Post by Libyan Sibyl on Nov 5, 2007 8:07:50 GMT -5
We're voting for change
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/4/07
Over the past two weeks, we have endorsed 18 candidates for seats in the state Legislature and six candidates for county positions. Some are Republicans, some are Democrats. Some are incumbents, some are challengers. But they all share one thing in common: They offer voters the best chance for fundamental change — change that is desperately needed in Trenton and in Freehold, the Monmouth County seat.
Democrats in the Legislature have had five years to respond to the challenges facing the state. They have failed abysmally, and they show no signs of reforming their ways. The same is true on the Monmouth County freeholder board, which has been under Republican control for two decades.
The best chance Republicans have of bringing some semblance of sanity to Trenton is strengthening their influence in the Senate, now controlled by the Democrats, 22-18. Unless Republicans can gain control there — or at least come closer to parity — the prospects for change are grim. That's why we have backed all but one Republican candidate in the legislative races. And why we have beseeched 12th District voters to elect Jennifer Beck, who is in a dogfight with Democrat Ellen Karcher in one of the few competitive Senate races in the state. Beck must win.
The Democratic leadership understands the importance of the Beck-Karcher contest. The Karcher campaign has been financed almost entirely by contributions from Sen. Richard Codey's political action committee and the state Democratic Party. The nearly $2 million wheeled in as of last week has enabled Karcher to outspend Beck by more than 6 to 1. And the manner in which it has been spent — largely on attack ads that have grown increasingly outrageous as Election Day has neared — shows the depths to which the party, and Karcher, will sink to prevail. Don't let it happen.
The scenario is similar in Monmouth County. The Republican Party's record on spending, corruption and cronyism cries out for change. That's a major reason we strongly support the candidacies of Democrats Stephen G. Schueler, the mayor of Bradley Beach, and John D'Amico Jr., a retired judge. If they win, control of the five-member board will shift to the Democrats.
The idea of throwing all the rascals out and supporting only the challengers is tempting. But there are some highly capable Shore-area incumbents, particularly among state Republican lawmakers. Joseph Kyrillos, Amy Handlin, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean, Joseph Malone, Beck and others have represented voters well. Their agenda is largely the same as ours — lowering oppressive taxes, reducing government spending, toughening ethics laws, developing a more equitable school funding formula and giving voters the power of initiative and referendum. Unfortunately, their voices have been largely muted and their influence neutered by a partisan majority that has shown little willingness to change the way it does business.
While most eyes will be on the Senate race Tuesday night, it is important that voters fill as many Assembly seats with Republicans as possible. The state GOP's nine-point platform, which focuses on ethics reform, spending reductions and empowering voters, is precisely what is needed to right the state's listing ship. In Monmouth County, wins by Mary Pat Angelini and David Rible in the 11th District and Caroline Casagrande and Declan O'Scanlon in the 12th District are essential.
If there were ever any doubts about the state Democratic leadership's seriousness about tackling the state's property tax problems, they were removed once and for all by their failure to adopt the most important of the 98 property tax relief recommendations presented to them for consideration by four bipartisan committees last year. It was a golden opportunity to turn things around. It was spurned.
Today, the Democrats seem more obsessed than ever with spending tax dollars — on stem cell research, on school construction and additional school aid, on transportation projects and much more. The conversation must change. Reducing taxes and government spending, bringing public workers' salaries and benefits under control, tightening ethics rules and making New Jersey affordable must be at the top of the list. It won't be unless voters send a clear message to Trenton on Tuesday: We want change.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/4/07
Over the past two weeks, we have endorsed 18 candidates for seats in the state Legislature and six candidates for county positions. Some are Republicans, some are Democrats. Some are incumbents, some are challengers. But they all share one thing in common: They offer voters the best chance for fundamental change — change that is desperately needed in Trenton and in Freehold, the Monmouth County seat.
Democrats in the Legislature have had five years to respond to the challenges facing the state. They have failed abysmally, and they show no signs of reforming their ways. The same is true on the Monmouth County freeholder board, which has been under Republican control for two decades.
The best chance Republicans have of bringing some semblance of sanity to Trenton is strengthening their influence in the Senate, now controlled by the Democrats, 22-18. Unless Republicans can gain control there — or at least come closer to parity — the prospects for change are grim. That's why we have backed all but one Republican candidate in the legislative races. And why we have beseeched 12th District voters to elect Jennifer Beck, who is in a dogfight with Democrat Ellen Karcher in one of the few competitive Senate races in the state. Beck must win.
The Democratic leadership understands the importance of the Beck-Karcher contest. The Karcher campaign has been financed almost entirely by contributions from Sen. Richard Codey's political action committee and the state Democratic Party. The nearly $2 million wheeled in as of last week has enabled Karcher to outspend Beck by more than 6 to 1. And the manner in which it has been spent — largely on attack ads that have grown increasingly outrageous as Election Day has neared — shows the depths to which the party, and Karcher, will sink to prevail. Don't let it happen.
The scenario is similar in Monmouth County. The Republican Party's record on spending, corruption and cronyism cries out for change. That's a major reason we strongly support the candidacies of Democrats Stephen G. Schueler, the mayor of Bradley Beach, and John D'Amico Jr., a retired judge. If they win, control of the five-member board will shift to the Democrats.
The idea of throwing all the rascals out and supporting only the challengers is tempting. But there are some highly capable Shore-area incumbents, particularly among state Republican lawmakers. Joseph Kyrillos, Amy Handlin, Christopher Connors, Sean Kean, Joseph Malone, Beck and others have represented voters well. Their agenda is largely the same as ours — lowering oppressive taxes, reducing government spending, toughening ethics laws, developing a more equitable school funding formula and giving voters the power of initiative and referendum. Unfortunately, their voices have been largely muted and their influence neutered by a partisan majority that has shown little willingness to change the way it does business.
While most eyes will be on the Senate race Tuesday night, it is important that voters fill as many Assembly seats with Republicans as possible. The state GOP's nine-point platform, which focuses on ethics reform, spending reductions and empowering voters, is precisely what is needed to right the state's listing ship. In Monmouth County, wins by Mary Pat Angelini and David Rible in the 11th District and Caroline Casagrande and Declan O'Scanlon in the 12th District are essential.
If there were ever any doubts about the state Democratic leadership's seriousness about tackling the state's property tax problems, they were removed once and for all by their failure to adopt the most important of the 98 property tax relief recommendations presented to them for consideration by four bipartisan committees last year. It was a golden opportunity to turn things around. It was spurned.
Today, the Democrats seem more obsessed than ever with spending tax dollars — on stem cell research, on school construction and additional school aid, on transportation projects and much more. The conversation must change. Reducing taxes and government spending, bringing public workers' salaries and benefits under control, tightening ethics rules and making New Jersey affordable must be at the top of the list. It won't be unless voters send a clear message to Trenton on Tuesday: We want change.
