Gov. Christie: Today Is Another Important Step In Our Partnership With The City And People Of Camden

Transcript:

Governor Christie: Today this represents another important step in our ongoing partnership with the city, and the people of Camden. So I am pleased to return to the Castle on the Hill this afternoon for this historic announcement, the rebuilding of the 100 year old Camden High School building.

We are going to invest more than $130 million to rebuild, and to provide thousands of students with the 21st Century educational experience they deserve and that they've been denied. The working group that worked with Charlie McKenna comprised of district folks, Department of Education folks, SDA staff who reviewed and substantiated the conditions and the deficiencies that are here in Camden High School, as well as examining programmatic needs to serve the students going forward.

I want to thank the working group, and commend them, because the preliminary assessment confirmed that a complete renovation of the existing facility just wouldn't be cost effective, they made that tough decision. I know it was an emotional one and a difficult one for many folks, but they made the right decision, as the Sheriff put it, for the kids of Camden. I can't emphasize enough that this has been a partnership, not only the folks on the school board but the folks in the Mayor's office and the City council and the folks in the Governor's office, the Department of Education.

It just shows once again what we can do when we work together, everyone comes in with their own ideas, that's a good thing. But then we have to be willing to work together, compromise to come up with an idea that works for everyone around the table, and that serves the community in the best possible way.

I tell folks all the time in other cities in our state that they should come to Camden to see what political cooperation looks like. That I've never heard in the 7 years that I've been coming here as Governor, I have never heard once someone rejecting an idea of mine because I'm a Republican. And no one has ever heard me say I refuse to meet with any party because they're a Democrat. The fact is that we have jobs to do here for a constituency that's much more important than any of our own self-interest, and that is the constituency of these children, and their future. Because no parent, no matter where you are in New Jersey, wants anything different for their children other than for them to reach their fullest God given potential.

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