Gov. Chris Christie discussed taxes, schools and Mitt Romney at his latest town hall meeting.
Speaking to an audience at the Elmwood Park Recreational Center, Christie outlined the themes of his "Middle Class Reform Agenda," reiterating his call for the legislature to pass ethics reform and continuing to push for tax cuts.
Christie urged the legislature to close a loophole in the property tax law that allows municipalities to charge fees above the 2 percent cap.
Christie used questions from the audience to focus on his push to appoint new justices to the state Supreme Court. The legislature has rejected two of Christie's nominees, and two lower court justices are filling in the vacant seats.
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Christie said he is getting ready to nominate two other justices and is "willing to bet you the Senate will come up with some excuse not to confirm one or both."
Consolidation of services was another theme Christie touted, saying that municipalities who don't want to share services will have their state aid cut.
Christie reiterated his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, saying that states should be able to determine how to best appropriate health care.
It is "insulting," Christie said, that President Barack Obama won't give block grants — a fixed sum of money that a governor can appropriate for Medicaid spending — to governors.
"What he is saying is I don't trust you to take care of your least fortunate," Christie said. "I completely reject that."
In response to a woman who asked why Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wasn't going on the offensive against Obama, Christie said Romney needs to make the case for himself if he wants to win the presidency.
Christie said Romney has 49 days to do his job and convince Americans he should be president.
Christie supports Romney and has traveled across the country stumping for him. But he said the candidates themselves are the only ones who can tout themselves and win a campaign.
The question, Christie said, must be on video.
"Maybe I'll just clip this to him and send this to him," Christie said.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
