Assembly Democrats: Our Agenda is the Same as Chris Christie's

Following the agreement between Chris Christie and Senate Democrats to enact a property tax cap before holding a single hearing on the issue, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said she would not stand in the way of the deal yesterday. 

Many were wondering aloud how the Assembly leader would find relevance--she was not in negotiations over the cap and Chris Christie went to visit the Queen of England yesterday rather than meet with Oliver.

Oliver wasn't the only one looking for relevance.  Leading Democrats in her chamber were busy trying to tell the public their agenda is the same as Chris Christie's.

State Democratic Committee Chairman and Assemblyman John Wisniewski said, "The agreement announced by Senate President Sweeney sounds a lot like what Democrats in New Jersey have stood for for several years and have recently passed legislation on."

Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, the Democratic Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, echoed that sentiment, saying, "Not only are we supportive of this, but we helped advance the issue to where it is today," and called the agreement, "a major step in the right direction."  Greenwald claimed to be the one who wanted 2.0%--lower than the 2.5% Christie wanted--in the first place.

The inability of Democrats in Trenton to put up even token opposition to Christie's disastrous agenda has turned some heads.  Following a Bush-style budget in which Christie raised taxes on working people, cut taxes for the rich, and made cuts to everything from school lunches to mammograms (the Democrats fought around the edges and secured $160 million in restorations in a budget of $29.4 billion), the Democrats waited less than a week to give Christie everything he wanted on capping property taxes in a way that will harm communities.

Some experts are saying that "more seasoned leadership" among the Democrats "might have gotten better concessions" from Christie.  Democrats in the Legislature have told CWA that it seems like they are doing everything they can to make Christie President of the U.S.

Here's to hoping the Democrats can find a common agenda soon--and one that isn't Chris Christie's.