Memo To My Legislators: Learn from Ukraine. Repeat as Necessary.

From: Daniel B. Kurz, M.A., New Jersey Citizen, Parent and Educator

To:    State Assembly Speaker Vincient Prieto

         State Senate President John Sweeney

         Assemblyman John Wisniewski              

         Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg

Cc:    Legislative Team from District 16 (My Home District)

Re:    Are You Kidding Me?

Over the past 24 hours we have seen dramatic developments in Ukraine. There, the democratically elected multiparty Parliament has voted unanimously to remove that nation’s chief executive, President Viktor Yanukovych. Most legislators have cited the former president's abuse of executive power as the primary reason for this constitutionally based, legal

Legislators: Burn the midnight oil if you must, but remove Christie and Guadagno now!

action.

Yanukovych clearly showed his contempt for both the law and for the lives of the people he served by authorizing the execution of demonstrators in the central square of the capital city. As more evidence comes to light, it is also obvious that a blatant pattern of corruption and patronage, not to mention bullying, has been the overall practice of his administration.

It is my firm belief that at this moment straightforward evidence persists that the administration of our governor, Chris Christie, amply demonstrates an equal pattern of corruption, contempt for the law and human life.

First, we must look to the events of September 2013. We know from documented evidence that members of the Governor’s inner staff ordered the closure of several Fort Lee lanes to the George Washington Bridge for no legally-based reason. In fact, evidence in the emails and texts between two of the governor’s appointees, Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly and Port Authority Operative David Wildstein, display a genuinely sadistic attitude toward the people/victims of this state. In the traffic jam that ensued, millions of dollars worth of delays resulted, tens of thousands of lives were put at risk and accidents occurred. The entire Northeast corridor of the United States was affected, and it ought to be noted that these jams transpired during the anniversary of the September 11^th Attacks. Al Qaida, our sworn enemy, is known especially for its anniversary attacks on major pieces of infrastructure. By ordering these jams, the Governor’s administration put our nation in jeopardy and clearly damaged its wartime preparation and footing. Had an attack occurred on the region at that time, the consequences would have been beyond disastrous.

Additionally, over the past few months, allegations have been made by the mayor of Hoboken that point to a political use of Federal funds intended to ease the pain and burdens of those New Jerseyans effected by Hurricane Sandy. The mayor disturbingly documented in her notes that our Lieutenant Governor threatened to keep funds from Hoboken unless the certain political actions were taken that the Christie Administration favored. It is bizarre and frankly suspect that our Lt. Governor has, aside from denying the allegations, refused to discuss them at all with any member of the public, the press or the Legislature.

With these two scandals, a third has emerged that is more serious. The Governor has claimed total ignorance of any of these actions, from the order of the bridge closing to the threats of the Lieutenant Governor. His denials are frankly not believable, but anyway point to a leadership ability that is both negligent and incompetent.

If this governor is capable of such missteps, or at least, being at the center of their whirlwind without knowing of them, then he is capable of much, much more. The Legislature must act now to protect the people of New Jersey from this kind of chief executive by impeaching and removing him as soon as possible. Whether or not he ordered the lane closures and the Sandy aid withheld is something that, as a private citizen, he will have to answer for in a court of law. But as for the standards of impeachment and removal, I believe his actions have already surpassed any reasonable threshold for action.

What are you waiting for? How far are you willing to toy with our liberties on behalf of the Governor’s political career? Are you waiting for this governor to order police officials that are loyal to him reroute traffic from the Lincoln Tunnel? Would such officers open fire on drivers who ignored such a likely and illegal order? Isn’t it time to stop ignoring these dangerous hypothetical situations, knowing what we already know?

If you think that I'm being overreactive, or unfair in my comparisons to the situation in Ukraine, I must ask: Are you kidding me?