'An Extraordinarily Clear Signal'

Can you imagine the media fawning over a guy like this if he was a Democrat? Well, I can handle that the national media isn't slobbering over him like he's a rock star. Especially since he's just beginning to do his job and he's actually doing something constructive.

Claiming the school budget defeat as a validation of his shrinking government plan, Gov. Chris Christie today pushed the next reforms on his agenda: A 2.5 percent constitutional cap on property taxes, and reforms to public worker pensions, benefits and the collective bargaining process.

Christie said New Jerseyans sent "an extraordinarily clear signal," and the Democrat-controlled Legislature and local elected officials "ignore these results at their own political peril."

Nationally, Democrats have been ignoring results at their own peril and we're now seeing men like Christie emerge as leaders. Sure, it's way too soon to project him onto a national stage or office, but at the same time, he already has more executive experience that Barack Obama has when he assumed the presidency.

"People in public life don’t ignore election results. They absorb them," he said, adding, "This is going to be a watershed moment for New Jersey because I believe it’s going to unite all of us to say these reforms need to be done, the people need to be listened to."

The governor urged municipal governing bodies, school boards and local teachers’ unions to work together to implement a one-year wage freeze.

"It’s not too late to reopen those contracts. It’s not too late to agree to a freeze."

Today, Christie called for legislative approval of a package of reforms, including a constitutional amendment limiting annual property take hikes, benefits cuts for current public workers and changes in the collective bargaining process to give towns and school boards more control.

Christie said he had not discussed the results with ruling Democrats, who will return to session in May

Obviously not absorbing the results, Democrats keep living in dreamland.

Senate president Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said the governor did a "masterful job" of tapping into people’s "anger over the government right now," but misled voters about the real impact of a one-year wage freeze.

And after Sweeney is swept from power in 2011, he can find another occupation while Governor Christie moves forward.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.