Sun-Times, Christie’s ads were paid for by taxpayers. No word yet on the cost. Here’s the radio ad if you haven’t heard it…
Download link
The print ad is here. Christie’s taxpayer-funded photo is prominently displayed in the state’s newspaper ad, which would be illegal under Illinois law if Quinn tried to do the same thing…
Caption?
* When Gov. Christie arrives, reporters need to keep in mind that in spite of his rhetoric to the contrary, he’s reduced his budget deficit by just $200 million.
* Also, while we’re on the topic, a Wisconsin company just announced that it’s opening a new plant in Illinois…
American Aluminum Extrusions Co. intends to open a plant at the former Warner Electric site, creating 130 jobs by 2013.
Village President Dave Krienke believes the Beloit, Wis.-based aluminum manufacturer would initially create 60 jobs and could have its first line running by July 1.
“We have a great opportunity here — this is a company that’s going to be a leader in its field, and I see growth in its operations for many years to come,” Krienke said Tuesday. “You know we need jobs and we need people working … to spend their money in our community. This could create a great economic incentive for Roscoe.”.
* But, all is not wonderful, of course…
Illinois taxpayers donated more than $1.3 million to 10 nonprofit causes last year, but many charities have yet to see the money.
The Crisis Nursery of Champaign County is still waiting to get its share of $44,771 donated to a statewide Crisis Nursery Fund on 2009 tax returns. It’s supposed to get more than $6,300, said Executive Director Stephanie Record.
And Feeding Illinois, which oversees the state’s eight food banks, has not received the $100,246 given by taxpayers for hunger relief.
“We were supposed to get it in July,” Record said. “Like everything with the state, it was held up a little bit. That’s frustrating.”
* Roundup…
* Illinois customers now have four choices for electricity - More alternative suppliers enter the market
* Museums, zoos see visitors drop 3% last year
* Chicago HIV agency closes, cites financial woes
* David Vite: Gov. Quinn needs to OK Main Street Fairness Act
* Tweaked Gateway Arch plan has gondolas to IL
* Waukegan weighs proposed foster home: A proposal to transfer ownership of a foreclosed property on South Park Avenue to a Chicago-based agency that provides housing for foster children is scheduled to go back before aldermen next week after running into opposition late last year.
* Rockford schools to face painful budget solutions
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:11 am:
Crazy. Granted Christie may be trying to effect change, and I applaud him, but as of now NJ remains one of the few states more expensive and more corrupt than IL.
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:22 am:
What’s with these mean spirited Governor’s, including our own, going after each others states like feudal lords. What goes around comes around, as Quinn found out all to quickly, after he gloated over Wisconsin’s not wanting train money.
How about running your states professionally and fairly. If you do that, businesses will come or be created.
Quit being jerks.
- Thoughts... - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:23 am:
Keep bringing in that Jersey dough, Gov. Christie. Apparently your economy is humming along fine.
This is a stunt to distract his home state folks from realizing how amazingly ineffective his fiscal management has been thus far. He better hope they don’t catch on. At least Illinois is able to capitalize on frivolous NJ spending.
- Irish - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:24 am:
Caption - This is my “situation”.
Comment
Thank you Gov. Christie for contributing to Illinois Tourism.
- Wondering... - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:24 am:
It is just wrong that funds that people donate via their tax returns haven’t been forwarded to the respective charities. Our government is a thief. These charities ought to be looking for good lawyers who will take the cases pro bono and sue the pants off of the state. If nothing else maybe the embarassment of keeping money intended for the likes of The Crisis Nursery of Champaign County and Feeding Illinois would move the state to do what is right. This really ticks me off.
- Tom - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:30 am:
This is a campaign appearance, nice that the taxpayers in New Jersey are paying for it.
- Secret Square - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:33 am:
“What’s with these mean spirited governors, including our own”
Absolutely. I thought economic conservatives believed (or used to) that job and wealth creation was NOT a zero-sum game, that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” etc. Doesn’t sound fiscal policy mean you can create jobs without having to take them away from somewhere else?
- Kyle Orton's Neck Beard - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:34 am:
What’s next? A Jersey Shore tourism campaign featuring Snooki?
