Dear Jon

While Jersey burned

I hope this note finds you in good health. Now, what the hell are you doing? Are you trying to give Republican Chris Christie your job? Do you even want to be governor any more? I’m sure you saw the recent Fairleigh Dickinson/ PublicMind poll that shows you trailing Christie by nine points. Sure, it’s early, and the election isn’t until November. But the hard truth is that you’re soft, man. I know you’re the incumbent, but if Senate President Dick Codey wanted to, he could beat you in the primary. (Say he can’t?)

I’m not trying to be hard on you, Governor. Maybe you didn’t notice while you were away campaigning for Clinton and then Obama, but the state’s economy has been getting worse by the day. Check that. Maybe you do know, but voters wanna know: what are you doing about it? Lost jobs, growing foreclosure rates, and you’re on CNBC talking about the president’s stimulus package. Yes, New Jersey is going to get $800 million from the plan, and that’s great. But even this supposed positive news is lost as you grimly tell state workers that they can choose furloughs and pay freezes or pay freezes and furloughs – or layoffs.

State workers are an easy target for governors. They have excellent benefits that most of us would envy. But in this sluggish economy, those of us who are out of work or close to out of work view anyone else in a similar position (even state employees) sympathetically. We see them as the little guy. Meanwhile, while you’re threatening to lay people off and cutting popular programs from the state budget, Chris Christie is rolling around the state telling everyone that this is all your fault.(And the polls seem to suggest that people are listening.)

What do I know, though. In Jersey, Republicans always run well in the opinion polls six months before an election. Then, when Democrats start to draw a contrast, the Republican is forced to the right and blah blah blah, the Democrat wins. Still, I got two words for you, governor: Jim Florio. If you don’t want to meet the same electoral fate, it’s time to take some bold action. Take a cue from the new president, be out in front of something progressive, daring, outside the box. Call a summit. Announce a major initiative. Something, anything to take some momentum from your opponent.

Do what you want, Governor, but if you saddle us with a Governor Chris Christie, a lot of us are gonna be really mad at you. Call me if you need to talk.

Your pal,
David