From: Justin Alpert

To: Jeanne ashmore

Cc: "sensweeney@njleg.org" <sensweeney@njleg.org>; senWeinberg <senweinberg@njleg.org>;
"senkean@njleg.org" <senkean@njleg.org>; senotoole@njleg.org; aswoliver <aswoliver@njleg.org>;
"asmPrieto@njleg.org" <asmPrieto@njleg.org>; "asmbramnick@njleg.org" <asmbramnick@njleg.org>;
skelos@nysenate.gov; gianaris@nysenate.gov; kate zernike
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 6:59 AM
Subject: GWB Lane Closures

Dear Governor Christie:

Everybody is all up in arms about this lane closure issue. We are all thankful for
Assemblyman Wisniewski's diligence in getting to the bottom of all of this. However, I
do note that we could have depositions and transcriptions for months to come, but in the
end, New Jerseyans are a resilient people... they understand that sometimes... well...
sometimes lanes get closed. And there ain't nothing nobody can do about it.
Now, I am sure Governor, that you would be very sorry if you had anything at all to do
with this... which you didn't, so you aren't. But even if you did (which you didn't), we all
recognize that perhaps none of this would have happened if Mayor Sokolich had just
shown you a little bit of bipartisan respect to begin with.
That being said, there are a lot of really important issues for the Legislature to work
through, Governor, during your second term... ideas that could have a national impact.
By working together (and together with Governor Cuomo), there could be real structural
reform of government and state agencies. The Legislature took its pound of flesh
in David Wildstein. What if Assemblyman Wisniewski were to back off of this whole
bridge thing and the Legislature were to just begin enforcing stronger oversight of your
Administration across the board? You know...they could hold
more agency oversight hearings... maybe set more written expectations and goals for
your Strong Leadership in the second term. Maybe the Legislature could just make this
whole bridge thing disappear. Maybe we can all just agree, Governor, that if you ever
are involved in lane closings in the future, that you would have learned from this
experience (in which you were not involved), and maybe you could minimize the impact
by perhaps going down and working the cones yourself, where, incidentally, you are
always at your best... doing old-fashioned retail politics, and listening to the guy on the
street.
Warm regards,
Justin Escher Alpert
Livingston, New Jersey
P.S. This letter... it never happened.