New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has vetoed a $420,000 “Jersey Shore” production credit that was criticized by local lawmakers as a “fake tanning” tax break and “a terrible, terrible and misguided waste.”
“I have no interest in policing the content of such projects,” Christie said in a press release. “However, as chief executive I am duty-bound to ensure that taxpayers are not footing a $420,000 bill for a project which does nothing more than perpetuate misconceptions about the State and its citizens.”
Earlier this month, NJ.com reported that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved the tax break for the MTV show’s first season in 2009, which soon became known as the “Snooki Subsidy” by critics and local newspapers.
“I can’t believe we are paying for fake tanning for ‘Snooki’ and ‘The Situation’, and I am not even sure $420,000 covers that,” said State Rep. Declan O’Scanlon (R).
State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D) supports the program and sponsored a bill to expand it, but was also critical of this particular subsidy. “Let us just hope against hope that New Jersey taxpayers don’t end up paying for Snooki’s bail the next time she is arrested,” he said “What a terrible, terrible and misguided waste.”
Christie, who opposes the tax credit program as a whole, said Sarlo was being inconsistent in his opposition to it. From NJ.com:
Taking the opportunity to tweak Sarlo, [Christie] said the senator “would probably be good at playing ‘Twister,’ given all of his contortions.”
In response to the governor’s comments, Sarlo, said, “I would never play Twister with him.”
Christie is a pretty vocal critic of the show, saying that it misrepresents New Jerseyans and “parachutes out of control New Yorkers into Seaside Heights.”
Take them back. We don’t want them,” he said in February.
