# "Get the Hell off Island Beach State Park"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 5, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536 "2017-07-05T13:00:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/1 "2017-07-05T13:00:57Z")
There has been notice in several threads of the fiasco of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lolling on the beach at the Governor’s retreat at Island Beach State Park after the Park (along with other NJ State Parks) was closed as a result of a budget stalemate. It’s clear that he no longer cares about “even the appearance of impropriety”, but positively wallows in it.
But nobody has yet posted one of the more interesting details (at least, I haven’t found it yet). One of the features of the Jersey Shore is the Banner Plane, a low-flying aircraft towing a banner after it so that it can be seen by the folks on the beach. These are almost invariably advertising banners, sometimes with pictures, like a billboard. More often they’re just words. You can rent these services.
Somebody did this weekend, sending up a banner that read “Tell Gov Christie[in red letters] To Get The Hell Off Island Beach State Park”.
It expresses the widespread outrage of the Governor using the closed-to-the-public State Beach and is a dig at Christie’s message back before Tropical Storm Irene hit, in which he told people to Get The Hell Off Island Beach.
According to the NY Daily News:
> [@](#):
>
> Joshua Henne, a New Jersey-based political consultant, paid for the plane carrying the banner.
>
> …
>
> …
>
> …
> People can be heard on the video cheering and clapping as the plane flies by. The banner’s message apparently mocks Christie’s 2011 remarks about Hurricane Irene, when the governor uses that exact same phrase.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/banner-plane-tells-chris-christie-hell-beach-article-1.3298325
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### Author:  [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/2 "2017-07-05T13:18:27Z")
I love that his defense was he didn’t really get any sun because he was wearing a cap.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/3 "2017-07-05T13:21:50Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#):
>
> I love that his defense was he didn’t really get any sun because he was wearing a cap.
You’re gonna need a bigger cap.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/4 "2017-07-05T13:42:05Z")
A there is a man that already knows he will never win another election.
Sad thing is, that on the budget stalemate, he was actually mostly in the right. The demand for Blue Cross to give back $300 million of NJ taxpayer money appears to have been correct. The timing affecting the biggest weekend of the year for many NJ shore communities and then using of one of the state beaches shows a level of “_shitheadiness_” that I’ve rarely seen.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/5 "2017-07-05T13:50:19Z")
Isn’t “shitheadedness” the officially recognized state attitude in NJ?
State Tree: Northern Red Oak
State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
State Attitude: Shitheadedness
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/6 "2017-07-05T18:43:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Isn’t “shitheadedness” the officially recognized state attitude in NJ?
>
> State Tree: Northern Red Oak
>
> State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
>
> State Attitude: Shitheadedness
I would be offended by that post, if it wasn’t more true than not.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/7 "2017-07-05T19:30:50Z")
They made a Sand Sculpture of Christie at the Jersey Shore, with a shark behind him:
> **[Massive Chris Christie sand sculpture at New Jersey shore mocks governor's...](https://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/massive-chris-christie-sand-sculpture-at-new-jersey-shore-mocks-governors-private-beach-weekend/)**
>
> New Jerseyites are having some fun at their governor's expense after he was photographed with his family lounging on a closed beach in a state park on Sunday.In addition to being hilariously photoshopped into memes that spread far and wide over the...
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/8 "2017-07-05T19:40:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> They made a Sand Sculpture of Christie at the Jersey Shore, with a shark behind him:
>
> [Massive Chris Christie sand sculpture at New Jersey shore mocks governor's private beach weekend - Raw Story](http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/massive-chris-christie-sand-sculpture-at-new-jersey-shore-mocks-governors-private-beach-weekend/)
Based on witnesses’ descriptions, it is believed [this man](https://www.biography.com/.image/t_share/MTE4MDAzNDEwNzE5OTAxMTk4/bill-watterson-9525322-1-402.jpg) is the unknown sculptor.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/9 "2017-07-05T20:01:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> You’re gonna need a bigger cap.
Unnh…if you want more sun, shouldn’t you have a smaller cap?
