Christie’s Jersey Downgraded Again
Fitch has downgraded New Jersey’s bond rating for the second time this year citing the state’s poor economic performance and the governor’s decision to fill a budget gap by cutting $2.4 billion from the pension fund.
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Fitch said Christie’s decision to cut the pension payments this year marked a “repudiation” of a bipartisan plan he signed to fix the beleaguered retirement system for public workers, which is underfunded by nearly $40 billion, according to state estimates.
Instead of pumping bigger cash infusions every year into workers’ retirement accounts to save them from collapse — as Christie and lawmakers agreed to do in his first term — New Jersey is now stepping away from its plan, Fitch said.
“Following significant revenue underperformance, the state relied upon the repudiation of its statutory contribution requirements to the pension systems to return to budgetary balance, exacerbating a key credit weakness,” the Fitch analysts wrote in a note to investors, lowering their rating on the state’s debt from A+ to A.
Fitch previously downgraded New Jersey by one step in May, while Christie was negotiating the new $32.5 billion budget with the Democrats who control the Legislature, which took effect July 1. Today’s downgrade means the Wall Street analysts did not like the finished product, calling it a return to one-shot budget Band-Aids and “extremely narrow financial reserves.”[su_csky_ad]
Tommy6860 September 5th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
He’s becoming more and more like the prototypical republican candidate for the presidency. Cut spending, give tax breaks and favors to the wealthy while engaging in all corruption he can muster. The GOP should be pleased.
edmeyer_able September 5th, 2014 at 10:19 pm
Well the GOP has 2 years to dig up a candidate that isn’t involved in some sort of controversy. Meaning many of their failed retreads from 08 and 12 will be reconsidering another try.
tiredoftea September 5th, 2014 at 10:55 pm
Christie dipping into the worker’s pension fund to balance the books, what a surprise.
William September 6th, 2014 at 10:31 am
Christie dipping into the worker’s pension
It’s the Republican way.
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
Like celeb chefs dipping into the tip jar
juicyfruityyy September 5th, 2014 at 11:11 pm
Why isn’t Christie in jail?
Ron Luce September 5th, 2014 at 11:25 pm
The doors are too narrow.
cecilia September 6th, 2014 at 4:55 pm
http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=rimshot&play=true
majii September 5th, 2014 at 11:38 pm
Even though republicans are being told that Christie is no fiscal conservative, dollars to donuts, when he enters the GOPTP presidential primary, millions of them will vote for him anyway.
Sad, but true.
Ron Luce September 5th, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Then, after the failed Christie presidency, they’ll claim he was never really a conservative.
Dwendt44 September 6th, 2014 at 12:17 am
The conservative ideology of ‘cut your way to prosperity’ will quickly run the state into bankruptcy. That’s what the conservatives have in store for American at large should they ever get into the White House again.
Red Eye Robot September 6th, 2014 at 4:47 am
How’d the pension fund get $40 billion in the red? Christie has only been governor since 2010. he only reduced payment to the fund by $2.25 billion. Who forgot to put in the other $37.75 billion?
mea_mark September 6th, 2014 at 8:27 am
http://www.solutionsfornewjersey.org/?p=861
Dwendt44 September 6th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
How is that question relevant to Christie violating the law?
rg9rts September 6th, 2014 at 6:55 am
He can’t use the Schultz defense on this one
William September 6th, 2014 at 8:25 am
Relax, trickle down will kick in any day now.
mea_mark September 6th, 2014 at 8:29 am
Probably at the same time the morphine does while I am laying on my death bed.
Denise September 6th, 2014 at 9:02 am
I hope all the fools who voted to give Christie a second term, and who voted for Brownback in Kansas, Snyder in Michigan, and Scott in Florida , and Walker in Wisconsin are happy with your votes! Especially Michigan, New Jersey, and Kansas! Your states financial situations are dire, especially in Kansas and NJ!
And if you are a Democrat and voted for these idiots, double shame on you! This is what the Koch Brothers wanted, you dumb asses! Now you want to vote these Kochsuckers out of office! They never should have been elected the first time, let alone a second term!
As usual, the Democrats will have to clean up the feces defeated by the GOP.!
Obewon September 6th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Repubs last big hope crashed and burned NJ’s credit rating to junk bond status via 5 tax cuts for the wealthy that plummeted New Jersey to 48th in jobs! Guber Christe’s February 2010 to March 2014 Garden State jobs tied with Mississippi for 48th in the nation! ‘March 2013 to March 2014 just 2,200 private-sector NJ jobs were created’-BLS. New Jersey recovered only 37% of the jobs it lost during the 12/07-6/09 Great Recession, while New York is at +122% and Pennsylvania at 81% BLS proves, while USA was close to 100% in March, 2014.
Heavy Tea Baggage: “I think a mixed economic performance could be heavier baggage than the bridge,” said Republican strategist Mark McKinnon, a former top campaign adviser to GWB and Mc’Palin. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/05/for_christie_jerseys_economic_woes_may_be_biggest_roadblock_to_white_house.html
rg9rts September 24th, 2014 at 3:39 pm
He’ll deny. lie, and obfuscate to deflect the truth