Chris Christie Says He Didn’t Raise Taxes In NJ, Politifact Says Not Exactly True

New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie is a controversial figure in America’s political landscape. Either folks appreciate his plainspoken, no-holds-barred approach to politics and the press, or they find him horribly offensive and likely pick on his weight.

It’s true that in a party of buttoned-up, mostly white, mostly dudes, Chris Christie brings a bit of Jersey flair. And as the recent “is the Republican party inherently misogynistic?” question arises again after Todd Akin’s unfortunate rape comments make their way through the press cycle, a comment Christie made to a female protestor not too long ago has been making the rounds of liberal blogs (graphic below.) As the protester queried Christie on employment numbers dropping, he quipped that something would be going down that night but it “ain’t gonna be jobs, sweetheart.”

But, obviously, Chris Christie has fans in New Jersey, or he wouldn’t be governing the state. And it seems Christie’s promises hinge largely on taxes, specifically not raising taxes on New Jersey residents. Politifact looked into the statements Christie has made on taxes, namely his ones August 20 at an Asbury Park fundraiser:

“I haven’t raised taxes in the time I’ve been the governor of New Jersey and I didn’t need to sign a pledge not to… I made a pledge to the people of the state not to. I don’t need to make a pledge to anybody else.”

It is indeed admirable that Chris Christie has essentially taken a stand against Grover Norquist and his bossy attempt to make every state follow his own guidance on taxes that may or may not apply to the circumstances of that state, but the political fact-checking site says that Christie’s words barely rate a “half true” and explains:

“Rates for the state’s three biggest revenue generators — income, sales and corporation business taxes — have not gone up under Christie… But the governor has cut funding for tax credit programs and several experts said those reductions are, in effect, tax increases.”

“‘For practical purposes decreasing tax credits is the same as a tax increase. The person’s effective tax rate goes up,” David Brunori, a research professor of public policy at The George Washington University, said in an e-mail. ‘Still, most people think of tax increases as rate hikes.'”

Would you liked to have seen Chris Christie standing in Paul Ryan’s spot at the RNC?