A closer look at Governor Sopranos' food budget:
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Watchdog.org: ...(T)he governor receives $95,000 a year in expense advances...While Christie returns surplus funds to the state each year, Treasury officials say he does not submit receipts or accounting for the public monies he spends...(From) governor’s ledger, obtained from Christie under the Open Public Records Act...
Christie’s most notable spending spree occurred during the 2010 and 2011 NFL football seasons at MetLife Stadium, where the New York’s Giants and Jets play their home games. New Jersey’s governor traditionally enjoys free use of luxury boxes for games and other events at the government-owned venue, but food and beverages cost extra.
On 58 occasions, Christie used a debit card to pay a total of $82,594 to Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the concessions at MetLife. The governor’s office did not provide any receipts, business reasons or names of individuals entertained...
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Well, that averages out to $1424 per "occasion" and 26 occasions per year. Having seen Bon Jovi at MetLife Giants Stadium, I know it's not cheap: It cost $15US just to park your car in 2006, and in 2010 (I got there by train) they charged $10 for the
domestic beer! Their catering packages start at $18.50 for a boxed lunch, so it may not be unrealistic to spend $57 per guest on food and drink -- though a minimum of 25 guests is required to get the catering.
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the New Jersey Republican State Committee reimbursed the Treasury in March 2012 for Christie’s purchases from DNS Sports...
Meanwhile, Christie...used (the expense allowance) to buy $102,495 worth of groceries and alcoholic beverages from retail stores. It’s not clear from records whether the goods stocked the pantries and filled the refrigerators at Drumthwacket, the governor’s official mansion in Princeton, or the Mendham house where Christie and his family live...(H)e spent $76,373 during 53 shopping runs...plus another $6,536 in seven visits to ShopRite’s liquor stores.
Those grocery bills dropped dramatically in early 2013...after...the governor underwent Lap-Band surgery...Christie boasted he had shed 85 pounds...The governor bought $64,687 in groceries during the 38 months leading up to the surgery. That tab shrank to $31,236 for the 26 months after the operation...
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That's an average of $425 down to $300 a week for a family of five. But shouldn't groceries for his family come out what he and his wife earn -- $750K as of last year? His wife just resigned her job, however, and I doubt that they qualify for food stamps. Or has Jon's charity work inspired him to quietly give way the extra food to the poor? No wonder Christie had no choice but to dip into the expense account to feed his family -- though that's no excuse for not paying income tax on it!