Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) had the following published Friday in The Star-Ledger:
“At a recent town hall meeting Gov. Chris Christie accused the Legislature of being on ‘vacation’ and not coming back to Trenton until Nov. 8, a comment that I found to be offensive and ill-informed.
“When my colleagues and I are not in Trenton working to find realistic solutions to the issues facing New Jersey residents, we’re in our district offices speaking with families, elderly residents and unemployed workers who are worried about their futures.
“By implying that our constituent discussions amount to a vacation, rather than a critical part of the legislative process, it’s clear that Gov. Christie has little understanding of state government and even less consideration for the valuable input of the voters who elect legislators to represent them.
“This fall Gov. Christie traveled out of New Jersey to campaign for candidates all over the country.
“Instead of going to Ohio or California, I invite Gov. Christie to come to my legislative district the next time he hits the road. I am sure that he will find that what legislators do in their districts is just as a vital as the work we do in Trenton and certainly impacts the way we approach legislative matters.”