Chris Christie and the Real Elephants in the Room

Four years ago many of us over-taxed, over-regulated, long suffering productive citizens of New Jersey breathed a welcome sigh of relief following the victory of Chris Christie.

Finally someone who speaks plainly and directly, with a Jersey attitude, who is on our side fighting for smaller government and some relief from this oppressive state. Fast forward four years. Christie wins re-election by a landslide. His popularity is through the roof both in-state and around the country.

So why are so many of us, who can think beyond the last feel-good, cool YouTube clip of our Governor, depressed and a little pissed. BECAUSE NOTHING WILL CHANGE!!! Without the cooperation of the Democratically-controlled legislature and the ultra- progressive state supreme court, Christie can do little to offer any relief to us taxpayers.The districts have been redesigned to favor Democrats and remain that way forever.

So the "elephant in the room"? Despite the great hope of having a guy like Chris Christie in charge. Despite some of the "reforms" in the pension system and in education, New Jersey will remain a very difficult place to own property, raise a family, build and maintain a business, and keep your children from fleeing once they grow up. The bigger "elephant in the room" is unless you remove education funding from property taxes, radically change government employment and compensation, there is no way to make this state affordable and fair for anyone who doesn't either work for the government of live off of it.

We suckers who try to live here without taking advantage of the system in some form are even bigger suckers feeling good that "our guy" won. Don't misunderstand, I like Christie. He's a very smart, articulate, strong leader. I've been in his company several times, even privately for hours on end. I love the guy like a favorite cousin you don't get to see that often. But I didn't see him using his enormous popularity to sway voters to change the legislature.

You didn't see him articulating the frustrations and hope for possible solutions that would bring us relief. You didn't hear much of anything from him the last few months, because he didn't want to do anything to interrupt the incredible wave of popularity he was riding. That left some of us, starving for relief, a little disappointed. I get it. He is poised to be in line to possibly occupy the most powerful position in the free world. He doesn't want to screw that up. He is a great politician and he is performing at maximum efficiency AS A POLITICIAN!

A friend wrote me the other day and said, "at least he gives us hope"! Hope that we have an ally in the governors office, but no hope that anything much will change. So either grin and bear it and shut up, or get the f#@% out while you can!

The really big elephant in the room and the one that I sadly got a glimpse of this week, IF YOU WANT TO SEE REAL, POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR SITUATION IN NEW JERSEY, YOU WILL ONLY SEE IT IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR OF YOUR MOVING VAN!