Another Hopeful is Hopeless on Borrowing

Star-Ledger ^ | May 10, 2005 | Paul Mulshine

[Irontank]

Back in 1994, Christie Whitman came to power as the standard-bearer of what we were led to believe was a new and more enlightened form of Republican governance in this state. New Jersey then ranked 11th in the nation in bonded indebtedness. Now we're No. 3 -- with a bullet.

The bullet comes in the form of a request that the state borrow perhaps $10 billion more for construction of schools in urban areas. The urban districts already got $6 billion, but they blew through that in record time. Now they're back for more.

I'd love to be able to blame this on the Democrats. But the Republicans under Whitman were responsible not just for the biggest chunk of the borrowing but for the theory under which even more bonding is considered inevitable.

That theory came when Whitman and her Supreme Court joined in a tag team on the taxpayers in the Abbott decisions. The court ordered the state to replace "crumbling and obsolescent" schools in the so-called Abbott districts. There are supposed to be dozens of such crumbling schools. So far I haven't been able to find a single one. If you've heard of one, let me know.

[Irontank]

To me, the upcoming NJ gubernatorial race is about one thing...ending the rape of NJ suburban and rural taxpayers by the NJ Supreme Court and corrupt urban school districts

Only Steve Lonegan seems serious about addressing the NJ Supreme Court's Abbott "legislation" (and that other disasterous bit of court-imposed legislation...Mount Laurel)

[jneesy]

republicans have become everything we stood up against in 1994

[tcostell]

Just give me back the Bear Hunt and I'll quit complaining ... (until Jan 1st)

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

And people up here wonder why I want to move back south.
Yes I'm looking but the job openings for engineers aren't there.... Maybe when the space program starts to get into full swing....
>sigh<

[Irontank]

NJ ping

[Calpernia]

bump

[Incorrigible]

[EQAndyBuzz]

I hate these NJ pols. Someone from Forresters campaign called me about a survey. She sounded 90 years old and stuttered.

By the second question I was ready to strangle myself.

[Coleus]

thanks for the ping.

whitless caused a lot of damage to our state with her many illegal bond issues, stealing from the unemployment trust fund and teachers' fund, and destroying the state pension system

[Ziva]

Don't forget that Mayor Steve Lonegan led a legal battle against this illegal bonding back in 2001, suing Whitman and others responsible for it. It went to the NJ Supreme Court, and the only reason it lost 4-3 was that they waited until McGreevey appointed a new justice who voted against Lonegan and the taxpayers.

Lonegan has put out a lot of time and effort to look out for the interests of the taxpayers. None of the other NJ gubernatorial candidates approach to level of efforts and accomplishments Steve has in this area.