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### Author:  [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/10 "2017-07-05T20:43:46Z")
Maybe he imperiously wanted the Park to himself solely out of divine melancholy, wandering around like the last man on earth in a haunted abandoned ballroom, thinking of all that was and all that never can be.
_‘Time, that devours all things’_
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/11 "2017-07-05T20:52:08Z")
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
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### Author:  [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/12 "2017-07-05T21:06:01Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Unnh…if you want more sun, shouldn’t you have a smaller cap?
I think we’re going to need a bigger sun.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/13 "2017-07-05T22:10:08Z")
I don’t get the outrage, but then again, I’m a West-Coaster.
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### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/14 "2017-07-05T22:15:12Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> I don’t get the outrage, but then again, I’m a West-Coaster.
I am too and I get it. They closed the beaches, meaning they had State Police _turning people away_, but this asshole goes and uses one as his private park.
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/15 "2017-07-05T22:20:42Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> I don’t get the outrage, but then again, I’m a West-Coaster.
Governor plays his part in initiating a government shutdown, resulting in public beaches closed to the public (right before the 4th of July), Governor says let them eat cake, FU, Ha-ha and brings family to closed to the public beach. Outrage follows. Easy.
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### Author:  [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/16 "2017-07-05T23:24:07Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> I don’t get the outrage, but then again, I’m a West-Coaster.
As I understand it, the NJ legislature couldn’t/wouldn’t pass a budget, and the state closed the parks because they didn’t have the money to keep them open.
The Governor used his position as a state official/governor to enter the park.
The We-Hate-Christie crowd had their usual reaction.
The news media outlets chose to fan the flames as much a possible.
SSDD.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/17 "2017-07-06T00:31:44Z")
> [@doorhinge](#):
>
> As I understand it, the NJ legislature couldn’t/wouldn’t pass a budget, and the state closed the parks because they didn’t have the money to keep them open.
>
> The Governor used his position as a state official/governor to enter the park.
>
> The We-Hate-Christie crowd had their usual reaction.
>
> The news media outlets chose to fan the flames as much a possible.
>
> SSDD.
He didn’t merely enter the Park – there really is a Governor’s residence there that he is entitled to use. Allow me to emphasize that Christie did nothing that is technically wrong.
But what he did – using the beach at Island Beach State Park after it was closed because of a budget stalemate, so nobody else could use it, was a colossally tone-deaf thing to do. It makes it look as if he shut down the beach for his own private advantage. It has a powerful “Let them eat cake” vibe to it, which just about everyone is seeing immediately. With the exception of the Gov and a few posters on this Board.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/18 "2017-07-06T00:36:17Z")
> [@doorhinge](#):
>
> As I understand it, the NJ legislature couldn’t/wouldn’t pass a budget, and the state closed the parks because they didn’t have the money to keep them open.
>
> The Governor used his position as a state official/governor to enter the park.
>
> The We-Hate-Christie crowd had their usual reaction.
>
> The news media outlets chose to fan the flames as much a possible.
>
> SSDD.
Be honest.
What would have been your reaction if Obama or Clinton had done the same thing?
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/19 "2017-07-06T00:48:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> He didn’t merely enter the Park – there really is a Governor’s residence there that he is entitled to use.
That’s how I understood it.
Whatever. Don’t care either way. I find it all rather amusing.
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### Author:  [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-the-hell-off-island-beach-state-park/790536/20 "2017-07-06T01:04:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> He didn’t merely enter the Park – there really is a Governor’s residence there that he is entitled to use. Allow me to emphasize that Christie did nothing that is technically wrong.
>
> …it was closed because of a budget stalemate, so nobody else could use it, was a colossally tone-deaf thing to do. It makes it look as if he shut down the beach for his own private advantage.
(post shortened)
The NJ Legislature couldn’t/wouldn’t pass a budget. As a result of the NJ Legislature inaction/failure to do their job, state parks were closed. The initial reports that I heard on the various news media outlets said that Christie had closed the parks. It now appears that the various news media outlets were wrong. Again.
You think it makes it look as if he shut down the beach for his own private advantage. To me, it looks like Christie did not shut down the beach.
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