The Wall Street Journal Says Liberals Killed The ARC Tunnel

According to the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, "Chris Christie sure has a knack" for shocking the political class on behalf of taxpayers. Christie struck a blow for taxpayers by cancelling the ARC Tunnel because of cost overruns. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was "stunned."

States the Journal:

"The [ARC] tunnel flap is a microcosm of the crowding out of public works caused by liberal governance around the country. In New York State, bridges like the Tappan Zee over the Hudson River are in desperate need of repair . . . The 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles needs repair and earthquake retrofitting, but Sacramento is busted."

First of all, New York had a Republican governor from 1995 to 2007, and the mayor of New York City before independent Mike Bloomberg was Rudy Giuliani. And California has had Republican governors since 1991. So how can this be a liberal phenomenon?

It's the public employee unions, of course. The public employee unions have a stranglehold on state government, and are sucking the transportation infrastructure repair money out of the states in the form of pensions and health benefits and wage increases. See, it's public employee unions against taxpayers again -- that's the underlying meaning.

Second of all, the taxpayers whose property values will rise as a result of the ARC Tunnel are not being well served by the Governor. The taxpayers who pay for road maintenance are not being well served by the Governor, who is doing nothing to get cars off of the road. The taxpayers who breathe the air are not being served, either.

Third of all, Chris Christe cancelled the ARC tunnel to pull the press out of the room where Bret Schundler was throwing the Governor under the bus. Basically, Christie panicked and killed a deal with the NJEA that he knew about because he did not like the press he was getting. Then, when he was about the get more bad press about his previous panic, Christie panicked again and prematurely pulled the plug on the ARC Tunnel. And somehow that's a model of good choices in government.

It seems Chris Christie can't pass gas without the Wall Street Journal finding the Governor refreshing.

The Midtown Direct Effect

The Wall Street Journal reports that certain New Jersey communities have seen housing prices recover faster than in other communities. Houses in good condition in bedroom communities with good public schools and short commutes to Manhattan are seeing housing prices rebound. Apparently, the Wall Street recovery is fueling the housing market boomlet.

Jeffrey Otteau of Otteau Valuation Group, a New Jersey appraisal firm, says that New Jersey towns with short, direct train rides to Manhattan outperformed the rest of the State during the first half of 2010. Says Otteau, "We have seen the effects of the Manhattan rebound in the market we describe as Midtown Direct," a corridor with direct commutes to Manhattan of 35 minutes or less.

I hope someone flags this information to the Christie advisors reviewing the ARC Tunnel. That project would create a new Midtown Direct corridor and increase property values -- it would create wealth.

I also hope someone flags this information to the Governor himself the next tome he discusses pulling money out of suburban school districts to send to private, parochial and charter schools. Good public school districts add to home value -- they create wealth.

I had a lot of time to ponder this information last night during my 2.5 hour commute (normally 35 minutes. Aging Amtrak infrastructure cannot handle the volume of traffic our economy requires. Doing nothing is not an option -- either we act affirmatively to improve the infrasrtucture or we react when that infrasrtucture crumbles beneath our feet.

Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?

Congratulations to Michael Aron, senior political correspondent at NJN. With the Governor's cancellation of the ARC Tunnel project, Mr. Aron is ready to conclude that Chris Christie is making decisions with national office in mind. According to Mr. Aron, Mr. Christie wants to run in 2016 as the Republican who cancelled the largest public works project in the nation on grounds of fiscal responsibility.

Why 2016? Because the Governor has gone out of his way to make it clear that he is not running in 2012. He may be able to explain away a Vice Presidential bid in 2012, but not a presidential bid.

But here's the thing. 2016 is a political lifetime away. Hell, 2006 was the year the Democrats swept into Washington, and 2010 is the year they get swept out (although I am not convinced that Democrats will lose the House -- I will be surprised if it happens).

In 2016, the economy will be back on track, people will be back to work. And the lack of adequate public transportation infrastructure will probably be seen as a bad thing. And the ARC tunnel will not be 2 years away from completion, if it ever gets started at all. My money says that in 2016 the cancellation of the ARC Tunnel will be seen as penny wise and pound foolish, an act of political cowardice and a failure to invest in New Jersey.

Such is the fate of idealogical demagogues. They are creatures of their times, and as they build track records of accomplishments they prove themselves of limited appeal.

For example, in 2004 the top issues were terrorism and the war in Iraq; swing voters were focused on "values." In 2008, candidate's support for the war in Iraq was a big litmus test. In 2004, you weren't a viable candidate unless you supported the war; in 2008 support for the war was a detriment.

Maybe this all speaks to where Chris Christie expects New Jersey to be in 2016. Apparently, he's not planning on a robust economic recovery anytime soon; apparently, he's planning for 6 more years of recession.