New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says this week's school budget results in New Jersey show the public is ready to take on taxes.

In local elections across the state Tuesday, voters rejected 59 percent of school budget proposals. It's the first time the majority of budgets were defeated since 1976.

In a contentious run-up to the elections, Christie was urging voters to say no to proposals in districts where teachers had not agreed to wage concessions for the coming school year.

On Wednesday, Christie said voters are saying "they can no longer afford a government that wishes problems away."

In communities where the budgets were rejected, it's now up to municipal governing bodies to make cuts.