Greenwald: Christie Shoots the Messenger on Unemployment
(TRENTON)–New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Camden/Burlington) released the following statement Monday, after Governor Christie attacked the federal government’s calculation of the unemployment rate, which stood at 9.9% in New Jersey in August:
“Once again, Chris Christie would rather shoot the messenger than explain the role his anti-middle class policies have played in New Jersey’s struggling economy. Instead of attacking statisticians in Washington, perhaps he should reconsider his own starring role in vetoing bipartisan job-creation bills and in obstructing middle-class property tax relief. Whether it’s a fourth-worst in the nation 9.9% unemployment rate or property taxes that have increased 20% on his watch, it’s time for Chris Christie to focus less on his national ambitions and trickle-down economic dogma and focus more on helping New Jersey’s middle-class.”
Chris Christie’s Changing Tune on the Unemployment Rate
“The unemployment rate has begun to drop–and today is below, not above, the national average.”
-Chris Christie, January 2011, State of the State Address
“New Jersey’s unemployment is significantly lower than it was when I got here.”
-Chris Christie, October 2011
“Look, unemployment is up again this month…I don’t know how when unemployment continues to go up that you can say that’s a success. That shows the low standards the governor has set for economic success in the state.”
-Chris Christie, July 2009