Amid all of the fresh ideas about giving more money to people who already have a lot of money—and after some sweet shuteye—New Jersey governor Chris Christie had a somber message for the crowd at yesterday's "Tax Policies for 4% Growth" conference. According to Christie, the Gub'ment is telling us to "stop dreaming, stop striving, we'll take care of you. We're turning into a paternalistic entitlement society." Christie's right: if you want a tunnel between Manhattan and New Jersey, grab a shovel. more ›

A report [pdf] released by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office reveals that "straight-shooting" New Jersey Governor was more Dick Cheney than Annie Oakley when talking about how much the scrapped Hudson River tunnel project would have cost his state. Despite Christie's warnings of ARC costing as much as $14 billion, the report states that the actual cost according to state transportation officials, would have been no higher than $10 billion. And though the governor stated that New Jersey was shouldering 70 percent of the cost, the GAO report put it at 14.4 percent. more ›

Chris Christie is flip flopping left and right this week. Not only is he seemingly reconsidering his definitive statements against running for President but today he also has capitulated to the US Department of Transportation. Though earlier this year he was adamant that New Jersey would not be paying back the federal government any of the funds it had taken for the Trans-Hudson ARC tunnel he nixed (citing its high cost), today he agreed to pay back $95 million of the $271 million in federal dollars spent by the state on the project (in addition to agreeing to spending some of the funds it received on USDOT-approved projects). more ›

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced plans to take the Obama administration to court to fight repaying the feds $271 million it was given to complete the ARC tunnel project, which Christie cancelled because it was too expensive. Apparently Christie didn't understand Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when he said, "The law is clear on this matter. After the initial contract was entered into and later expanded at Governor Christie’s request, the state of New Jersey broke the terms." Christie said yesterday, "I ain't paying them. We're going to go to court. We're going before an impartial judge and let the judge decide." Who else read that in a Yosemite Sam voice? more ›

Over the weekend, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ordered New Jersey to repay the $271 million (plus interest) they owe the federal government after canceling the Trans-Hudson ARC tunnel project. But Christie isn't budging, saying, “This is about whether that money will stay in New Jersey and be used for road projects in this state, or the federal government so it can go to another state.” New Jersey will be charged $52,000 a week in interest for failing to repay. But if he just ignores the feds they'll go away, right? more ›

After scrapping the plan for the Trans-Hudson ARC tunnel (because it was too expensive), Governor Chris Christie said in no way is New Jersey paying back the $271 million owed to the federal government. But yesterday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood rejected the state's arguments and ordered them to repay the debt, on which interest is already growing. LaHood said he traveled to New Jersey to salvage the project after Christie cancelled it, and wrote, "The purpose of my efforts was to avoid the very circumstance in which we now find ourselves: No jobs, no congestion relief and an enduring debt whereby New Jersey must return $271 million to the nation's taxpayers." more ›

Even though it was widely thought to be one of the worst economic decisions in the tri-state area, we were willing to leave New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's choice not to move forward with the ARC trans-Hudson tunnel in 2010 and start the year fresh. But Senator Chuck Schumer just can't let go! At a Crain's Breakfast forum he blasted the Governor for his "terrible, terrible decision" and for "sacrificing the growth of region's future for the exigencies of the moment." He said: more ›

Now that the Trans-Hudson Express tunnel is never going to happen and the Federal Transit Administration is insisting that it be paid back the $271 million it gave for the project by Christmas, what to do? Sue, obviously. New Jersey Transit's executive board yesterday approved the hiring of DC lawfirm Patton Boggs to challenge the tab. Which means, as the Post points out, to not pay millions of dollars NJ Transit, which still has lots of financial problems, is hiring a firm that charges $485 bucks an hour. more ›

A few weeks back we learned that the Federal Transit Administration was demanding that New Jersey refund the over $2.7 billion the FTA invested in the ARC Tunnel Project, which Governor Chris Christie cancelled because it got too expensive. According to the debt notice obtained by AP, "FTA demands payment in full within 30 days from the date of this letter, hereinafter referred to as the 'delinquency date,'" which was November 24th. So much for holiday bonuses. more ›

