While I instinctively have felt some affinity for the no nonsense, lunch bucket style of New Jersey Governor, "Fighting Chris Christie", there was always a thought in the back of my head that a bit of the "bully mafia boss" resided in his overarching physique.............Sure enough, it came out today that the "Gov" and his acolytes readily enjoy strong arming people so as to get their agenda accomplished.........Whether it be punishing the Mayor of Ft Lee for not endorsing Chritie's run for re-election by effectively closing down roadways into the George Washington Bridge(connecting NJ to NYC) or by in essence creating a "payoff paradigm" that greases the hands of state employees who head up the Pinelands Commission(New Jersey's "Yellowstone" of natural acreage in the Southern portion of the state),,,,,,,,,,,Governor Christie seemingly is like every other politician who wants what he wants,,,,,,do whatever to whomever to ensure success..............Troubling to all who might think that he would be bipartisan as it relates to wildlife and open space issues..........This man is willing to blow up the "lungs and acquifer" of the Garden State, something that the previous 4 Governors have come out strongly against doing...........I will not be voting for Mr. Christie should he become the Republican Presidential nominee for 2016

Fighting a Pipeline, but  Feeling and Fearing  Christie?s Influence BY MICHAEL POWELL A commission member says he was told he had a conflict and should not vote on a project Gov. Chris Christie supports. He was told the order was from Mr. Christie's office.

Four former N.J. governors oppose Pinelands gas project

An energy company wants to run a pipeline under parts of New Jersey's Pinelands. (Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

By Ryan Hutchins; nj star ledger

on December 18, 2013 at 6:30 PM, updated December 19, 2013 at 8:20 AM

TRENTON — Four former New Jersey governors are opposing a controversial proposal to build a natural gas pipeline through the heart of the Pinelands, a project Gov. Chris Christie’s administration supports.The governors — Democrats Brendan Byrne and Jim Florio, and Republicans Thomas Kean and Christie Whitman — sent a letter this month to the chairman of the state Pinelands Commission, which is weighing whether or not to allow the work. The 22-mile pipeline would run through the legally protected region to connect to the BL England power plant in Cape May County, and it would require a special exemption to the regulations established in the Pinelands management plan.

The former governors said allowing the pipeline to be built would have a lasting effect on “one of New Jersey’s most precious resources.” “The current proposal would compromise the integrity of the Pinelands plan and serve to encourage future development contrary to the vision the plan sets out for growth and conservation in the Pinelands,” the governors wrote.

Byrne signed the Pinelands Protection Act in 1979, Kean oversaw its initial implementation and Florio later served as chairman of the commission.

The letter was released today by a coalition of environmental groups that oppose building the pipeline. Some opponents have said the 24-inch pipeline would be buried 50 feet into the soil, over a sensitive 10,000-year-old, 17 trillion gallon aquifer that supplies water to most of southern New Jersey. And they’ve opposed it on the grounds that it would keep a polluting power plant open.

But the state Department of Environmental Protection says that enabling BL England to switch to natural gas will make the plant twice as efficient, reducing pollution. The plant signed an agreement with the DEP to switch to natural gas.

Jeff Tittel, the director of the Sierra Club in New Jersey, said there’s considerations beyond that, and that the letter is clear evidence of how dangerous allowing the project would be.

“Very rarely do four governors say something that’s critical of a current governor,” Tittel said. “This is big. This is not quite a clay tablet, but it’s definitely an alarm bell going off by the former governors.”

The letter suggests allowing this project would set a precedent that could lead to more construction in the protected forests.

“Very rarely do four governors say something that’s critical of a current governor.” — Jeff Tittel, the Sierra Club

“Having served in government, we understand the reasons that are presented, often compellingly, to waive environmental protections in what may seem at the time to be unique or extraordinary cases,” the governors wrote. “We believe, however, that the Pinelands program will only work over the long term if the plan is implemented consistently.”

Under a memorandum of agreement, expected to be voted on by the commission on Jan. 10, South Jersey Gas would pay $8 million to a Pinelands fund. The deal would, in effect, exempt the pipeline from a ban on new transmission lines in the 1.1-million-acre reserve.

South Jersey Gas defended the pipeline, which it said has received support from local state business groups, several unions and has been approved by the state Board of Public Utilities and the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers.

“This pipeline is necessary to improve reliability for the 140,000 South Jersey Gas customers in Atlantic and Cape May counties and will provide significant environmental improvements for the BL England generating station by transitioning it from coal and oil to natural gas,” Dan Lockwood, a company spokesman, said a statement.

Spokesmen for Christie and the DEP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report