Chris Christie

Gov. Chris Christie's office is pulling numbers out of thin air. And when he is challenged, he and his staff scurry away without answering. (Mel Evans | Associated Press)

At the core of Gov. Chris Christie's campaign to kill newspapers jobs is the claim that his bill will save money. He puts the number at $80 million.

I've spent three days digging at that, and the conclusion will come as no shock: It's another lie.

And I don't mean it's an innocent mistake. I mean it's a lie, a whopper with a dark purpose behind it, like his claim that he knew nothing about Bridgegate.

The governor's bill would end the obligation of local governments to place legal ads in newspapers and allow them to post the ads online only. Put aside the fact that the elderly and poor don't use the internet at the same rates. Put aside concerns that it will kill up to 300 newspaper jobs, and the mischief that Jersey politicians will do with no one watching.

Let's just look at costs. The first question is how much local governments spend on these advertisements. The last time this came up, the Legislature's own researchers found that locals might not save a dime, and that it could even cost them more to handle the job themselves online.

So where did Christie get the $80 million figure, public and private? Wait for it, this is a classic.

"Multiple state agencies sampled public notices in all daily newspapers in New Jersey over a consecutive 30-day period extrapolating the data over 12 months to reach the $80 million," the press office said.

Hmmm. What agencies did this? When? Where is the printed report?

I asked, and they won't answer. I guess we're supposed to trust the governor. Seriously.

I called the League of Municipalities, the group representing towns. They say this number did not come from them. A survey answered by 147 towns, which tended to be smaller towns, showed the average cost to be just over $7,000.

And would it save even that much? Because if local governments don't use newspapers, they will have to establish secure web sites, and hire someone to process these ads and track them. The League has no estimate of those costs, but they would detract from the slim savings. That's why the legislative researchers said it might be a net cost to taxpayers.

This is not about saving money. This is the governor's attempt to exact revenge on newspapers, and the reason is that we write articles like this one. We point it out when he lies. It's a full-time job.

What's depressing to me is that the Legislative leaders are joining hands with him. It's part of a deal, all struck in the back rooms, as usual. And it was bipartisan.

Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is normally a sensible guy, and so is Sen. Tom Kean (R-Union). They are both in on this ugly stunt. Ick.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) is in on it and so is Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Union). In their cases, it comes as no surprise.

They are moving this bill fast, as they always do when they do something indefensible. If they succeed, jobs will be lost and New Jersey politicians will be able to do their dirty work with no one watching.

This is what's happening in Trenton today. The state is a mess in almost every way, and they are focusing on doing Christie's dirty work. If you ever wonder why this state is such a mess, look at the quality of our leadership. It's on display today, and it's enough to kill my appetite.

P.S. If you want to call or email these legislators, and I hope you do, here's a list of numbers and email addresses:

Sen. Sweeney: (856) 251-9801 or sensweeney@njleg.org

Sen. Kean: (908) 232-3673 or senkean@njleg.org

Asm. Prieto: (201) 770-1303 or asmprieto@njleg.org

Asm. Bramnick: (908) 232-2073 or asmbramnick@njleg.org

Gov. Christie's newspaper 'revenge bill' moves forward Governor Chris Christie's newspaper "revenge bill" is now set for a vote by lawmakers. The bill could put up to 300 newspaper industry jobs on the line, but supporters say it will save taxpayers money. Join Columnist Tom Moran and Reporter Matt Arco's discussion on the bill. Posted by NJ.com on Thursday, December 15, 2016

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook

