October 21,2011 (Kearny, NJ). Kearny resident Camille Gaeta wrote a letter to Time Magazine in response to an October 17, 2011 article by Joe Klein entitled "When He's Good and Ready" about Governor Chris Christie's decision not to run for the President of the United States. The letter was published in the Inbox section of Time Magazine under the Headline "Christie's Decision".



Courtesy Time Magazine.

The letter stated: "Joe Klein has missed the mark in writing that New Jersey's Chris Christie 'showed he has real respect for the office [of President] and the public.' Christie line-item-vetoed funding for sexually and physically abused children and cut millions from needed programs for the elderly and the sick. Hundreds of teachers, police officers and firefighters were laid off. He botched New Jersey's chances for Race to the Top funding and thumbed his nose at a federally funded tunnel under the Hudson River that would have provided jobs for many. But he continues to assure billion dollar corporations and millionaires that we will not increase their taxes. The upside to Christie's decision not to run is that he spares the American public his bullying persona; the downside is that we in New Jersey are stuck with him."

The letter isn't exactly flattering nor is it completely accurate. The line-item-vetoed funding for sexually and physically abused children was restored both through federal and state funds. What programs were cut for the elderly and sick are not clear. There were teachers, police officers and firefighters laid off but the public outcry, given the overall economic distress residents are feeling, was not great. Most residents of New Jersey weren't opposed to cutting municipal budgets. The Race to the Top funding was botched but not directly by the Governor but by former Department of Education commissioner Brett Schundler. Christie immediately fired him. A decision that some criticized as too harsh given Schundler's education expertise. Christie's pledge not to increase taxes goes hand in hand with his attempt to cut State and Local Government costs. Christie does have a bullying persona but for some its refreshing to have a politician who tells you exactly where he stands and what he is thinking. Governor Christie's appearance at the Ronald Reagan Museum in California was classic New Jersey and fueled the push to have him enter into the race for President. Ultimately, Christie decided that his work is not done in New Jersey and remained New Jersey's Governor.

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