Governor Chris Christie gives remarks on the Senate passing legislation to eliminate COAH during a Town Hall Meeting in Roxbury, N.J. on Thursday, June 10, 2010. (Transcript Below)
Governor Christie: When I was running for office last year I said that one of our first priorities would be to make sure that we gutted COAH and we ended it for the people of the state of New Jersey, ended the fees, ended the mandates, ended the ridiculous studies that Jim talked about like the one here in Roxbury and it was duplicated all over the state, especially in the Highlands and the Pinelands areas where you had to do those Highlands and Pinelands studies, and the Highlands people told you you can't build anywhere and then the COAH people came in and said build over there, and they said well the Highlands people told us we can't build there, and they said well, don't listen to them, listen to us. It's both from the state government. So here's the good news that I bring you today. While I'm here with all of you the New Jersey state Senate is down there working and today they're going to pass Senate Bill 1, which is eliminating COAH. COAH will be dead. We promised that when we ran for office and we've worked hard over the first five months with Senator Lesniak to put together a bipartisan bill that returns the issue of affordable housing back to the localities where it belongs and turns it into something that is market driven, not artificial numbers and quotas that come from some bureaucrat in Trenton sitting in a cubicle somewhere who came up with a number. What was your number in Roxbury Jim? 351. I don't know where they came up with that number, but don't worry about it. Forget about the 351 number, because when the Senate passes that today and then Assemblyman Bucco votes for it and passes through the Assembly—that's right, and that's why I know you're voting for it. When he votes for it and then they send it to my desk I'm going to sign it and then we are going to hold a funeral for COAH, respectfully buried and put it away forever.
