Christine Todd Whitman The Sacramento Bee August 3, 2009 Given the fiscal challenges facing California, there will be great temptation to put on hold any major new projects. It's important to remember, however, that postponing spending commitments doesn't mean they disappear; rather, costs rise even higher later while the needs remain. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman New Jersey Newsroom July 15, 2009 When one thinks of the federal government, and the way in which our three branches of government interact, "speed" and "efficiency" are not words that immediately leap to mind. Our governmental system is notorious for its slow pace and minute course adjustments; indeed, our founders designed the checks and balances system to allow for an appropriately deliberative process. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman The Washington Post June 26, 2009 Wednesday saw the second public official in as many weeks to publicly confess to an affair that may end his political career. Given some of the resurrections we have seen, you can never say that someone is politically “dead”, but I believe the public tolerance for such behavior, particularly from people who have been so outspoken in their moral superiority, has worn very thin. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman The Record June 7, 2009 The state races in New Jersey and Virginia, which are held between congressional election years, have tended to be canaries in the coal mine of the national political mood. In 1993, Republicans won these two gubernatorial elections. George Allen replaced a Democrat in Virginia and I beat the incumbent Democrat in New Jersey. These victories were a prelude for Newt Gingrich and the signatories of the Contract with America to succeed in taking back the U.S. House of Representatives the following year. While the analogy to this year’s elections is not exact, both the Obama Administration and the RNC are taking a hard look at the possibility of Republican victories in this year’s gubernatorial races. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman The Record May 29, 2009 On today’s primary election day, it is important for all New Jerseyans to remember the importance of voting and how this simple democratic exercise directly impacts not only the health and vitality of our state’s political process, but also our wallets and our livelihoods. For all the talk about state taxes and corruption, we need to recognize that the public policies we disparage come from the political leaders we elect. [...]

Christie Todd Whitman New York Times April 29, 2009 I have always admired Arlen Specter for his willingness to stand up for his principles and to put policy ahead of party when he thought it was necessary. I do, however, regret his decision to switch parties and I worry about the direction this country could go with a filibuster-proof Democratic majority. Some historians suggest that no president has had such power since 1937, when large Democratic majorities in Congress gave President Franklin Roosevelt tremendous leverage. The United States needs two vibrant, competitive parties. With the economic crisis, the war in Iraq and countless other issues facing the nation, the stakes are too high to simply let one ideological segment of the country determine our fate. If we are to prevent this kind of one-party dominance, Republicans need to reassess where we are and what we stand for — and we need [...]

Christie Todd Whitman The Record April 26, 2009 While the current economic crisis poses a tremendous challenge for our nation’s families as well as our leaders, it also brings a tremendous opportunity for governments at all levels to prioritize their spending. This is, after all, one of the primary functions of an executive – to cautiously examine spending proposals and only choose those that are appropriate and most important. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman The Korea Herald March 17, 2009 The 21st century finds, for the first time in history, a majority of the world's citizens living not in small towns and rural villages, but in cities and other urban places. As the planet becomes increasingly urbanized -- and increasingly warmed by human activity -- the need for a more environmentally sustainable form of city design, a "green city," has never been greater. [...]

Christine Todd Whitman The Record February 25, 2009 When I think about the stimulus plan President Obama recently signed into law, I cannot help but recognize the missed opportunities associated with this legislative behemoth. Missed opportunities were certain to arise, of course, after the 1,079 page bill was made public only the night before the final vote. As House Minority Leader John Boehner pointed out, not a single member of Congress had read the bill prior to voting on it. And while this may be a more common practice than we should be comfortable with, it may help to explain some of the inconsistencies within the bill. There is no question that government dollars needed to be spent - monetary policy has brought us only so far, and now is the appropriate time for fiscal policy to take a turn. Sadly, I fear that Congress and President Obama have missed their [...]