Gov. Christie today went after David Rosen, the budget officer for the state's Office of Legislative Services, for his projections on the revenue shortfall.TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today attacked the legislature's non-partisan budget expert, calling him "the Dr. Kevorkian of the numbers."
“Why would anybody with a functioning brain believe this guy,” Christie said of David Rosen, the budget officer for the Office of Legislative Services. “How often do you have to be wrong to finally be dismissed?”
Rosen testified before an Assembly budget committee this morning that revenues will fall $1.3 billion short of Christie's most recent estimates through fiscal year 2013.
But Christie said Rosen is often wrong, and is being “manipulated” by legislative Democrats.
“It should be humiliating to him,” Christie said at a transportation conference at the Trenton Marriott. He spent a few minutes talking about the administration's transportation initiatives, but spent the rest of the 30 minute speech criticizing Rosen and legislative Democrats, who he said don't want to cut taxes "under any circumstances."
Rosen, who has been the subject of Christie’s ire before, declined to comment.
Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald responded by calling Christie "unhinged" and said his use of name-calling was "reprehensible."
"The governor is now in full-fledged panic mode, lashing out at anyone who dares question him," Greenwald said in a statement. "Dr. Rosen works for the entire legislature, and has never let partisanship seep into his forecasting."
Last year, Rosen and the administration were apart by $177 million in their projections, but Democrats submitted a budget using spending on top of Rosen's projections, part of which was funded by a millionaire's tax. Christie line item vetoed that budget. Christie said that if he had listened to Rosen’s projections last year, the state would be in a $1.6 billion hole.
The Office of Legislative Services serves as the budget arm of the legislature and is non-partisan. Christie repeatedly called it the “partisan” Office of Legislative Services today and said the non-partisan label is a “complete joke.”
“It is so obvious that they’re being manipulated by the legislature,” Christie said. “We all know that the Office of Legislative Services is the handmaiden of the majority.”
Though Christie’s revenue estimate last year was more accurate, the OLS has been closer to the mark over the decade. On average since 2000, governors have been off 1.99 percent, the OLS 1.36 percent.
Staff writer Jarrett Renshaw contributed to this report.
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