Julie & Mike get edgy over Gateway tunnel, Trump Jr. 'treason' claims; not over pumping your own gas

Q. The Trump administration on Friday disavowed a deal struck by President Barack Obama to finance the Gateway rail tunnel under the Hudson River, and described it a “local project.” Is this a potential disaster taking shape?

DuHaime: There is no doubt we need the Gateway tunnel, and this is a serious challenge for the U.S. senators and House members, as well as the governors, for both New York and New Jersey. This is an area where there is bipartisan unity given its importance to the entire region, so I am hopeful a solution can be found.  

Roginsky: This is a catastrophe — one that need never have happened had Gov. Chris Christie not canceled the ARC Tunnel, which I consider to be his single worst decision. That decision, and President Donald Trump’s decision not to move forward with the Gateway project, will cost our region billions in lost revenue over the long term.

DuHaime: The ARC tunnel was poorly designed and didn’t even connect with Penn Station. Most importantly, all the cost overruns, which would have been more than $10 billion, were to be paid solely by New Jersey taxpayers, with none being paid by New York or the federal government. It was a classic gambit where New York sticks it to New Jersey. Christie made the right decision to shut down ARC and try to get it replaced with a better design and payment plan that was fair to New Jersey. 

Roginsky: Except that, of course, that gambit has resulted in New Jersey losing billions in revenue. As for it not connecting to Penn Station, there are plenty of subways one block away from Penn Station on Sixth Avenue that New Jerseyans use to commute to work once they arrive in the city.

DuHaime: So, we should have accepted billions in revenue, only to pay three times what we would have received?  Fuzzy math. We pay enough to D.C. They should pay their fair share, and that’s what Christie fought for.

Roginsky: And as a result, got nothing. I hope people remember that when they are unable to commute to work in the city because our existing infrastructure is crumbling. Also, let me add that taxpayers are now forced to pay the federal government nearly $100 million for the governor’s decision to cancel the ARC tunnel. So that’s another “win” for Chris Christie on his way out.

Q. In a forthcoming book, Steve Bannon says it was “treasonous” for Donald Trump Jr. and other senior Trump campaign officials to meet Russian nationals promising to provide dirt on Hillary Clinton last July. So, I finally agree with Bannon on something. Do you?

DuHaime: Treasonous implies an intent that neither you nor Bannon can know. So, I won’t say treasonous. But it was at was naïve and foolish. Campaign finance laws prohibit a campaign from accepting anything of value from a foreign agent. In English, that means a campaign cannot even accept a $10 campaign contribution from a well-meaning Canadian or British citizen, no less opposition research from a hostile foreign power. Politics 101 tells you that campaign lawyers should have been notified immediately when someone tried to arrange that meeting.

Roginsky: I agree with everything Mike said, with one caveat — if you think it is acceptable to take aid from a hostile foreign power like Russia, run by a former KGB thug like Vladimir Putin, while encouraging behavior that harms fellow Americans, that is the definition of treason.

Q. Last week, a Roseland law firm estimated that New Jersey could raise $1 billion a year in taxes and fees if it legalizes marijuana. How do you see that fight shaping up?

DuHaime: All those revenue estimates done for other states that have legalized marijuana have proved wildly optimistic, and do not account for increases in spending on health care as a result. I predict the Legislature will not pass it. While we are a Democrat-leaning state, we are not California, Oregon or Colorado when it comes to legalizing pot. I don’t think enough Democrats will back Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on this one for it to pass.

Roginsky: It’s not going to be easy. There are strong feelings on both sides of the issue and the governor-elect is going to have to expend some political capital to get it through the Legislature.