Christie: Businesses Must Spend More To Help New Jersey GOP
EAST WINDSOR, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Gov. Chris Christie has unleashed blistering criticism against New Jersey business leaders for not financially supporting Republicans in state elections and said the consequence is Democratic majorities and proposals for higher taxes.
"It's time to get a spine," he said.
Christie spoke Tuesday at a New Jersey Business and Industry event in East Windsor, coming off the presidential campaign trail to tell entrepreneurs they should donate more to Republicans, who lost four seats in the Assembly in November. He said business provided no counterweight to union spending.
The governor portrays himself as the last defense in protecting businesses from tax-and-spend Democrats, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"I still keep getting sent job-killing tax increases, job-killing regulatory increases," said Christie, who has vetoed such legislation.
The Republican presidential hopeful singled out a proposal from Senate President Steve Sweeney that calls for a constitutional amendment requiring that the state make public pension payments quarterly. Christie called it a tax to benefit political patrons.
The state's largest teacher's union supports the amendment. It steered almost $4 million to help Democrats this year.
Christie did not take questions during the event and did not talk presidential politics, other than to defend his campaign travel.
"I have focused every day on what I need to do here," he said. "I'm going to continue to do it as best as I possibly can."