Gov. Chris Christie: responsible when he wants to be.

[a completely inoffensive name]

So, for the 99% of people who don't live in New Jersey, the governor Chris Christie was in some hot water for using a state helicopter to fly him across the state to his son's baseball game, where he landed, got out, then got in a limo which drove the last 100 yards from the plane to the field. He then stayed for 5 innings before leaving in the chopper again.

All the info of the incident is recorded here:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/gov_christie_arrives_at_sons_h.html

The governor is known for attempting to crack down hard on government expenses, but many wondered why he would take a state chopper to a private event not related to his job, especially for New Jersey, a state which isn't exactly large by anyone's standards. He initially refused to apologize for the incident as recorded here:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/christie_refuses_to_reimburse.html


But now after the heat has been increasing, he feels the poll numbers starting to slip and just recently reimbursed the state some of the money spent out of his own pocket, with the rest coming from Republican Party funds. He is still unapologetic about using the chopper in the first place.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/02/new-jersey-governor-reimburses-state-for-helicopter-flights/
EDIT: Non Fox News link http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-christie-helicopter-20110602,0,2681355.story?track=rss

For someone that has tried to crack down hard on the teachers union I want to know why teachers can't reimburse the state for all the government resources they use but instead have to undergo cuts and possible stripping of union power, meanwhile it is ok for the governor himself to take a chopper for what should only be an 1hr and 30 min drive at most (disclaimor: I am ignorant of what New Jersey traffic is like) and as long as he pays it back at some point, every thing is just fine according to him.

[InsaneApache]

Politicians mate, politicians.

Don't vote for them, it only encourages them.


The next time the EU demands a budget increase, remember where the money is going. European Commissioners have spent €7.5m (£6.6m) on private jets, gifts, luxury hotels, orchestras to play at parties and the other bare necessities of a Brussels apparatchik’s life. While all this private jetting was going on, a Commission team flew to New York to lecture the rest of us about the need to cut carbon emissions. A private aeroplane typically emits 55 tonnes of carbon dioxide on a transatlantic flight.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100090408/eurocrats-splash-out-on-private-jets-and-orchestras-while-the-member-states-cut-spending/

Why do people vote for these bastards?

Oh wait! Unlike your lot, who you can vote out, we're stuck with this lot. No one voted them in in the first place.

[Centurion1]

Not that it matters but to answer your question New Jersey traffic is essentially the devil. Terrible terrible terrible. Also ever hear of a jersey barrier? yeah its literally impossible to turn left when your in jersey so that if you wanna make a uturn you have to travel as far as possible.

It is the absolute devil. you wouldnt understand coming from Californias gorgeous freeway system. That is the way to travel. Go out and kiss it now. RIGHT NOW!

[a completely inoffensive name]

It is the absolute devil. you wouldnt understand coming from Californias gorgeous freeway system. That is the way to travel. Go out and kiss it now. RIGHT NOW!

Yeah, the California freeway system is great for Northern California maybe, but anywhere from LA down to the border is this:
http://notesfromthebartender.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/la-traffic-jam.jpg

[Xiahou]

It looks worse than it is.... but how it looks is what matters in politics.
I read that the NJ state police offer helicopter flights to the governor because they can chalk it up to training hours for their pilots. In other words, most of the money would have been spent flying the choppers around anyhow.

But again, this looks terrible. It's hard to imagine what he was thinking when he decided the flight would be a good idea. :shrug:

[Crazed Rabbit]

Yeah, the California freeway system is great for Northern California maybe, but anywhere from LA down to the border is this:

At least SoCal drivers don't slow to a crawl whenever there's more than 20 cars per mile. Up here most everyone feels the need to go 40 mph whenever there's a car on each side of them. And go 10 mph past any and all accidents in order to properly gawk.

Also, there's Canadians.

Oh, right - the OP - indeed, what was this guy thinking?

CR

[Centurion1]

No ACIN. I'm from San Diego. Trust me...... yeah rush hour is bad. But imagine rush hour at all times. East Coast Traffic from the Mid Atlantic and up is horrendous in general. Plus when its not rush hour on the freeway........ can you say getting from like....... Orange County to San Diego in an hour thirty or less.

[GeneralHankerchief]

This was just such a dumb move on Christie's part. Half the state already wants his blood because of his budget cuts and taking on the unions, which are still quite powerful in NJ (one-off anecdote: my mother, a retired NJ teacher, has pretty much told me that Christie is her least favorite politician ever, which is a shock since I had heard her absolutely ripping W at every opportunity for 8 straight years), and now he goes and does probably the single-worst thing possible for his public image. Seriously, even a sex scandal might not be as bad for him. All of the national Republican establishment loves the guy and wishes he would run in 2012, I very much doubt he'll even be able to hold onto his own state in 2011.

Our last governor, Corzine, got in hot water a while back because he got in a bad accident and it was revealed that his driver was going over 100. Maybe Christie was trying to avoid that mistake...?

Also, NJ traffic actually isn't that bad. Cherry Hill (where I live) to Morristown is about a 90-minute drive, slightly less, and Trenton is like 30-40 minutes on the way there.

[Strike For The South]

My God.

That is terrible traffic

[a completely inoffensive name]

No ACIN. I'm from San Diego. Trust me...... yeah rush hour is bad. But imagine rush hour at all times. East Coast Traffic from the Mid Atlantic and up is horrendous in general. Plus when its not rush hour on the freeway........ can you say getting from like....... Orange County to San Diego in an hour thirty or less.

Yeah it is very dependent on time of day, LA traffic is actually very much dependent on sports season as well. When there is a laker or dodger game going on, there might as well be two more rush hours that day in some areas as people come in and leave from the game (although dodger games are not that bad since a lot of people like to leave during the 7th inning lol).