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:38 am:
I don’t have the figures in front of me, but the personal/corporate income taxes of both states are comparable, with New Jersey having higher overall taxes (if I’m not mistaken). With this in mind, I get the feeling that this governor is simply trying to appeal to folks who don’t want to bother with facts and want simple solutions and scapegoats to blame.
I honestly hope that politicians on both sides of the aisle work together to cobble plans that hurt the least possible people with the most help rather than parade around with misinformation and pander to those not willing to exert the effort to learn about state budget problems.
- tominchicago - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:39 am:
I am pretty sure, given his size, that Doug Christie doesn’t “swoop” anywhere. “Lumbers into Illinois”, maybe, but never swoop.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:41 am:
Let’s call it what it is — this guy, like every other GOP governor, it seems, sees himself as the next president. He’s spending his taxpayers’ money on out-of-state campaign trips.
He seems to comment on Illinois issues every day, but when his state had a weather state-of-emergency, he stayed at Disney World. Get your own house in order.
By the way, I hope you didn’t pay an advertising agency too much that for “We Mean Business” tagline. It’s been done — I think Moses first employed it with Pharoah while organizing the Exodus.
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:44 am:
Others have said it. The reason no one from NJ should preach to us. One word: Snooki.
Game, set, match Gov CC.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:44 am:
Caption: Gov. Christie tentatively steps on the scale during taping of an upcoming episode of “The Biggest Loser.”
- soccermom - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:47 am:
On the issue of creating a level playing field for brick-and-mortar vs. online retailers, let’s remember that online stores charge a lot for shipping. Last night I bought new pillows online and am paying a whopping 34 bucks to have them shipped.
I’m not necessarily opposed to charging sales tax for online purchases, but I do think the whole “fairness” argument should acknowledge the shipping factor, which can be very high.
- Small Town Liberal - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:48 am:
- Caption? -
We mean eaters, too.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:55 am:
If New Jersey’s overall tax package is higher than Illinois, Christie seems idiotic in his attempts to take businesses away. I don’t know what cuts he proposed/made, but shouldn’t he be trying to sell those, or are those as ridiculous as his business-relocation campaign.
I love how he trotted out that Quinn is in bed with public worker unions, as if Republicans are not in bed with their own special interests, many of whom have incomes and benefits that public employees can barely fathom let alone have.
- Tom B. - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:59 am:
As someone who has worked in both Illinois politics and New Jersey politics, let me assure the Cap Fax readers that Christie’s feats at the U.S. Attorney’s office there in NJ were for crap. There are some parts of NJ that are sophisticated in their political shenanigans, but he should have compiled quite a record of shooting fish in a barrel on busting corrupt D’s.
My point: he’s not going to be too successful in this political stunt, so let the Trib and ST get some money from NJ taxpayers and let’s move on please.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:59 am:
Governor Christie’s shell game is to guess where the pea is hidden: in his right hand, his left hand, or in his mouth.
- Statewide - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 12:00 pm:
Paragraphs of interest from www.nj.com news stories on Monday
After Christie’s Jan. 11 State-of-the-State address, (Democrats) were quick to compare last year’s toughest budget cuts — to education aid, property tax rebates and the income tax credit earned by low-wage workers — with Christie’s opposition to hiking the tax rate on millionaires.
“The only people in Chris Christie’s New Jersey that do well are millionaires,” (New Jersey Senate President Steve) Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. “They are the only ones, [while] 99.5 percent of the people in New Jersey experienced pain.”
“The only people who got a tax cut in New Jersey last year were the wealthy,” said Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey AFL-CIO. “Christie’s cuts in school aid, municipal aid and property tax rebates were really a tax increase for working families.”
And on May 20, 2010:
The millionaires tax passed the Senate 23-17 and the Assembly 46-32 with votes strictly along partisan lines, but was quickly vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie. Democrats say the tax will provide $637 million to restore property tax rebates for seniors and the disabled that would be cut under Christie’s proposed budget. (May 2010)
- D.P. Gumby - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 12:04 pm:
Caption:
“I just ate the whole Horseshoe! Manny’s is next!”
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 12:14 pm:
Governor Christie,
Welcome to Illinois. If you get homesick, I suggest you take a ride on the Skyway and visit Chicago’s little New Jersey, just across the border in Indiana. The ambiance and aroma should make you feel right at home.
The view of Chicago’s magnificent skyline from across the lake should remind you of your view of Manhattan across the river. We send a lot of garbage to Indiana, just like New York, which ships its garbage to your state and might be your largest import.
