Whoops, sorry Dems, you just lost this issue.... I am eagerly awaiting the day that Pelosi decides to foot the bill for her millions of dollars in travel expenses. Christie and G.O.P. Repay State for Helicopter Flights By RICHARD PÃREZ-PEÃA Matt Rainey for The New York Times Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey rode in a state S.U.V. on Thursday to a bill-signing at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville. Mr. Christie insisted that he had done nothing wrong and that he had made the payments â a day after his office said he would not â just to put to rest an issue that suddenly dominated news coverage in the state. And he had some scathing words, even by his sharp-tongued standards, for Democrats, political pundits and journalists. âI am not going to allow the media and the hacks in the Democratic Party to turn this into something that allows them to do what they always like to do, which is get away from serious issues where you have to make hard choices for things that matter, because they want to have a circus,â he said during a visit here for a bill-signing. Of the Democrats and others who said his helicopter use might have been illegal, Mr. Christie said, âThese guys are a joke.â He added, âThey know full well, full well, that it was none of that stuff at all.â He lashed out at one Democratic legislator who announced plans to hold a hearing on the matter, and at another, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, who had said that leaving his sonâs game in the fifth inning on Tuesday to meet with the fund-raisers âsays something about the governorâs priorities.â âShe should really be embarrassed at what a jerk she is,â Mr. Christie said. Joseph Cryan, the Assembly majority leader, lashed back on her behalf, saying, âThe governor needs to learn some decency.â Mr. Christieâs critics have accused him of hypocrisy for taking the flights while preaching austerity. But he has used State Police helicopters far less than his predecessors, including some who flew in them hundreds of times a year. On Thursday, his office released a log of the 33 times it said he had used the aircraft since taking office in January 2010, all but two for official business. His son Andrew is on the baseball team at Delbarton School in Morristown, which is in the state high school championship playoffs, and Mr. Christie flew to attend the games last Friday and on Tuesday. On Tuesday, he flew from Trenton to the game in Montvale, at the northern end of the state, and then to the governorâs mansion in Princeton to meet with Republican fund-raisers from Iowa who, Mr. Christie said, tried and failed to persuade him to run for president in 2012. (âThey didnât ask about 2016,â he said, âso I didnât rule it in or rule it out.â) On Thursday, the governor paid the state $2,151.50 for the personal trips, and at his request, the state Republican Party paid $1,232.29 for the political leg of the trip Tuesday. Mr. Christie said he would not change his traveling habits, but would not say whether he would reimburse the state for any future flights. âMy sonâs next game is tomorrow in Sparta,â he said, adding that he thought he would have time to drive. The governor appealed for understanding of his role as a father of four. And he drew a contrast to his predecessor, Jon S. Corzine, saying that the alternative to helicopter use was to have the State Police speed him around as they did Mr. Corzine â and risk the kind of near-fatal accident Mr. Corzine had. The State Police have said that the helicopter trips cost the state no additional expense, because the aircraft are aloft daily, whether or not they are needed for emergencies, to give the pilots experience. Asked if using the helicopters at a time of deep budget-cutting was politically tone-deaf, Mr. Christie said, âI understand the perception issue.â But he added that he thought the State Police statement would make it disappear. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/nyregion/christie-and-gop-pay-back-nj-for-helicopter-use.html
I think Christie lost the issue by paying after he got caught I don't think the house speaker who has to fly to Ca to Washington and a governor who could have taken a car to a baseball game is the same
Apparently you missed the part about Christie using the Chopper 33 times, and Corzine using it hundreds of times per year. Indeed it was a stupid move on his part, politically, to show up to a ball game in a chopper, but he paid the money back, and we are talking about 3000 dollars, as opposed to corzine before him who dropped billions on wasteful programs and used the chopper ten times as much, and never paid it back. If anything Christie is guilty of being politically naieve.
Corzine is a dick and he should pay it back.Republicans should have attacked him on the issue if he was improperly using the state chopper
So liberals have managed to nail Christie to a cross on a 3000 dollar chopper ride, and 2000 for hotel expenses from when he was AG, thats a total of 5000$ you guys have found while the entire liberal party is going after him, and trying to dig up dirt on him. Do you not see a problem with this? We have government employees going hog wild on the tax payer dollar all over the country, and your party is attempting to nail christie on 5K? He also paid 3 of the 5k he has "overspent" back, (meaning he has overspent by 2k since he has been a political figure) now will you just admit you are wrong? That would be the right thing to do right now if you have even a shred of honesty. I dont like overspending by anyone but we are talking about 2000$ that christie may or may not be guilty of over spending.... in a cesspool of government waste, where employees of the government blow millions/billions of our dollars year in and year out, this is a joke.
Both parties try to nail each other with these things,its good because it keeps them from more abuse Republicans tried to nail Pelesi with the plane and someone just posted an article about Obama and Air Force one. Pelesi took the 12 seater rather then the 747 because she knew republicans were watching.Obama will likely use Air Force one less because he knows he is being watched and Christie will likely use the chopper less now
Yeah, you got me there, Pelosi was the beacon of fiscal conservatism.... 100k just for inflight expenses? Judicial Watch Uncovers New Documents Detailing Pelosi's Use of Air Force Aircraft View Discussion House Speakerâs Military Travel Cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a Two-Year Period, Including $101,429 for In-Flight Expenses Contact Information: Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305 Washington, DC -- January 28, 2010 Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosiâs use of United States Air Force aircraft for Congressional Delegations (CODELs). According to the documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Speakerâs military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period â $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. The following are highlights from the recent release of about 2,000 documents: Speaker Pelosi used Air Force aircraft to travel back to her district at an average cost of $28,210.51 per flight. The average cost of an international CODEL is $228,563.33. Of the 103 Pelosi-led congressional delegations (CODEL), 31 trips included members of the House Speakerâs family. One CODEL traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008, âto discuss matters of mutual concern with government leadersâ included members of Congress and their spouses and cost $17,931 per hour in aircraft alone. Purchases for the CODEL included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Baileyâs Irish Crème, Makerâs Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine. According to a âMemo for Recordâ from a March 29âApril 7, 2007, CODEL that involved a stop in Israel, âCODEL could only bring Kosher items into the Hotel. Kosher alcohol for mixing beverages in the Delegation room was purchased on the local economy i.e. Bourbon, Whiskey, Scotch, Vodka, Gin, Triple Sec, Tequila, etc.â The Department of Defense advanced a CODEL of 56 members of Congress and staff $60,000 to travel to Louisiana and Mississippi July 19-22, 2008, to âview flood relief advances from Hurricane Katrina.â The three-day trip cost the U.S. Air Force $65,505.46, exceeding authorized funding by $5,505.46. âSpeaker Pelosi has a history of wasting taxpayer funds with her boorish demands for military travel. And these documents suggest the Speakerâs congressional delegations are more about partying than anything else,â said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. Judicial Watch previously obtained internal DOD email correspondence detailing attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosiâs numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speakerâs last minute cancellations and changes. http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2...ents-detailing-pelosis-use-air-force-aircraft
I defend her and ANY house speakers use of the plane for secure transport.I do not defend her in 100,000 in flight expenses and you can sign me up for any effort to make her repay it
So.....With that said, obviously you cant bitch about christie given the fact that he has now paid for ALL of his unnecessary travel expenses.
I bitched about Christie because of the hypocrisy of him criticizing others about spending .He is only paying it back because he got caught.If this had been Carzine I would have bitched about him too though,governors do not need choppers If Christie is ever Prez,VP or speaker I have no problems with him using government planes or choppers for any reason