Chris Christie Makes Yet Another Visit to His Civic Laboratory
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made another visit to his "second home" on Tuesday. New Jersey Governor's Office / YouTube
Camden has become a backdrop for the New Jersey governor’s reform agenda and has become his ‘second home.’
If New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ends up making a 2016 White House run, don’t be surprised if he uses the city of Camden as a backdrop for a major presidential campaign speech.
He’s made plenty of visits to the ailing former industrial city across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. In fact, Camden’s mayor, Dana Redd, has said that her city is Christie’s “second home.”
That second home has given state and local officials plenty of problems and complex issues to deal with over the years, from crime to poverty to economic decline.
Pessimists may see doom and gloom in Camden but Christie has said on multiple visits that he sees hope and opportunity in the city that’s increasingly become a civic laboratory for the governor’s reform agenda.
Under Christie’s direction, the city’s police force was disbanded last year and was consolidated with Camden County’s police department. In June, Christie touted a two-year reduction in violent crime in the city during a visit.
Christie’s administration also assumed control of Camden’s public schools last year. In September, during one of the governor’s site visits, NJ Spotlight noted that Camden “has now become the centerpiece of his education plans.”
Christie was in Camden yet again on Tuesday, announcing a more than $50 million state commitment to renovate Camden High School. The New Jersey Schools Development Authority has already invested $261 million for projects in Camden’s schools.
“You see, I think the failure of things before had been that folks in whether it was state government or county or local government had tried to impose upon the people of Camden their particular vision for the city,” Christie said in his remarks. “What I think’s happened over the last five years because of the cooperation between myself and the mayor has been that we’re listening to the people of Camden, understanding what their deepest concerns, fears, and aspirations are, and now trying to model a governmental response to those fears, concerns, and aspirations that bring us together and lift up the people who live here.”
Watch Christie’s remarks, a transcript of which follows below:
Governor Christie: There’s been lots of talk over time about Camden. What I’m proudest of over the last five years is that we’ve done as much doing as talking. Now it is politics, so we’ll never do more doing than talking unfortunately. That’s just the way it is. But if we can do as much doing as talking we’re doing a heck of a lot better than we’ve done for a very long time in this city and that’s because of the leaders that you all have empowered. Remember in the end it’s you who have empowered the members of the council, the members of the state legislature, the advisory board, the mayor, the superintendent, and ultimately me to be able to make these changes. It’s because you’re standing up and being a part of the change that this city needs so desperately. You see, I think the failure of things before had been that folks in whether it was state government or county or local government had tried to impose upon the people of Camden their particular vision for the city. What I think’s happened over the last five years because of the cooperation between myself and the mayor has been that we’re listening to the people of Camden, understanding what their deepest concerns, fears, and aspirations are, and now trying to model a governmental response to those fears, concerns, and aspirations that bring us together and lift up the people who live here. We’re seeing that through the economic development that’s happening in the city. We’re seeing it through the reduction of crime, and we’re seeing it through the improvement of our educational system, both our public K-12 system and our higher education opportunities that are literally exploding around us here in this city, with Rutgers, the medical school, and all of the collaboration that’s going and the buildings that you see going up that will be inhabited by people who are coming to Camden to learn, to improve their lives and make their lives better. Well what we know is when they come to do that they make Camden better too, encourage people to come and live here, spend their time here, spend their money here, and have it be a place that’s truly a 24-7 city. That’s my hope, my aspiration for this place, and one of the students said why do you come here so often? And I said because I believe in this place, and every day as Governor you’re looking for places where you can have a direct positive effect. Well I believe Camden is one of those places, one of the best opportunities if not the best opportunity in New Jersey where we together collaboratively can have a direct and positive effect.