You might also want to visit one of NW Indiana’s fine casinos. It might remind you of, well, if not Atlantic City, then perhaps Newark with neon.
If you stay in Chicago, I hope you’ll take some time to visit our world class museums and enjoy some of the top restaurants anywhere. You’ll find that Chicago is half as expensive as New York, and much easier to navigate. Plus, our citizens are much friendlier than New Yorkers. You probably won’t be mugged and you’ll notice that there’s hardly any graffitti here.
On behalf of all of us Illinoisans, thanks for visiting. Come back soon!
- 44 - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 12:28 pm:
Hey Illinois companies: Miss the good old days in Illinois when huckster politicians peddled feel-good placebo solutions to serious problems, while using budgetary slight of hand to conceal massive deficits? Who wouldn’t like to go back to the days when leaders pushed short-term fixes like skipping pension payments and ignored the crippling future consequences? Believe it or not, the Illinois of ten years ago is alive and well in Chris Christie’s New Jersey!
Gov. Christie’s house of cards won’t stay standing for long, so move your company to New Jersey today, before the spit hits the fan! Of course, the fact that you’ll actually be paying higher taxes than you ever have to Illinois, along with Gov. Christie’s education and social policies which could, in fact, create the worst work force in the world, means that – like Gov. Christie – your stay will be short.
- Bigtwich - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 12:39 pm:
Caption
Gov. Christie accepts award for creating Illinois adverting jobs.
- 13 - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 1:09 pm:
Caption:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK-Dqj4fHmM
- MrJM - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 1:20 pm:
Caption: New Jersey: All the big-city corruption of Chicago, but with the class and culture of Gary, Indiana.
- anon - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 1:22 pm:
Perhaps we could keep him out by constructing a similiar obstacle on our eastern border. Could he get past?
http://www.theonion.com/articles/immigration-officials-beef-up-usmexican-border-wit,1080/
- piling on - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 1:27 pm:
That image is actually from a Gov. Christie budget briefing:
“My left hand indicates how much funding we put in the pensin systems this year. My right hand indicates how much funding we’re putting in the pension systems next year.”
The only thing practicing restraint in the Christie administration is his belt. And that appears to be a losing battle, too.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 2:32 pm:
–What’s with these mean spirited Governor’s, including our own, going after each others states like feudal lords. What goes around comes around, as Quinn found out all to quickly, after he gloated over Wisconsin’s not wanting train money.–
In all fairness, I don’t think Quinn started this. When Walker said he didn’t want the fed’s billion for it’s appropriated purpose (Madison to Milwaukee rail), but wanted to spend it instead on other projects, Quinn said he would take it for rail.
The Wisconsin rail car company said they would move if Walker didn’t take the money. After that, Quinn said come right in (by the way, we got bupkis; the great bulk of the Wisconsin money went to Cally and Florida).
Illinois has been on the receiving end of a lot nasty and hypocritical trash talk from GOP governors with Napoleonic complexes looking to divert their citizens from their own problems and situations — in some cases, worse than ours.
So be it. But like my old man taught me, you don’t start a fight, but you end it.
- rdb66 - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 3:34 pm:
For someone of Christie’s size and shape (attributes I share, sadly), I don’t think “swoop” is an appropriate verb. Plummet, roll, crash, drop, slide, tumble, trip, plop. All of these would be more accurately descriptive.
- T.J. - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 4:50 pm:
Sad day when businesses consider fleeing Illinois for freakin’ New Jersey. I used to console myself that we were above at least New Jersey, but that was before they cleaned up their act and we didn’t.
- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 8:07 pm:
TJ must be a visitor from the future. Please wise visitor, tell us when exactly it will be that New Jersey cleaned up their act. Is it before or after they finally decide to fund their pension systems and balance their budget? Does Gov. Christie win the 2012 presidential primary in Illinois? Does he credit his early 2011 appearance paid for by NJ tax dollars? Oh, so many things to ask about the future.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 9:18 pm:
Christie seems to be relishing his celebrity a bit too much. A bit early to show-boat.
- Returning Dog - Wednesday, Jan 26, 11 @ 11:43 pm:
So then Chris Christie says: ‘I didn’t have the same dream as you two - I dreamed that I was skiing…’