Breaking a few minutes ago, The Bergen Record is reporting that Chris Christie gave large raises to staffers who were responsible for crafting his public image, with the biggest raises going to former campaign employees now on his administration payroll.
Some of those who received the biggest boosts temporarily left state government to work on Christie's reelection campaign last year, then returned with new titles and higher salaries. A deputy press secretary in the governor’s office who earned $75,000 last year before he left to serve as press secretary for the campaign, for example, now makes $110,000 as a deputy communications director.
So much for crafting a positive public image for the Governor. This report comes on the heels of Christie backing out of a $2.4 billion payment into the public employee pension fund, and--possibly more damaging--cancelling property tax relief to homeowners, all in the name of trying to balance the budget.