Posted on 08/17/2004 8:03:45 AM PDT by jmstein7
After Jim McGreevey’s announcement of his homosexuality and his resignation as governor of New Jersey, I had the opportunity to speak with Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan about McGreevey, New Jersey Democrats, and Lonegan’s own plans to become Governor of New Jersey.
Lonegan believes that McGreevey’s sexual orientation is irrelevant and “not an issue.” What Lonegan takes exception to, however, is McGreevey’s performance as Governor - particularly his record on tax hikes and “big spending.” Although Lonegan was not adverse to the rising calls for McGreevey to leave office immediately, which would result in a special gubernatorial election later this year, Lonegan stated that he would prefer the opportunity to air his views and positions in a “real primary.” If McGreevey is popularly forced out, resulting in a special election, Lonegan fears that the “New Jersey Powerful Democratic Machine will move quickly to ensure that another big spending Democrat take[s] [McGreevey’s] place.”
Lonegan won reelection to a third term last year by 16 points, in a town carried by both Gore and McGreevey by 3-2 margins. He said conservative leaders throughout the state, “fed up with the ultra-left agenda being pushed by the soon to be former Governor and his legislative lapdogs,” are urging him to run.
Questioned about potential Republican primary challenger Bret Schundler, former mayor of Jersey City, Lonegan stated that he saw little difference between Schundler and other New Jersey Republicans who are “scared to cut the state budget. “[Schundler] promises to cut local taxes, but he wants to offset those cuts with state money,” said Lonegan. He also cites Schundler’s reluctance to “go after the NJEA [New Jersey Educational Association],” which Lonegan sees as one of the biggest obstacles to long-term fiscal reform. “If you can’t tackle them, you will be ineffective as Governor,” he declared.
Lonegan said he particularly hoped to run against Jon Corzine. “Jon Corzine is even more radical and extreme than Jim McGreevey if that is even possible. I look forward to leading a grass-roots army of New Jersey taxpayers against Jon Corzine’s elite country club liberals in the November 2005 election,” said Lonegan. “And after we beat him in 2005, we’re going to get rid of him once and for all in 2006.
“The Democrats will try to paint me as some sort of right-wing radical. Let’ em! A conservative Republican is exactly what New Jersey needs right now,” declared Lonegan. “This campaign will be about fiscal responsibility and reforming government. [The Democrats], as usual, will try to make it all about guns and abortion; it’s not. It’s about taxing and spending.”
If elected, Lonegan promises a “line item review of the budget. “I’m aiming to cut spending from between 22-28 percent in my first year as Governor. There are many, many smaller, wasteful programs we can eliminate, which, taken together, would result in big savings. For example, New Jersey is spending $75,000 of taxpayer funds to research short-nosed red sturgeons. Are you kidding? We’re spending money to research blue crabs! What blue crabs? The ones on my dinner table? New Jersey has plenty of waste that needs to be eliminated now, and I’m not afraid to undertake that task.”
Lonegan for Governor, Inc. has submitted paperwork to the Election Law Enforcement Commission registering as a campaign committee and reporting two initial contributions of $2,600 from the Mayor and his wife Lorraine. “My job in the next 60 days is to match our two $2,600 contributions with others to reach the $260,000 threshold for matching funds,” Lonegan said. “I’ll be calling as many people as possible in the coming days to ask for their help in winning the nomination and the [election].”
Jonathan Stein, an alumnus of Brown University and has been published in the Washington Times, Brown Daily Herald, NewsMax.com and The Committee for Justice. He plans to practice political law upon graduation from Hofstra University in New York.
I was disappointed I didn't see him mentioned in the Who's who in the race for governor in Sunday's Red Star Ledger
You went to Brown? How did you survive?
And congrats on the Newsmax gig.
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