Federal Aid To N.J. A Lightning Rod For Corzine / Christie

New Jersey could have missed out on nearly $5 billion in federal stimulus funding if the state declined to take money with conditions attached by the federal government, according to a nonpartisan review. The internal memo from the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, dated July 6, lists programs for education, unemployment insurance, transportation and other areas that required the state to meet certain standards to receive money from President Obama's $787 billion recovery plan. Accepting the federal aid has become a politically charged decision for governors across the country, and is stirring controversy in the New Jersey gubernatorial campaign. Republican candidate Chris Christie has said he would accept some of the funds dedicated to New Jersey but "reject any of the stimulus money which had strings attached to it, which required me to manage the state in a particular way by the federal government." Read full Statehouse Bureau report here.