Fiscal Conservatism only applies to the little people with the GOP of today.
Chris Christie created a financial black-hole for the State of New Jersey by cutting taxes for the richest 16,000 New Jersey residents. He then cut taxes for them again, and only few days after saying New Jersey is so broke it must cut medical benefits for retirees and permanently freeze their pensions Christie said he wanted more tax cuts for the richest in New Jersey (note - not for everyone - just the richest). Middle-class families lost their property tax rebates so they faced tax hikes.
Schools lost nearly $1 billion in funding, their biggest hit ever. Thousands of working poor families were closed out of health care programs.State scholarship programs were run dry - removing the very ladder that helped turn the "American Dream" in to a reality. The incompetence of his Office cost the State another £400 million in Federal Revenues for schools.
All of that makes him a hero to the Republican Party. His tax cuts to the richest 16,000 New Jersey residents cost the City over $1billion. 10% of New Jersey budget revenues.
So while slashing services for the poorest and taxes for the richest what does the man who is bankrupting New Jersey do? He used a state helicopter to ferry him to his a high school baseball game his son was playing in. That wasn't enough, even though a Governor's helicopter arriving at a school would have been a whale of an entrance, the Governor decided that the 100 yard walk between the helicopter and the match was too much. So he ordered a limo to drive him that extra 100 yards. He then got bored of the match and walked off, via the pitch stopping play.
He then took that same ride back to meet some of the 16,000 richest New Jersey residents for a Republican fund raiser, that also involved Iowa's top Republicans encouraging him to enter the Presidential race. The dinner was nothing to do with State business.
The spokesman for the Governor declared - there was nothing inappropriate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDabCGkWVRAHmmm. I seem to remember Christie thought there was nothing inappropriate about billing the taxpayers of New Jersey
$400 a night for hotel stays either Remember it is ok if you are a Republican.