Gov. Christie Gets an A in Job Creation by Just 6%
In Monmouth University/Asbury Park (N.J.) Press poll...
In a recent survey, New Jersey residents give Gov. Chris Christie a C for creating jobs, while they are divided on the New Jersey governor's handling of same-sex marriage, according to the latest Monmouth University/Asbury Park (N.J.) Press Poll report card.
On job creation, just 6% of people gave Christie an A grade, the lowest among the seven subjects surveyed. But just 15% flunked him, with 36% giving him a C, which is what his average grade equaled, Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray said.
"It's an important issue for New Jerseyans. It's right after property taxes as the No. 2 issue," said Murray. "But it's one where people say the governor's ability to affect change is limited, so he gets a C on that."
There are economic statistics to support both sides of the partisan divide. More than 394,000 people are currently unemployed, but the state has added 133,200 private-sector jobs since Christie took office. Murray said people don't measure the economy by large numbers, though he said the recent growth lets Christie give the impression that things are headed in the right direction.
"They look at their own situation and their own personal concern about whether they're going to be able to keep their own job. They don't blame him for that or give him a lot of credit," Murray said. "What it is is a sense of optimism. Are businesses coming into the state? Does it feel like this is a place where I'm going to be secure in my job environment? People are on the fence about that."
"Everybody could do better," said Gloria Smith, 88, of Lacey, N.J. "President (Barack) Obama could do better. I don't believe they've done enough, both parties."
New Jersey state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat from Bergen, said that despite $2.1 billion in tax breaks for companies awarded by the Christie administration, New Jersey's unemployment rate, at 8.6%, is still the highest in the region — 0.5 points above Connecticut and more than a point above Delaware, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.
"There's a lot we can do to improve the job picture here, but certainly all these tax breaks have not worked," said Weinberg.
Since Christie took office in January 2010, the state's economy has added 108,400 jobs, according to preliminary data for July 2013. An increase of 133,200 private-sector jobs has been partially offset by a loss of 24,800 public-sector jobs.
Year-over-year growth is the highest it has been since 2000. That growth has been better recently than it was early in Christie's term. Net private-sector growth reached 10,700 in Christie's first year, 45,600 in his second and 47,000 in his third.
After steep declines early in Christie's tenure, public-sector job growth also has been rising. From its peak in May 2010, four months after Christie took office, the number of government jobs fell by a net 43,400 by August 2011, down nearly 7% to its lowest level in nine years. But public-sector employment then grew by more than 14,000 jobs by June 2013.
While Christie favorably compares his record against the job losses recorded under Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine, that doesn't take into account the dominating influence of the national economy. In the time Christie has been governor, the nation has added nearly 6.8 million jobs, growth of more than 5%. In Corzine's four years, the nation lost nearly 5.8 million jobs, or 4.5%.
As it relates to same-sex marriage, 30% give Christie an above-average grade and 31% a below-average mark, the poll found.
All that adds up to an average grade of C, on an issue Murray said isn't given top billing by a significant portion of the general public.
"It's a middling grade," Murray said. "It's an average grade, but the key thing there I think is that it's an elective subject as far as most voters are concerned. It's not part of his core curriculum when they judge how he's doing his job."
Twenty percent of poll respondents said that they could not give Christie a letter grade on same-sex marriage; on only one other issue did at least 10% of people volunteer that answer — gun control, at 12%.
"It's an indication of, 'Whether I agree or disagree with him, I'm not really following this issue. This is not an important issue,' " Murray said. "This is like his grade for gym as far as most voters are concerned."
Penelope Marzec, an author and retired teacher from Lincroft, N.J., said Christie's handling of the issue is "not so hot. If they want to get married, let them get married."
By votes of 24-16 in the Senate and 42-33 in the Assembly, the New Jersey Legislature voted in February 2012 to allow gay couples to marry. Christie vetoed the bill the following week and called for a November referendum at which voters would decide whether to make the change.
Critics said civil rights shouldn't be put up for a vote and have vowed to attempt a vote that would override Christie's veto before the legislative session ends in mid-January.
The Monmouth University/Asbury Park (N.J.) Press poll was conducted by telephone with 783 New Jersey adults from Sept. 6 to 10. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
by Michael Simmons, NJ Press
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