Bruce Springsteen takes on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Musician Bruce Springsteen speaks atcthe 5th International Rome Film Festival at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica on Nov. 1, 2010, in Rome.

/ Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Legendary musician Bruce Springsteen has written a letter to his New Jersey hometown newspaper taking issue with the policies of New Jersey Republican governor Chris Christie.

In his letter to the Asbury Park Press, Springsteen - identified only as a resident of the town of Colts Neck - takes issue with tax "cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions."

While the New Jersey icon doesn't mention Christie by name, he takes aim at the governor's policies, writing that "the cuts are eating away at the lower edges of the middle class, not just those already classified as in poverty, and are likely to continue to get worse over the next few years."

Springsteen was writing in response to a story entitled "As poverty rises, cuts target aid," which he lauded for spotlighting anti-poverty workers and analysts. Their voices, he writes, "are having a hard time being heard, not just in New Jersey, but nationally."

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

/ Getty Images.Mandel Ngan

Christie, who has gained a national following among Republicans for his budget-cutting policies and confrontational style, has proposed a 4 percent cut to New Jersey's general assistance program.

He is a professed Spingsteen fan, as the Los Angeles Times notes, having claimed to have attended more than 120 Springsteen concerts in his lifetime and attempted (unsuccessfully) to get the man known as The Boss to perform at his inauguration.

Springsteen, whose music has often focused on those struggling economically, was an early supporter of President Obama and performed at the Obama inaugural concert in January 2009.

[noloyalisti]

The idiot Republicans and the bought and paid off Tea Bag KKKlanners like Christie need to be talking about cutting the military budget and the tax theft for the rich, THAT'S where all the money is being wasted.

[noloyalisti]

Before we go after the union people WHO PAID FOR THEIR BENEFITS, let go after the filthy rich who are not paying their fair share of taxes (dues to society).

What the heck happened to our brains here in America. Who in their right mind is going to defend the rich leeches except for a paid, appointed mole like Christie?

[ITSOVERNOW]

Its his beloved unions who are bankrupting the state...where in the Gods name does it say its a right to retire at 48 with a $90,000/ yr pension & lifetime benefits ?

Christie is just the messenger

[bobbo288]

Awwww.

Are we talking here about Bruce Springsteen, "The Boss" who in real life lives with the millionaires in Pacific Palisades California? Love the way he's pulled this off for years -- the Potemkin Village fake residence in New Jersey, while he kids go to school with the monied elite on the West Coast. The Jersey fans may not want to believe it (destroying their illusion of Bruce as the Common Man,) but the guy is a world-class hypocrite.

[RobAla]

Their voices, he writes, "are having a hard time being heard, not just in New Jersey, but nationally."

What is Springsteen talking about? The tax and spend voices of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and President Obama have been what have accelerated the massive federal overspending that has given us this horrible $14 trillion national debt. Those voices have been the dominant voices in politics until just recently. Both parties are at fault, but the deficit spending has accelerated over the past two years.

A lot of Americans are sick of the voices that are pushing this nation toward huge inflation and possible economic collapse. The policies contained in those irresponsible voices are causing great damage to the United States.

Springsteen should stick to what he knows - music. He is talking nonsense when it comes to economics. The New Jersey state spending and high taxes were pushing his state toward bankruptcy. Christie is making the hard decisions that are needed to save that state and bring back jobs.

[theaffluentsociety2]

Um, the debt was already around 10 trillion when Obama stepped into office. AND THE STIMULUS BILL WAS REPAID A YEAR LATER. Most of this debt is because we have a rich class that is unwilling to face progrsessive taxes, and managed to push in tax cuts that really only aided the upper and upper middle class. Why do you care so much about the rich? What have the rich ever done for you? Why do I care about the poor? Because I know that they need a helping hand in times of struggle.

[nearl451]

FUnny thing is I all I see here are personal attacks on Sprinstein.

ANd for good reason. The body of his criticism is sound. Whenever there is talk of "balancing" a budget, those with less clout bear the burden.

[RobAla]

Springsteen should stick to what he knows - music. He is an idiotic when it comes to economics. The state spending and high taxes were pushing his state toward bankruptcy. Christie is making the hard decisions that are needed to save that state and bring back jobs.

[nearl451]

You sould stick to what you know too.....nothing.

Pay your taxes Rob.

[CTBCo]

Everyone in Jersey knows Bruce the faux hero musician is a leftwing Louie, only this free Democrap propaganda supported by CBS is a story here, but not much of one.

[nearl451]

Can't really argue with his philosophy though.....He is right.

[CTBCo]

Yes near1451 I can argue with his bankrupt philosophy of wealth theft and redistribution.

[winchesterla]

The Boss!!

[HAZELET]

Bruce should just cut a check....