The following letter was published in the Fredericksburg Freelance Star as a response to a recent editorial heralding NJ Governor Chris Christie, who has imposed budget cuts even more severe than Virginia's. Click here to see the letter on the Fredericksburg Freelance Star website.

Date published: 12/23/2010

A friend of mine who lives in Fredericksburg sent me the Dec. 16 editorial titled "Christie-isms."

As a New Jersey public high school teacher, I can attest that Virginia would be ill-advised to make our governor your hero.

Thanks to Gov. Chris Christie's cuts, my school has seen a reduction in special education teachers, and class sizes have ballooned to over 40. He has recklessly and intentionally hammered away at pension and benefits.

Mr. Christie's "slash and burn" method for trimming the budget has compromised the resources, integrity, and overall effectiveness of New Jersey's public education system.

I agree that during hard economic times tough cuts must be made, and I am willing to make my sacrifice, but does Mr. Christie know that? No, because he has refused to even meet with the education association.

Instead, he prefers to make his own arbitrary and malicious cuts to the budget, jeopardizing public education in New Jersey.

Then again, he doesn't need to worry. His kids attend private school.

Tom Rosenberg

Marlton, N.J.