To: Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Tell Chris Christie to Schedule and Attend a Public Town Hall Forum in Newark!
As leaders and members of the Newark Parents Union, the Newark Students Union, NJ Communities United and our many allies and partners throughout the City of Newark, we hereby formally request that you schedule and attend a town hall in Newark that’s open to all residents of the city. We have many questions that we’d like you to answer and we would like to share our vision of a strong Newark and strong New Jersey with you. As you claim, Newark is where you were born and raised. We would hope that you would welcome the chance to meet and speak with residents in your home town.
Why is this important?
Chris Christie has held over 120 public town hall events in cities across New Jersey. He has travelled the country stumping for the Republican Governor’s Association and promoting his own presidential aspirations.
Unfortunately, he has avoided holding a Town Hall forum in his home town of Newark, the largest city in New Jersey and a city whose residents are struggling with urgent social and economic issues. Consider the following facts:
***Chris Christie re-appointed Cami Anderson as the superintendent of Newark Public Schools despite the broad and deep opposition to her leadership. Both the Newark Board of Education and the Newark City Council have passed votes of no confidence in Cami’s leadership.
***Chris Christie has refused to follow the state mandated funding formula for public schools, denying millions of dollars to educating Newark’s next generation.
***Chris Christie diverted funds meant for Sandy victims who live in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark to his political supporters. To this day, families continue to struggle with the aftermath of the storm.
***Chris Christie diverted $75 million in bank settlement money meant for struggling homeowners to fund a tax break for the wealthiest New Jerseyans, leaving many Newark families in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.
All of these important decisions have been made without a meaningful process for local decision-making and participation by Newark’s residents. Yet, Chris Christie’s physical presence in Newark has been non-existent – at least to the general public’s knowledge.
Join us and demand that Chris Christie schedules and attends a well-publicized Town Hall event in Newark to discuss the urgent issues that plague our city!