N.J. Governor expected to cut state spending

    New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is expected to propose some of the biggest budget cuts in decades on Tuesday. Christie says he won’t raise taxes to solve the budget problem. That means the governor is going to have to eliminate 11 billion dollars in spending. That represents a third of the state annual budget.

    New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is expected to propose some of the biggest budget cuts in decades on Tuesday. Christie says he won’t raise taxes to solve the budget problem.

    WHYY’s Phil Gregory reports.
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    Christie has not provided many specifics on just what he will cut, but admits the reductions in government programs he’ll propose will anger some people.
    Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor Peter Woolley expects plenty of objections from interest groups.

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    Wooley: People live in Trenton to get their fair share and in times of recession to defend what they think is their fair share and I think there’s going to be a lot of push back from the interest groups, most notably the public employee unions.

    Woolley also anticipates some resistance to the spending cuts from the Democratic controlled legislature.
    Seton Hall political science professor Joe Marbach says public sentiment against high property taxes and the Governor’s line item veto power should put him in a strong bargaining position to get much of his budget plan approved.

    Video of Christie delivering the bad news

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