Christie's Template For 2016? Think Camden!

Governor Christie: Think about Camden for a minute. A city devoid of hope five years ago...A city riddled with violent crime five years ago... A city beset by a corrupt and ineffective government five years ago ... A school system that failed Camden’s families almost every day just five short years ago. Then an outstanding leader stepped forward for mayor. Then a county government stepped in to lead boldly. And then I asked all of you to support a new vision for Camden.
Did we just throw money at the problem as has been done before? No, we did not.
My conversations with these leaders were that we demanded partnership and we demand accountability and because of that we are getting results.
 Through the economic opportunity act of 2013 a city that has suffered from divestment for decades is now seeing a new tomorrow. $600 million dollars of private investment in Camden in the last year alone. In a city suffering from epidemic crime, we acted boldly. We terminated the city police department and, partnering with the county, put a new metro division on the streets with 400 officers for the same price we were paying for 260. Here that again.
For every mayor, sitting in this chamber, for every mayor listening on television, for every mayor who will read this tomorrow and the next day. 400 police officers on the street for the same price that we were paying for 260. It took guts. We needed to be bold. But what are the results? Murder down 51%, in what was once called the most dangerous city in America. Firearm assaults down by one-third in the city that was once called the most dangerous city in America. And all violent crime, of every type, since we made this change, is down 22% in what was once called the most dangerous city in America.
And it’s not just numbers.
These men and women of the police force of the Camden County Police Metro Division are working with neighborhood groups to bring calm and peace across the city. In the Camden schools, we partnered as the state with the local groups to bring new leadership to the schools and a renewed accountability to the classroom. The Urban Hope Act has expanded opportunity and new schools are being built once again in the city of Camden in a public/private partnership. Hope and optimism is up – and the fear of failure is down.
I have been in Camden High School a number of times – on their football field, in their classrooms – those children are once again feeling a sense of pride about where they go to school and what their future looks like.
That’s because we led boldly. In Camden’s downtown, a new medical school and new investment by Rutgers University is helping to bring bright, new, young citizens to Camden’s neighborhoods.
No one, and I mean no one, could have believed it was possible five years ago.
Today, it’s happening because we put action and results ahead of politics and partisanship and a shared failed history.
I’m a Republican. She’s a Democrat. And it has not mattered for one minute.
And I make this offer to any major city mayor in New Jersey – if you’re willing to put down the sword of partisan politics, I will extend my hand in partnership and we will rebuild you’re cities the way we’re rebuilding Camden.