Christie To Paterson: Quit Screwing With NJ

NJ Governor Chris Christie has a farewell message for outgoing NY Governor David Paterson. Okay, it's more of a F-U: Discussing how he will not allow the Tappan Zee Bridge to be added to the Port Authority, Christie said, "I can't make this any clearer to New York than this: stop screwing with us. You're not going to come and pick our pockets. New Jersey is not going to permit it anymore."

The Port Authority is a joint NY-NJ agency, with many facilities that span the two states as well as others, like airports and ports, that are just in one state. According to the Star-Ledger, "Christie said the only reason New York was seeking to add the Tappan Zee"—which spans the Hudson to connect Rockland and Westchester Counties—"to the Port Authority was to get New Jersey to pick up the bill for some of the expenses. The bridge is in need of $16 billion in repairs. When the port district was established, Christie said New York intentionally left the Tappan Zee Bridge out of the port district so it could keep the toll revenue and not split with New Jersey." Christie said, "You want to keep all the money to yourself, then you pay for the cost yourself."

Christie also brought up ARC, the trans-Hudson tunnel project, that he killed, "I'm not inclined to extend the port region further into New York just to bite off a monstrous expense. didn't let them pick our pockets on ARC, I'm not letting New York pick New Jersey's pockets on the Tappan Zee Bridge either."

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By Jen Chung in News on December 4, 2010 8:54 AM

Comments [rss]

openheads

I like how NJ is the bad guy for acting in its own best interest. As if NY does not do the same.
Only the juvenile types from NY that have something to prove seem to think this is a problem.

Spirit of 76

"When the port district was established, Christie said New York intentionally left the Tappan Zee Bridge out of the port district so it could keep the toll revenue and not split with New Jersey."

Uh, what? The PA was established in 1921. The TZ wasn't built until the 1950s.

bonu$baby

Can we please let him run Albany too.

glen glenn

Jersey rules. Christie is fat. The End.

legendary

Yeah, it's only the southernmost Hudson crossing that totally avoids New York City, no reason Jersey drivers would use it. None at all.

Chris Christie - critical thinker.

Mordicai

I've said it before: Upstate & New Jersey treat New York City the way that college towns treat their universities. Go on, guys, & pretend that the lion's share of your economy isn't driven by us. Pretend that your separatist bravado is even plausible. Your commuters are the ones picking OUR pockets. Go fly a kite, Christie.

souffle

Wow. Where to begin? You DO realize Rockland and Westchester are both NY counties, right? Like if I told you you could open a restaurant, pay all the taxes on said restaurant, and then I keep all the profits?

I'm a 4th generation NYer and even I side w/ NJ on this one. I'll bet $1,000 you're a recent transplant trying to prove your "New Yawkness" with this whole, "economy driven by us" and "picking OUR pockets" nonsense... Right? No way you're a local with any sort of family in the Tri-State. You don't speak for me... You DO realize what would happen if the city was separated from "Upstate and NJ," right? Where do you think all those trucks are coming from? Contrary to what you read in your "Moving to NY?" pamphlet, all those vegetables are NOT grown on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Yeah, without a doubt. I don't know you from squat but I'll bet a thousand that you're a recent transplant. I'd say Ohio, but that's the easy, obvious cliche... Let me check your history and get back to you.

PKMKII

Not to mention all the people in Jersey who commute to Philadelphia and Wilmington. Face it Christie, if it weren't for real cities in other states, New Jersey would consist of Atlantic City and a few farms.

zincink

You should get out more

Stevennnn

Too many many companies are leaving NYC and moving to New Jersey.

NYC and the surrounding areas thrives on Manhattan. Without Manhattan this area is nothing and so is NYC. Manhattan is what drives the other boroughs.

nicemarmot

Yeah, nobody from Jersey ever uses the Tappan Zee. I'm sure all the NY politicians are real scared of Chris Christie.

gfunk

By that logic then should southern New England also be shouldering the burden of paying for the Tappan Zee?

Christie's right with this one - NYS has benefited from 100% of the toll revenue from the Tappan Zee bridge for the last 50+ years. In fact the reason behind the Tappan Zee bridge's location (at one of the widest points of the Hudson) is that it was the closest location to NYC outside of the Port Authority's 25 mile radius influence. And now state officials want to bring the Port Authority into the fold so NJ can cover half the cost.

fosiacat

oh man. new jersey is getting tough. lol. new jersey.

zincink

I would say roughly half of the NJ population are former NY residents from long ago.. NJ is underground tough and sometimes not in a good way. Jersey drives rarely if ever Tappan that Zee