2013 New Jersey governor debates: on Budget & Economy


Barbara Buono: My budget work speaks for itself, including $11B deficit

Christie said on April 22nd on NJ101.5 FM's "Ask the Governor" program: "If anyone should know irresponsible it should be Sen. Buono. She's the one, her budget left us with a $2 billion budget deficit in fiscal 10 that I had to fix. Her mistakes. And for 2011 an $11 billion budget deficit. Her mistakes."

Is one legislator--who happens to be running against Christie in November's gubernatorial contest--solely responsible for billions in debt?

Yes, Buono chaired the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee when the budgets in question were crafted. But governors don't have to keep state spending the same as it ever was. In the case of the $11 billion deficit, [Christie removed over] $3 billion. And it's a little over the top to say that Senator Buono was responsible for the $2 billion shortfall.

But Buono has frequently taken credit for the budgets in question, saying her time as budget chair "speaks for itself."

Source: PolitiFact.com on 2013 N.J. governor debates Apr 28, 2013

  • The above quotations are from 2013 New Jersey governor debates.
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Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
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Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
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LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
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Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
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GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
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GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018