If east coast traffic is 24/7 rush hour...then god help them.

[Centurion1]

well obviously hyperbole. But getting anywhere takes forever. way lower speedlimits and more congestion on average.

and the worst of it is people are just more obnoxious drivers.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Just did a Google Maps search for
A) Cherry Hill to Morristown NJ from GH's post (77.7 miles shortest route)
and
B) LA to San Diego (120 miles shortest route)

The NJ route gave a time of 1hr 38 min consistent with GH.
The LA-SD route gave a time of 2hr 4 min with a typical LA warning of 3 hr 30 min in traffic.

So 98 min to go 77.7 miles or .79 miles per minute for NJ.
And 124 min to go 120 miles (.96 miles/minute) not in traffic and 210 min to go 120 miles (.57 miles/minute) in traffic.

This is all from Google maps calculations though, so take it or leave it.

[a completely inoffensive name]

well obviously hyperbole. But getting anywhere takes forever. way lower speedlimits and more congestion on average.

and the worst of it is people are just more obnoxious drivers.

I thought speed limits on freeways/highways across the country were all the same Federal mandated 55mph.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I thought speed limits on freeways/highways across the country were all the same Federal mandated 55mph.

Not accurate. In the Northeast at least most of the highway speed limits are 65. I usually can get to 75-80 on them without a problem (never been pulled over). Going past 80 is chancing it though.

[Strike For The South]

I thought speed limits on freeways/highways across the country were all the same Federal mandated 55mph.


CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN LYING TO YOU BOY


https://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3345/speedlimitg.jpg (https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/speedlimitg.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (https://imageshack.us)

From El Paso To Junction

[a completely inoffensive name]

Not accurate. In the Northeast at least most of the highway speed limits are 65. I usually can get to 75-80 on them without a problem (never been pulled over). Going past 80 is chancing it though.

Lol, yeah well people in CA don't exactly follow the guideline either. 70-80 is typical to see in the fast lane.


CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN LYING TO YOU BOY


https://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3345/speedlimitg.jpg (https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/speedlimitg.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (https://imageshack.us)

From El Paso To Junction

HOW DO YOU NOT DIE!

[Strike For The South]

Texans R Super lifeforms

[Centurion1]

im surprised acin speed limits are suggestions in california.

look up going from like newark to nyc.

[a completely inoffensive name]

im surprised acin speed limits are suggestions in california.

look up going from like newark to nyc.

I am a real wimp when it comes to driving. Never have gone over 75mph ever. My typical speed is 70, I really don't care to go any faster.

Just did google map from Newark to NYC, the NYC end destination it gave was a couple blocks from the World Trade Center and it gave a distance of 10.8 miles with a time of 22 min not in traffic and 40 min in traffic. So .49 miles/minute and .27 miles/minute respectively.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I am a real wimp when it comes to driving. Never have gone over 75mph ever. My typical speed is 70, I really don't care to go any faster.

Be wary good sir, I hear some of these newfangled horseless carriages can go over 100 miles in an hour!

Anyways, the other annoying thing is people who get into the fast lane (sooooooooo many two lanes in one direction freeways around here) and. Never. Get. Out.

It doesn't matter how slow they're going or how many people are behind them or the fact that they aren't going any faster than the slow lane (or they're going 1 mph faster and they believe they have the God-given right to go that exact speed in the fast lane and NOT ONE BIT FASTER) they don't more over until it's their exit, then they swerve across.

CR

[a completely inoffensive name]

Be wary good sir, I hear some of these newfangled horseless carriages can go over 100 miles in an hour!

Anyways, the other annoying thing is people who get into the fast lane (sooooooooo many two lanes in one direction freeways around here) and. Never. Get. Out.

It doesn't matter how slow they're going or how many people are behind them or the fact that they aren't going any faster than the slow lane (or they're going 1 mph faster and they believe they have the God-given right to go that exact speed in the fast lane and NOT ONE BIT FASTER) they don't more over until it's their exit, then they swerve across.

CR

I never go into the fast lane. I don't drive that much period. Freeway runs straight through my town so I can hop on for 5 min in slow lane and hop off on the other side without having to ever change lanes.

EDIT: To clarify I stay in the middle lanes when I drive long distances, not just because I know I am a slowpoke for going 70 but also I sometimes forget what exit I need to get off of, so I don't like being in the fast lane when I realize that my exit is only a mile or two away. Never swerve into lanes and always use my signal. I try to be Mr. Perfect driver.

[Centurion1]

I am a real wimp when it comes to driving. Never have gone over 75mph ever. My typical speed is 70, I really don't care to go any faster.

Just did google map from Newark to NYC, the NYC end destination it gave was a couple blocks from the World Trade Center and it gave a distance of 10.8 miles with a time of 22 min not in traffic and 40 min in traffic. So .49 miles/minute and .27 miles/minute respectively.

I think that Google Maps is a bit inaccurate tbh. It can take like 40 minutes alone to cross the GW bridge when I try to get into the city.

[Subotan]

Hooray for public transport!

[Hosakawa Tito]

Texas has public transport, for its cattle.

PR disaster for Christie, but he isn't alone. Most of the ruling elite, and their minions, don't include themselves in the "shared sacrifice theory" during tough economic times.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

My God.

That is terrible traffic

It looks like what I imagine the Road to Perdition looks like.

Ugh, glad I don't drive.

[Samurai Waki]

80 Miles Per Hour? Hahahahahaha... yeah, that's the "posted speed limit" 105 is about the average until someone does something stupid.

[PanzerJaeger]

Anyways, the other annoying thing is people who get into the fast lane (sooooooooo many two lanes in one direction freeways around here) and. Never. Get. Out.

YES. The left lane is for passing and passing only. The Germans, as with most things, do driving best. You never see people loitering in the left lane over there.