As the feds await NJ Transit to repay the $271 million in federal assistance funds sunk into the now-cancelled Trans-Hudson ARC Tunnel project, NJ Governor Chris Christie explained who convinced him to kill the huge infrastructure plan: His wife. Christie said, "The lobbying to me on this one was from [the first lady]... She's, like, 'So this thing's going 10 stories under Macy's, [and] then I gotta go back up and I gotta walk over to Penn Station. I get on a subway...' She said, 'This is crazy. This doesn't make any sense.'" But was Mary Pat Christie wrong? more ›

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called his cancellation of the Trans-Hudson ARC tunnel project a "dollars and sense issue," as New Jersey couldn't afford the cost of $2.7 billion plus any overruns for the project. But now that he's cancelled it, the Federal Transit Administration is asking for the state to refund the cash they put in. In a letter written to NJ Transit head James Weinstein, the FTA says, “NJT must immediately repay all the Federal financial assistance expended for ARC under the [work agreement] which is currently estimated to be $271.091 million, plus reasonable interest and penalty charges that will be determined by FTA." Who wants to bet on when NJ Transit raises their fares? more ›

A few weeks ago, NJ Governor Chris Christie cancelled plans to build a second NJ Transit tunnel between New Jersey and New York, seemingly for good. Well, not if Amtrak has anything to say about it. Amtrak Vice President Al Engel says they're talking to NJ Transit about teaming up and finishing the tunnel themselves, and using it for a high-speed rail. However, they stress there is nothing set in stone, so there's still plenty of time for the abandoned construction space to get turned into an elite street art collection. more ›

Earlier in the week, New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie kiboshed the trans-Hudson ARC tunnel, saying the state couldn't afford to pay more than the $600 million they had already put into the project. But what of the billions of dollars of federal money set aside for the project? Well, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand thinks the money would do a lot here in New York, where it could pay for things like the Second Avenue Subway or the East Side Access project. Or at least a few more hot plates for that one building. more ›

On October 7th, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie officially cancelled the ARC tunnel project, saying the state couldn't afford its share of the $8.7 billion or more the project needed. On October 8th, Christie agreed to a two-week review of possible payment options. Today, he announced that after two weeks, New Jersey is still too broke. Sayonara, hope of getting home from the Meadowlands without a clusterfuck. more ›

Governor Chris Christie has until this Friday to review and decide on several options to save the plan for the new Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel from New Jersey to Penn Station, and New Jersey senators are taking to the streets to put pressure on Christie to approve the project once again. Democratic Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez will rally with union workers at the tunnel's construction site in North Bergen, and previously spoke of the benefits of the new rail. He said in a statement: more ›

After tempting commuters with the prospect of doubled NJ Transit rail capacity and then killing it a year after construction started, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood managed to convince Governor Chris Christie to think the plan over yet again. more ›

Yesterday, NJ Governor Chris Christie officially cancelled the country's largest public transit project, the Trans Hudson Mass Transit Tunnel, which would have doubled rail capacity between NJ and NY. The project is currently estimated at $8.7 billion (it was estimated at $5 billion in 2005), but Christie says it could go as high as $14 billion with overruns. Christie said, "The only prudent move is to end this project. I can’t put taxpayers on a never-ending hook." more ›

According to WNYC, Governor Chris Christie will announce by the end of the week that he is officially pulling the plug on the Trans-Hudson Express tunnel (aka the ARC project), the $8.7 billion tunnel that would have doubled rail capacity between New York and New Jersey. Christie previously hinted at the cancellation at a campaign event for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bill Brady of Illinois, saying, "I was alerted to the fact that there were potential for significant cost overruns, and New Jersey's broke. And the federal government made it clear that New Jersey will be on the hook for any cost overruns on the project." So long, express to Secaucus! more ›