The March 11 New York Times carried another lengthy piece on how New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie used the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to his own advantage.

Here is an interesting example:

Initially, the Authority wanted to raise tolls on bridges and tunnels by $4 spread over two years. But, the Times wrote, “Mr. Christie instructed the group to propose a plan for a $6 increase for cars by 2014. He told them he would publicly rail against it, and that the agency would then agree to a lower number, easing the inevitable political fallout while still getting the new income.”

So, Christie (and, perhaps not incidentally, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat) ripped into the proposed $6 tolls, the Authority backed off and Christie and Cuomo looked like the champions of the commuter.

So: Just good old fashioned politics or good old fashioned lying? Which is it?

The Times wrote, “a similar ploy – announce an outrageously high increase, and then knock it down – had been considered … in a meeting between Port Authority officials and the administration of Gov. Jon S. Corzine … but it was dismissed as too contrived.”

Well, yeah.

How do you feel about tricks like this? OK? Just politics? Or slimy. We vote for slimy. You?