Last month, I noted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's opposition to a federal rail project that would have doubled rail capacity under the Hudson River as well as provided tens of thousands of needed jobs to New Jerseyans. The project, which would have been the largest infrastructure investment in the country, was yet another victim of Christie's short-sighted fiscal "conservatism."
As it turns out, New Jersey had already spent $600 million on the project, and with its cancellation official, the federal government wants some of its money back:
NJ Transit owes the federal government $271 million for the Hudson River rail tunnel that Gov. Chris Christie scrapped last month.The Federal Transit Administration on Monday sent the railroad the bill, saying interest and penalty charges will be added.The Record newspaper reported the FTA also said it would launch a "complete audit" of the Access to the Region's Core project to determine how much federal funds still have not been spent.
Well, so much for saving money. Judging from his past performance, we can count on Christie to reject federal aid and defund education to close that budget gap as well.
-- Jamelle Bouie
