By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent
If Gov. Chris Christie is running for president, there was no sign of it here today.
The focus of his Fair Lawn town hall was entirely on state matters like the new PARCC test that’s caused so much consternation among parents, teachers and students.
Christie defended the test.
“We need to know where your children stand. We need to know whether they’re learning or not learning. We need to know their grade level. We can’t tell that just from what grades they get in class, there’s too much variability. Teacher to teacher, all of you know this,” he said.
He urged his audience to give the test a chance.
“I’m not gonna kill PARCC before we even take PARCC,” he said.
A number of the questions came from people with family members who are developmentally disabled.
One mother and daughter are upset that another daughter who’s been in a New York State facility for 13 years has to return to New Jersey because Christie conditionally vetoed a bill that would have grandfathered current out-of-state clients.
“You billed 2600. Return Home New Jersey that would allow those severely disabled adults, like my sister, who’s been now thriving and taken care of for the past 13 years, home with no place to go. But you vetoed that and you’re supposed to protect her especially because she doesn’t have a voice,” said Courtney Carrelha.
“I know you’re concerned about Return Home New Jersey. We are working with legislators to come up with a plan that allows in particular cases, people to stay out of state. The expense involved with keeping people out of state is extraordinary,” Christie said.
When she asked how to get her voice heard, Christie said, “You just got your voice heard.”
The message the governor brought with him today was the one he’s been delivering since last week — that the state badly needs a second round of pension reform.
Hanging from the rafters now are charts and graphs the governor’s office brings to show how the current pension and health benefits scheme for public employees is unsustainable.
“My son talked to me this morning about the snow. The snow is the least of my problems. It will melt eventually. This problem won’t melt. You can’t wish this one away. We can’t tax this one away. Not gonna happen,” Christie said.
He talked about all the things he’d like to see get increased funding.
“I have no money to do any of it. Cause I told you before, the billion dollars that are extra that are coming in with no tax increases, all being eaten up by this monster,” he said.
Before the town hall started, we talked to state Republican Chairman Sam Raia about the governor’s presidential aspirations.
Raia has traveled with Christie and says other GOP state chairs still line up to meet him.
“You really have to see when the governor is there in person with other state chairmen how they embrace him,” Raia said.
Christie went 40 minutes longer than usual today and focused solely on state problems. If he’s running for president, you sure wouldn’t have known it here.