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Although national issues were at the forefront during a press conference for Governor Chris Christie at the boardwalk today, the governor expressed optimism about the Jersey Shore and Asbury Park.

The governor’s office billed the event as a Promoting the Jersey Shore Press Conference in emails. Christie started the conference at 3 p.m. with a statement about tourism on the Jersey coastline.

The last time Christie visited the Asbury Park boardwalk, he was announcing now-Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno as his running mate, he said.

“I used to come here on vacation as a kid,” he said of the city. “It was a great place for families. And it’s a great place for families again. This is what the Jersey Shore is all about.”

The governor urged tourists to come to the Shore these last two weeks of the summer, noting that the shoreline economy accounts for 193,000 private sector jobs. There are $6 million per year paid in salaries in Atlantic, Cape May, Ocean and Monmouth counties, he added.

He also noted the cleanliness of the water off of the New Jersey coastline. Last year, the Natural Resources Defense Council [NRDC] ranked New Jersey fourth in the country in terms of beaches, Christie said.

“There’s no place better than the Jersey Shore,” Christie said. “There’s no place cleaner, either. Get on down here and make a difference.”

Turning to statewide issues, Christie said the state will “continue to have the kind of optimism in New Jersey that we need as we continue to pull ourselves out of the difficult economy of the last couple of years … New Jerseyans haven’t been this optimistic in eight years about the direction our state’s going.”

ASBURY’S IMPROVEMENT

When asked about Asbury Park’s state aid, which has decreased annually over the past few years, Christie said the lower aid numbers indicate progress, meaning the city is now more financially independent.

“The city is getting less aid because the mayor is doing a good job,” Christie said. “The bottom line is that this is a collaborative process … He never gets every nickel he wants or asks for. But the fact is we work with him to say, ‘What can we do together?'”

Cities like Camden have not seen a decline in state aid because they have not made as much progress as Asbury has, he said.

He also noted the decrease in corruption in Asbury Park politics.

“I spent too many years of my life in my last job in this town, where you had people in public office who were not putting the best interests of the people of Asbury Park in front, but were putting money in their own pocket first,” he said.

STRUGGLING SCHOOLS

Christie was also asked about education equality in districts like Asbury Park which, although it has made improvements in recent years and receives heavy state funding, is a struggling school system.

“The kids who are stuck in some of these failing school districts — we have to un-stick them,” Christie said. “And the only way to do this is to give their parents choices regardless of their economic circumstances.”

The state will not be able to fix the public education fast enough to satisfy parents, Christie said. “In fact, the way we’ve been doing it over the last 30 years has been an abject failure,” he added. “If money equaled quality, we would already be there. We spend more money than anybody else, with the possible exception of New York, on k-to-12 education.”

In the short term, he advocates school choice for parents while the government fixes education, he said. This means expansion of charter schools in failing districts and scholarships for children in need whose parents cannot afford private or parochial schools.

“We could give people in Asbury Park $15,000 [to send their children to private school] and we’d be saving the state 50 percent of the money we spend in Asbury Park,” he said. “We need to give kids safety valves — an outlet to go to other places.”

In the long term, “it’s going to be about getting better teachers in front of every classroom and getting better technology,” he said.

LGBT RIGHTS

Asbury Park resident Michele Maggio [pictured speaking with the governor above, right] approached Christie after the conference to ask him about gay marriage.

“He said, ‘In time. We’ll see,'” Maggio said. “He said we might disagree on it.”

Maggio was disappointed because she feels much of Asbury Park’s success is due to the gay community.

“We built this up, gay people,” she said. “He doesn’t believe in the causes of what Asbury stands for. I want him to approve gay marriage. It’s time for him to get up to date.”

WALKING THE BOARDS

After taking questions from the press, Christie walked down the boardwalk, stopping to speak to constituents along the way.

He also made a pit stop in Silverball Pinball Museum, where owner Robert Ilvento showed him around. Ilvento also founded Cluck U Chicken and owns Jersey Shore Fries. He’s been on the boardwalk for three years. Silverball was in the downtown for two years prior.

“We’re very excited and very honored” to have Christie, Ilvento said. “He knows entrepreneurs are the cornerstone of America and we need more entrepreneurs — more dreamers and doers.”

Business this summer is “fantastic” at Silverball, Ilvento said. “Better than we can expect. We’re becoming a global destination for the pinball community.”

Ilvento is a strong supporter of Christie’s policies regarding businesses, he said.

A few minutes later, Christie stopped at Ralph’s Italian Ice and ordered a raspberry smoothie. Asbury Park native and Manchester resident Deja Brooks, 16, prepared the governor’s smoothie for him.

“No pressure,” Christie said jokingly as cameras recorded Deja while she made the frosty drink.

Jit Rexha, who co-owns Ralph’s with Harry Antonopoulos, showed Christie around the pop-up stand.

NATIONAL AND STATE MATTERS

Representatives from local, regional and national news outlets also attended the conference and asked questions about state or national issues. Christie is the keynote speaker at the Republican National Committee convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, and some asked about his plans for his week in Florida.

“I’m not going to preview for you all what my message is going to be on Tuesday,” he said. “But what I will tell you is that I think there’s much more that unites Republicans and Independents across America than divides us.”

He also talked about when he found out presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would not be selecting him as a running mate. Romney announced his selection of Congressman Paul Ryan [R-WI] as a running mate on Aug. 11. Christie learned he would not be selected on Friday, Aug. 10, during a phone call with Romney, he said. Romney then asked Christie to deliver the keynote address at the convention.

Christie said he was not disappointed when he learned he wouldn’t be Romney’s running mate.

“I told people all along I didn’t want to be vice president,” Christie said. “It was always my choice. It’s like getting asked out on a date. You don’t have to say yes.”

When later asked about vice-presidential pick Ryan, Christie simply said, “I like Congressman Ryan.”

Christie also addressed the recent comments of Todd Akin, Republican Senate nominee in Missouri. In reference to abortion rights, Akin reportedly has said victims of “legitimate rape” rarely become pregnant.

Christie called his fellow Republican’s comments “asinine, ridiculous and reprehensible,” adding Akin “should be ashamed of himself.”

As for whether Akin should step down, “that’s his call to make,” Christie said. “I won’t be out there working for him. I’ll tell you that.”

Christie was also asked about the new casino, Revel, in Atlantic City. Some say the casino is seeing financial trouble and are worried about tax dollars funding it.

The casino will likely take a year to get on its feet, Christie said, and Revel will not see any taxpayer money until it turns a profit.

To see a photo album of the event, click here.

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