The Times:

The largest public transit project in the nation, a commuter train tunnel under the Hudson River to Manhattan, was halted on Thursday by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey because, he said, the state could not afford its share of the project’s rising cost.

Mr. Christie’s decision stunned other government officials and advocates of public transportation because work on the tunnel was under way and $3 billion of federal financing had already been arranged — more money than had been committed to any other transit project in America. [...]

Mr. Christie’s decision also packed a wallop for the elected officials and transit advocates who spent most of the last two decades cobbling together the design for the tunnel. Several of them criticized the governor for rushing to a judgment that they said would hamstring the region’s economy long into the future.

It's still too early to say whether or not this can be fixed. But as roatti says on Kos, pretty much nailing it:

Years of work by transit advocates, planners and collaboration between 2 states, a bi-state agency, and the federal govt has all been trashed because Chris Christie has a slavish devotion to cutting spending, even if that spending is not wasteful and will pay for itself in economic activity several times over.

This is how Republicans govern. Don't let anybody forget this.

Hammer, nail, head.

Wish I'd read this kind of headline about Brooklyn's corrupt machine, run by Vito Lopez and his aide Steve Levin. Seems some political corruption in Newark, NJ has just gotten some people busted. From CNN:

(CNN) -- About 30 people...were arrested Thursday in a federal investigation of public corruption, the U.S. attorney's office in Newark, New Jersey, said...

Among those arrested in the public corruption portion of the investigation are Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, New Jersey Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt and Leona Beldini, a Jersey City deputy mayor.

Several rabbis in New York and New Jersey also were arrested in connection with the money-laundering portion of the investigation.

More details from BBC News:  read more »

How pissed are you at Bush? How pissed are you that he ignored the warnings of 9/11, allowing the deaths of our fellow New Yorkers? How pissed are you that Bush has publicly said he doesn't care about capturing Osama bin Laden?

Well, our neighbors in New Jersey are asking us to help them show Bush he isn't welcome in our neck of the woods. This comes from some contacts I have in New Jersey, and is being organized by the NJ Democrats. I urge people to try and attend. I want Bush to feel as uncomfortable as possible anytime he gets anywhere NEAR New York. Here's the flyer: