A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

My New Hero, Chris Christie

Republican Chris Christie (R-NJ) shocked the political world by winning the New Jersey gubernatorial race last fall.  He is a man who does not mince words, and has no problem cutting budgets, reducing taxes, and standing up to the entrenched union and bureaucratic powers that have dominated New Jersey for decades.

For a small glimpse of what a candid, honest, and un-compromising Republican actually looks (and sounds) like, PLEASE watch this:

Preach it, brother!

I love how the first lady who complained said that, in her mind, she wasn't making enough money...and when reminded by Gov. Christie that, like the rest of society, she "didn't have to" pick the line of work she was in, suddenly remembered that she (and all teachers) only do their jobs because they want to and they love it.

Oh, and by the way, that woman's name is Rita Wilson, and she works in the Rutherford School District...and makes $86,000 per year.

The point here is not that teachers aren't as valuable to society as say a professional baseball player, but simply that the state (and federal government) is not an endless supply of funds as the governor pointed out.  You can't run a budget based on emotional outbursts form angry women in a townhall meeting.  School choice, something I would have thought open-minded liberals would love, is the best alternative for well-qualified, hard-working teachers, as I'm sure Ms. Wilson is.  I WANT good teachers to be rewarded, but when the unions (who are also the single biggest contributors to the political campaigns of Democrats) rule a state like they do in New Jersey, California or Illinois, we're forced as a society to pay the horrendous ones more and more as well.  This is unsustainable.

Everyone loses when there is no competition and people are guaranteed jobs for life.