On February 11, 2010, Newly elected Republican Governor Chris Christie declared a fiscal ‘state of emergency’ in a major budget speech delivered at the New Jersey Statehouse.  In his speech, Christie announced major spending freezes and cuts.  Christie stated…

In total, I am cutting spending in 375 different state programs, from every corner of state government.

I doubt that many will be popular. I will use my executive authority to implement them now, because I must.

Taken as a package, they will achieve the required savings and eliminate our $2 billion budget gap.
I am not happy, but I am not afraid to make these decisions, either. It is what the people sent me here to do.

I encourage you to read the transcript of the entire speech, which can be found here.

Governors from other states should follow Christie’s lead.  In a time when most Americans are being forced to trim their house-hold budgets and “tighten their financial belts,” it is simply unacceptable for state or federal governments to increase government spending.