One area in which Chris Christie excels is in making unilateral decisions without considering the co-equal legislature. And for the most part, these decisions are not in accord with the wishes or best interests of most New Jerseyans, but rather cold, calculated moves to satisfy his right wing supporters and his financial benefactors. He did this with the ARC Tunnel cancellation, with Marriage Equality, with lottery privatization, and with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative withdrawal.
Now, the Governor is doing it again. This time eviscerating the protections offered to middle class workers under the state's civil service system. His administration is implementing some draconian measures that will increase cronyism, hurt veterans and minorities, and the only opportunity for the public to comment was at a single public hearing on a weekday.
This week, the Assembly State Government Committee heard testimony from the state's largest union, the CWA, as well as from veterans, minorities, and other groups who oppose the changes to the protections offered by civil service.
Leading the charge was CWA's Hetty Rosenstein. I'll let her tell the story in her own words in this three minute video:
(A version of this diary was originally published on BlueJersey.com)