You have to wonder what Christopher Christie is going to do when he stops being governor in 2018.
Regardless of how he pitched the State of the State address this week to make it look like he had a vision for the nation, Christie is not going to be elected president – not unless he can find a way to dust off Solomon Dwek and get Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and the other Republican contenders to take bribes.
Perhaps that was part of the conversation he had with federal investigators earlier this month, after he finished explaining how, as a control-freak governor, he still managed not to know what his top aides were doing when they closed lanes on the George Washington Bridge in 2013.
Even if Bridgegate doesn’t translate badly for Christie on a national level, his too-close-for-comfort relationship to the Port Authority will, as well as his veto of reforms that would shed sunlight into the dark interior of the very questionable practices the Port Authority has engaged in over the years. That especially applies regarding Christie’s close associate David Samson, whose business practices have been questioned as chair of the PA.
Christie nominated Samson as chairman in September 2010. But inquiries as a result of the lane closures in September 2013 uncovered a number of activities that could appear to benefit Samson’s private financial interests. Samson eventually resigned, but questions as to what goes on behind the Port Authority’s closed doors still remain.
The fact that both Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation that would open up the agency to closer public scrutiny suggests neither governor wants to give up what has served both of them as a political patronage piggy bank.
Both governors, instead, seem to think the Port Authority can reform itself. And if the recent list of recommendations is an indication, the fox really is in charge of the hen house, and the people in charge of the Port Authority have no clue as to what impact their decisions have on the public or the municipalities the Port Authority serves.
The fact that they would even consider shutting night time PATH service into and out of Hudson County shows just how out of touch the board is. One of the political leaders who protested the potential closing suggested the board members actually take a ride on the PATH during the night time hours to see who they serve. You have to wonder if any of the Port Authority board has ever actually taken the PATH.
Defenders of the Port Authority over the years have frequently deflected criticism by pointing out how well the dual-state agency ran the PATH. But they have neglected many other critical operations, such as maintaining bridges and other infrastructure under their care. The massive upgrade in bridge repair and other activities recently comes largely after years of neglect, making the public even more suspicious as to what the Port Authority has been doing with all the money they’ve collected in fees and tolls for decades.
This lack of care of property they control is well-known in local towns. The time it took to repair the bridges and address their flaking paint is only one example.
The raising of fees on bridges and tunnels as well as the PATH fare to pay for repairs also raised questions about the Port Authority’s priorities, such as the purchase of property in Bayonne and Jersey City.
How can the public trust the Port Authority to reform its own operations when it is clear that it has not been able to keep its priorities straight for decades? Many look at the cost of construction of the Freedom Tower in Manhattan as wasted resources while Port Authority facilities such as the one on the New York side of the George Washington Bridge haven’t been upgraded since the 1950s, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal near the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel is in dire need as well.
New Jersey Senate President Steven Sweeney announced this week that PATH closures have been removed from future consideration. But other questions about Port Authority priorities remain, and will not be answered unless real reform is instituted. The Port Authority has already made clear it cannot reform itself, despite what both governors say.
This also raises questions about Christie’s ambitions to become president. If he won’t hold accountable a bi-state agency like the Port Authority, what hope is there that he can hold accountable the myriad of agencies he will inherit if the voting public actually trusts him enough to elect him president?
Perhaps Christie hopes to get a job at the Port Authority if his presidential plans don’t pan out.
Blood in the political water?
With Bruce Alston leaping into the race for assembly in the 31st District that includes Bayonne and half of Jersey City, you have to wonder what he and the other emerging candidates know and we don’t.
Currently, Charles Mainor and Jason O’Donnell hold the two seats. It is customary to have one assembly member from each town in the district. O’Donnell, who was part of the political brain trust behind recently-defeated Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, is being challenged by Nicholas Chiaravalloti, a close associate of former Bayonne Mayor Joe Doria, who is expected to get the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.
O’Donnell might be able to cobble together a challenge if he can get support from Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. But his road to reelection is uphill, and unlikely, especially if Fulop does not want to make waves ahead of his expected run for governor.
Mainor, however, has no such baggage. And yet some believe he may be vulnerable to a challenge. Names like Jerry Walker have been tossed about as a possible replacement for Mainor. Alston also apparently sees an opening, as do others who are still considering a run.
But most insiders believe Mainor has the support of state Sen. Sandra Cunningham and if so, those challenging Mainor may just be wasting their time and money – unless, of course, they are simply boosting their name recognition for a possible run for another office, such as City Council in 2017.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.