Fiscal conservative Christie takes helicopter, limo to son's baseball game

[Keystone Phil]

As the spokesperson said, it isn't a regular occurrence; it's done when the schedule dictates that it's necessary. If this becomes a regular occurrence, he absolutely deserves the criticism.

What I find amazing is the placement of the outrage: the helicopter doesn't seem to be the issue with people here; it's the fact that he had to take a limo from the helicopter to the field.

Anyway, it's great to see him using an AgustaWestland helicopter. One of their two main American offices is in my neighborhood.  

[Keystone Phil]

Not enough money for teachers or schools or poor people, but this fat hypocrite can't walk 100 yards to a baseball field.

What a bunch of garbage.

First, this helicopter was bought by Corzine.

Second, NJ spending on teachers, schools, and poor people far outdoes the national average or any metric of your choice.

Lief's main gripe seems to be with the limo. As if the limo wouldn't be used for other purposes instead of driving the Governor one hundred yards to a field...

[Keystone Phil]

It is really so hard to say that he's being wasteful? It's not necessary to defend everything a politician does just because they are a favorite. It's waste no matter how you spin it.

I don't mind you disagreeing with my defense. I do mind the comment that I defend everything someone (Christie, in this case) does because he is "a favorite" of mine. I call out other favorites when I think they're wrong. I'll do the same for Christie when I think he's in the wrong. I don't think using the state helicopter when there is a time constraint is a waste. If he was making a habit out of it and there wasn't a time constraint, he'd be wrong.

[Keystone Phil]

Please.  New Jersey isn't that large.  You can get from one end of the state to another in 4 hours, tops.  There is no need for any New Jersey governor to use a helicopter to fly anywhere, let alone to and from his kids' baseball game.

Yeah because some of the worst traffic in the country is certainly not a problem in New Jersey...  

[Keystone Phil]

Please.  New Jersey isn't that large.  You can get from one end of the state to another in 4 hours, tops.  There is no need for any New Jersey governor to use a helicopter to fly anywhere, let alone to and from his kids' baseball game.

Yeah because some of the worst traffic in the country is certainly not a problem in New Jersey...  

You mean the same traffic the governors' constituents have to deal with every day without being able to fly above it in a helicopter at taxpayers' expense?  Let the governor deal with the same traffic that his constituents do.

I'm sorry but there are good comparisons to mention to say that an elected official is just like constituents and there are bad ones. That was a bad one. His constituents don't get a security detail. Should he not get one? I'm all for government reform and not treating our elected officials like royalty but there are certain benefits that an elected official will get to better enable them to do their job.

Whatever the case, I just read that Christie is going to reimburse the state for the trip.

[Keystone Phil]

Please.  New Jersey isn't that large.  You can get from one end of the state to another in 4 hours, tops.  There is no need for any New Jersey governor to use a helicopter to fly anywhere, let alone to and from his kids' baseball game.

Yeah because some of the worst traffic in the country is certainly not a problem in New Jersey...  

You mean the same traffic the governors' constituents have to deal with every day without being able to fly above it in a helicopter at taxpayers' expense?  Let the governor deal with the same traffic that his constituents do.

I'm sorry but there are good comparisons to mention to say that an elected official is just like constituents and there are bad ones. That was a bad one. His constituents don't get a security detail. Should he not get one? I'm all for government reform and not treating our elected officials like royalty but there are certain benefits that an elected official will get to better enable them to do their job.

Whatever the case, I just read that Christie is going to reimburse the state for the trip.

So you're saying it's not safe for a governor to have his chauffeur drive him to his kid's baseball game?  He needs a helicopter instead, for security reasons?  I doubt it.

...no and what's worse is that you know that that isn't what I was saying. I said that elected officials are afforded some privileges to do their jobs. You said he should sit in traffic like everyone else. I say that that isn't always reasonable but since you want to play this "he should be stuck in the same situation as his constituents!" game, I presented you with another example: constituents don't get a security detail. Should he be like them in that regard, too? You knew my point. You opted to twist it to avoid answering.

[Keystone Phil]

...no and what's worse is that you know that that isn't what I was saying. I said that elected officials are afforded some privileges to do their jobs. You said he should sit in traffic like everyone else. I say that that isn't always reasonable but since you want to play this "he should be stuck in the same situation as his constituents!" game, I presented you with another example: constituents don't get a security detail. Should he be like them in that regard, too? You knew my point. You opted to twist it to avoid answering.

I twisted nothing.  Without some link to taking a helicopter, you have no real point.  A governor has a security detail because he's a high profile person subject to threats, real or imagined, from time to time.  A governor who takes a helicopter to his kid's baseball game is doing so due to a time crunch or rush hour traffic - something all of us face at times but only a select, elite few get to solve by having the taxpayers fuel up a helicopter to fly us to the game and then whisk us off to a meeting with Iowans to discuss our political future.

I don't have to link it to the helicopter. My point was that elected officials are and ought to be provided with certain privileges to get their job done. You complained that constituents don't get to take a helicopter to escape traffic. Well, the constituents that have to walk the streets of Newark, Trenton and Camden don't have security details. The point: a Governor is going to have certain perks. If they aren't excessive and/or abused, I don't have a problem with them.

I don't mind if he takes a helicopter to see his son play if it isn't a regular occurrence and if he's put in a time constraint because of duties pertaining to being Governor. The latter meeting obviously wasn't related to his job as Governor but we haven't heard anything about what he was doing before. I think it's safe to say that it was related to his job. If it was, I'm sympathetic and can let it slide if it is a rare occurrence. If he wasn't able to get to his son's game on time because it was sandwiched between two political events then taking the helicopter is wrong.

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...so then you really don't care to make him wait in traffic.

[Keystone Phil]

The state helicopter is almost always used for official business. I'm sorry if I'm not going engage in the faux outrage over a father who, like most elected officials, has more difficulty seeing their family members than most other professionals. Yes, I know there are many working parents that can't make it to their kids' activities but if Christie or anyone else has the opportunity to see their kid play for half of their game while using their work vehicle after coming from a work event, I'm not going to go crazy about it (especially when this very rarely happens).

Again, when this becomes a regular habit and/or he isn't coming from or going to a work event, I'll call him out on it.

[Keystone Phil]

A helicopter is not a work vehicle

So Marine One, for example, is just a toy?

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Maybe because they don't work for the state. 

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Sure, the optics stink here. That doesn't mean he actually thinks he was in the wrong.