Chris Christie Starts New Town Hall Tour With Middle Class Focus [VIDEO]

Governor Chris Christie has started a new round of town halls with a brand new slogan, the "Christie Middle Class Reform Agenda."

Christie says after two years of delay and inaction by the legislature, its time to move forward on a set of overdue reforms including ethics reform and a tax cut for all residents.

"That is the first thing I want to do, return some more of your money back to you" Christie told a crowd of more than 300 people at the Southard School in Howell.

He says it was a plan that he and Senate President Sweeney agreed on, but then Democrats backed out, claiming the state didn't have the revenues now to pay for a tax cut.

"This is their excuse now...we don't have enough money to pay for a tax cut, well we get money from taxes, so its a choice...do you want to spend the money on government programs, or do you want to give it back to the people that gave it to you in the first place?" Christie said.

Christie also wants to stop public employees from cashing in sick days when they retire.

"I thought that the benefit of going your whole career without being sick was not being sick," Christie said. "I didn't know that you also could get paid for it."

Other items on the governor's to-do list include shared services, ethics reform and closing loopholes in the property tax cap.

Christie ticked off a list of things that happened less time than the 736 days he said he has waited for the legislature to take up his ethics reforms.

The movie "Titanic" had its first run in theaters for nearly a full year, Christie said.

"People were watching Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet for 352 days, but 736 days -- nothing on ethics reforms for me as governor," he said.

Democratic leaders say Christie's new town hall tour is full of catchphrases but doesn't help the middle class.

Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden/Burlington) says Christie is pursuing an agenda that seeks to misinform rather than reform.

"Actions speak louder than words, and Gov. Christie's actions show he is no friend to the middle-class. Whether it's overseeing soaring property taxes and unemployment, stripping away support for women's health care or rejecting a tax break for seniors, Gov. Christie has made clear the middle-class is not his priority."