Quote Of Note: A Christie-Style Expansion Of State Power

It seems Republicans in North Jersey are peeved with the Governor's proposed cap on school superintendent pay. Rich towns want to be able to hire good superintendents to protect the quality of their schools and the value of their homes.

It seems these Republicans believe that schools should be run by local municipalities, and not by the State. Which is consistent with the Republican ideal of smaller government.

With respect to the pay cap, the Wall Street Journal quotes Brigid Harrison, political science professor at Montclair State University, as saying that "[i]t's a Chris Christie-style means to an end -- expanding state power to cut local government costs -- that could be hard for traditional conservatives to defend. This flies in the face of some of the ideological considerations that really have informed many of these decisions."

Biting The Hand That Feeds

Hoboken has decided to join Parsippany in bringing suit to challenge the Governor's alleged right to limit superintendent pay.

At issue is local rule. Municipalities have control over their schools, not the State. And the legal challenges assert that the State lacks the authority to limit superintendent pay.

As a matter of political reality, the Governor seems to have peed in his own backyard. Rich Republican towns know that high school quality maintains property values, and these towns do not like being told that they cannot decide to hire top-notch talent for their school systems. And so it would seem that the Governor's supporters are none too pleased with this particular policy.

Since Chris Christie is first and foremost a fundraiser, it is truly unusual for him to be at odds with his financial backers.