Subject: RE: For Research Approval: Excerpts from NJDSC and DNC Discussion of the Dangerous Trump-Christie Education Agenda
From: "Wei, Shu-Yen" <[email-masked]>
To: "Lykins, Tyler" <[email-masked]>, RR2 <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 11:06:59 -0700

Ok, thanks sending to NJ to send out via NJ Dems, then we can send it out via DNC Press

From: Lykins, Tyler
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2016 1:27 PM
To: Wei, Shu-Yen; RR2
Subject: RE: For Research Approval: Excerpts from NJDSC and DNC Discussion of the Dangerous Trump-Christie Education Agenda

Good, just one edit in topper.

From: Wei, Shu-Yen
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2016 1:13 PM
To: RR2
Subject: For Research Approval: Excerpts from NJDSC and DNC Discussion of the Dangerous Trump-Christie Education Agenda

For Immediate Release
May 5, 2016

Contact: DNC Press – 202-863-8148

Excerpts from NJDSC and DNC Discussion of the Dangerous Trump-Christie Education Agenda

Today, the New Jersey Democrats and the Democratic National Committee held a press call with Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan, Assemblywoman Mila Jasey and NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer to discuss the Dangerous Trump-Christie Education Agenda. Even though this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, Governor Christie and Donald Trump trump won’t be celebrating. Christie’s education agenda has been marked by over $1 billion<http://www.politifact.com/new-jersey/statements/2013/sep/08/new-jersey-education-association/njea-ad-claims-politicians-cut-1-billion-education/> in cuts to state aid for education, reneging<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/nyregion/christie-wont-be-forced-to-make-pension-payments.html> on state pension payments and repeatedly attacking<https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/chris-christie-to-teachers-union-you-deserve-a-punch-in-the-face/2015/08/03/86358c2c-39de-11e5-8e98-115a3cf7d7ae_story.html> teachers and teachers’ unions.

Donald Trump, who shares similar ideas and an endorsement from Mr. Christie, just became the presumptive Republican nominee. Trump has called for eliminating<http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-epa-dept-of-education> the Department of Education and reducing the power of teachers’ unions.

Please find excerpts below from the call as prepared for delivery:

Assemblyman Pat Diegnan

This week, Donald Trump became the nominee of the Republican Party. It wasn’t an accident. Republican leaders paved the way for Donald Trump with their divisive rhetoric, harmful policies, and obstruction of progress, and much of it started in this state.

Before the Tea Party, and before the Donald, there was Chris Christie – a man who tore down those who disagreed with him, stood in the way of progress, and put political retribution before the people of the state. It’s ironic that Mr. Trump locked up the nomination on Teacher Appreciation Week, since Christie’s disgraceful behavior toward teachers and public employees paved the way for Donald Trump to become the nominee of the Republican Party.

Over and over again, Governor Christie has tried to devalue the teaching profession and squeeze those who work so hard to shape our children’s future. At a time when Americans are concerned about stagnant wages, Christie suggested last year that teachers should be making minimum wage, after he vetoed and stood against minimum wage increases.

Trump has vowed to cut the Department of Education and has continually fleeced students through his fraudulent Trump University scheme. Thankfully, our state has resoundingly rejected these the Trump-Christie agenda. Governor Christie’s approval ratings have plummeted to 26 percent since he endorsed Trump. To put that in context – that’s only two points better than Richard Nixon’s approval rating on the day he resigned from the presidency.

New Jersey has seen the consequences of Governor Christie’s attacks on public education. We cannot allow the Trump-Christie agenda to be implemented on a national level. Our children’s’ future is just too important.

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey

Before Donald Trump was even thinking about running for President, Chris Christie was writing the book on squeezing teachers and hurting working families here in New Jersey. In addition to his attacks on teachers – a profession dominated by women – just this week, he vetoed an equal pay bill that would have guaranteed equal pay for women. With a record like that, it makes sense that Chris Christie was one of the first politicians in America to support Donald Trump, the most misogynistic and anti-woman presidential candidate in modern history.

While Chris Christie has mostly saved his vitriol for teachers, public workers, and his political appointees, Donald Trump has been an equal opportunity offender,  referring to to women as “dogs,” “slobs,” “fat pigs,” and “disgusting animals<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/08/10/donald-trump-women-insults-megyn-kelly/31407363/>,” attributing a reporter’s questions to her menstrual cycle, and saying that women who have abortions should be “punished.”

Is this who we want to lead the country? Dangerous Donald Trump with Crass Chris Christie right by his side? I think that most New Jerseyans and most Americans would look at that and shudder. Trump and Christie are cut from the same cloth. New Jersey is well aware of Christie’s bullying tactics, reneging on promises made at the negotiation table, slashing funding for education. And all indicators suggest that Trump would mimic those policies on the national level. We have an obligation to stop Trump and protect the country from that future.

Wendell Steinhauer

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Governor Christie has been anything but appreciative of teachers and our work his entire tenure in office. We all remember when he slashed the state education aid by more than $1 billion in his first year in office, leading to thousands of layoffs. Or when he made reneged on his promise to fund public employee pensions, despite his promise to do so at the negotiation table. Or when he suggested violence against teachers and teachers unions; he has made multiple references to punching us.

It is certainly no surprise to us that Chris Christie is supporting Donald Trump for President, they are two peas in pod. But when it comes to teachers, we cannot allow what Governor Christie has done to New Jersey to spread to the rest of the country, especially now that Trump is the standard bearer of the Republican party.

Trump is on record saying that he would cut the Department of Education, and he’s fleeced students for years with his fraudulent Trump University. We simply can’t imagine what would happen to education under Donald Trump, with Chris Christie whispering in his ears. under this Republican president, where Governor Christie’s dangerous ideas and policies would surely be allowed to spread nationally. We are calling out these dangerous ideas and gross misconceptions and asking voters to take a stand against them.

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