Friday, January 10, 2014

Christie Gate

On the drive back from the airport, the cabbie regaled me with the latest about the scandal the New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, finds himself in.

What is known for sure is that Christie's deputy chief of staff and Christie's appointees at the NJ Port Authority - the Port Authority is responsible for roads, bridges, trains, ports, etc., - conspired to block access lanes at the very busy George Washington Bridge, in order to create traffic jams.   The documentary evidence is impeccable.

The motive is alleged to be retribution for the non-endorsement for Republican Christie's re-election by the Democratic Mayor of Fort Lee, the township where the traffic jams were created.   There is speculation about alternative victims to this action.

My problem with the alleged motive is - how would the Mayor (or anyone else) know that they being punished, unless it could be safely made clear to them that the traffic jams were caused intentionally?   Or unless the voters could be made to believe that the Mayor was responsible for the traffic jams?

Christie's staff is notable not only for its petty vindictiveness, but also their remarkable stupidity.  The big question is how much of this rubbed off onto them from their boss.