Christie Takes Vacation as New Jersey Transit Rail Strike Looms

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Bloomberg

Elise Young

Less than a week before a strike deadline for the nation’s second-busiest commuter railroad, Governor Chris Christie is heading for vacation with his wife.

Christie, the 53-year-old Republican who ended his run for president last month, will be celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary Tuesday, he told reporters in Newark. New Jersey Transit and 11 of its rail unions, meanwhile, were gathering at a hotel in the city to negotiate a labor agreement five years after the most recent one expired.

The unions have set a deadline of 12:01 a.m. on March 13 to strike if an accord isn’t reached. New Jersey Transit’s contingency plans, which rely on extra bus service, can accommodate just four in 10 train commuters. About 65,000 people will have to make alternate arrangements, the agency said, and can anticipate backups of as much as 25 miles on major roadways including the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 78.

“I’m never truly on vacation,” Christie said Monday after visiting a charter school. “I’m away and I’m hoping to have a little bit of time to relax, but as long as I’m carrying a phone with me, I’m governor of New Jersey, as I’ve been saying now for the last year.”

FULL story at link.


New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his wife, Mary Pat Christie, arrive for a campaign event on Jan. 31, 2016, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-03-07/christie-taking-vacation-amid-looming-n-j-transit-rail-strike

[George II]

1. How arrogant can one person be? He has barely been in NJ for the last several months, and now....

....he's out of the presidential race (was he ever truly in it?) he's going on vacation???

[narnian60]

2. Good job,

Governor.

[Herman4747]

3. He just got permission from The Donald. n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

4. And probably a nice chunk-o-change to spend too. nt

[Historic NY]

5. Vacation he hasn't been in the state for most of the year.

[The Second Stone]

6. Ooo! Ooo! I've got a phone and don't like being in New Jersey

can I be the governor? California isn't too far, is it? I'll be in a state that is the mirror image of New Jersey.

[HillareeeHillaraah]

7. So basically he's just admitted...

...that as far as his job goes, he's phoning it in.

Nice work if you can get it.

[busterbrown]

9. Winner!! n/t

[Chicago1980]

8. He stopped caring a long time ago.

It's time for New Jersey to put him on a full time vacation come next election.

[Human101948]

11. Term limit puts him out of office

but-

The governor of New Jersey is head of the executive branch of New Jersey's state government. The office of governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four-year terms. Governors cannot be elected to more than two consecutive terms, but there is no limit on the total number of terms they may serve.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_New_Jersey

[Chicago1980]

16. K

[KamaAina]

10. Rail strike? What rail strike? He'll just take the bridge.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. And by "vacation", he actually means....

...he's got to pick up Trump's laundry from the dry cleaners and bring him Starbucks.

[hamsterjill]

13. Laying low for a while.

Probably finally realizing what a stupid thing it was for him to endorse Trump. He's going off the radar for a while hoping that people will forget that he did that.

Not likely!

[left-of-center2012]

14. Can his polls go any lower?

He just doesn't care.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

15. He can't wait any longer !

[IrishEyes]

17. Unlike Christie.

I can't phone in my job. I need the transit to work so I can get to my job. I live in NY but I commute to the NJ office often. I can't stand this guy.