The state’s budget, high taxes and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie’s weight were all on the table during last night’s first and only debate among New Jersey’s top three candidates for lieutenant governor.
Speaking at Monmouth University, all three candidates did not expect the moderator’s question referencing a New York Times article analyzing the unattractive images of Christie used by the Corzine campaign in television ads.
The question — for Democratic candidate State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen — was whether she thinks Christie is overweight.
“I don’t think that there are too many of us in this race who could make it into ‘The Bachelor’ or ‘The Bachelorette’ programs on television,” Weinberg said.
While she said weight is not an issue in the election, she did not refer to the advertisement.
Republican candidate Kim Guadagno, Monmouth County sheriff, said the television ads are a complete distraction from the real issues at hand — the state’s budget and economy.
“In terms of Christie’s weight, I think the cat’s out of the bag,” Guadagno said. “He’s been in public service for seven years.”
Weinberg said there is a difference between personal attacks and revealing the true character and policies of one’s opponent.
“There’s been some negative campaigning, but there’s also the campaigning that talks about who opponents really are,” she said.
Guadagno said campaigns bring out the worst in politicians because they are fighting for the residents of New Jersey.
“In New Jersey, politics is a blood sport and we understand that when we get in the game,” she said.
Independent candidate Frank Esposito, a Kean University professor and former university president, also disagreed with the negative campaign tactics used by both parties as a way to divert from discussing the real issues.
Aside from Christie’s weight, one of the more serious topics discussed the state’s economy and taxes, as N.J. has the highest property tax in the state.
All three made statements that corresponded with those of their respective gubernatorial candidate, repeating much of the information expressed during last Thursday’s gubernatorial debates.
Weinberg referrenced the record of the Corzine administration, failing to express specific policy plans.
“We’ve already done what we can do in a really tough economic time,” she said, which includes cutting 8,000 state workers, reducing the budget by $4 billion and keeping property tax rebates for selected residents.
Weinberg said shared services among municipalities, school districts and law enforcement agencies would also cut the budget.
Guadagno said a decrease in government spending, not budget cuts is needed.
She said the Christie administration would examine every state statute to remove wasteful spending tactics, such those found in many unfunded mandates.
She said cleaning wasteful government spending would help offset the state’s $8 billion deficit.
Esposito agreed.
“We could cut every state worker in N.J. and not meet the budgetary shortfall were facing next year,” he said.
The Daggett/Esposito plan would work within the tax system to solve the budget crisis, slashing property taxes 25 percent across the board. This would balance the system, keeping residents in the state and driving up competition.
He said his administration would consider an increase on the tax for gasoline to replete the Transportation Trust Fund — which provides money for roads and highways.
“We need to find ways — and it may well be through an increase of gas tax to replenish that trust fund,” Esposito said.
Guadagno said the Christie/Guadagno campaign opposes an increase of the gas tax.
“We really have to move the state away from relying on taxes,” she said.
Her administration would not raise taxes as high taxes drive people out of the state.
Weinberg said it is the job of the governor to balance the state budget.
“When we look at next years budget I think everything would be on the table,” she said.
But Weinberg said the increase is not on the governor’s agenda as of now.
Last night’s debate was the only one to be held for the lieutenant governor candidates this election season, but it was historical as it was the first.
Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics Ruth Mandel said the state created the position — found in 43 states including N.J. — for many reasons.
“The lieutenant governor position was created so that New Jersey had a statewide elected official in place ready to step in if the governor was incapacitated or resigned,” she said.
She said another concern for creating the role was to have the acting governor be someone elected by the entire state, as the President of the Senate, who steps in for the governor, is not.
The President of the Senate also as acting governor maintains his role in the legislature, creating a separation of powers issue, Mandel said.
She said for this position, the election is historical for another reason: since two out of the three lieutenant governor candidates are women, this is a high chance the first lieutenant governor in state history will be a woman.
“It’s about time that New Jersey will have a women elected to a statewide position,” Mandel said, as N.J. has had no female U.S. senators, only five female U.S. representatives and one female governor, Christine Whitman.
Lt. governor candidates talk taxes, tummies
Published: Thursday, October 8, 2009
Updated: Thursday, October 8, 2009
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