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The Christie-Guadagno campaign announced Friday the creation of a statewide African-American leadership team.
Campaign aides said the team members have endorsed Chris Christie for governor because they have witnessed the negative impact of Jon Corzine's failure of leadership in their communities and schools over the last four years.
The campaign cited New Jersey's unemployment rate of 9.7 percent as a reason the African-Americans are backing the Republicans.
"Members of this leadership team know that Chris Christie is the proven, independent leader who will change the devastating course New Jersey is on and reverse Jon Corzine's destructive economic policies,'' said Brittany Bramell, a campaign spokeswoman.
"Leaders from across the state are alarmed at the grim statistics in New Jersey's urban areas. In June 2007, Camden's unemployment rate was 9.5 percent; two years later it has nearly doubled at 18 percent, up almost 7 percent from when Governor Corzine took office,'' Bramell said."Jon Corzine's devastating economic policies have only driven jobs away and families out of their homes, and no community is harder hit than our once-great cities that are now experiencing back-breaking unemployment consistently in the double digits," said Jeffrey Booker, vice president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and leader of the team.
"New Jerseyans are desperate to find work to provide for their families and Governor Corzine has deserted our state at a time of unprecedented need. Chris is an independent leader with an innovative vision to restore our state's economy by attracting new industry to create quality jobs and lowering Corzine's crushing taxes."
The endorsements were made as Corzine prepares to address the NAACP Gala Saturday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Franklin, Somerset County.
Members of the leadership team are business, political and community leaders within the African-American community, including Democratic like Gloucester Township Councilwoman Crystal Evans; Former Deputy Executive Director South Jersey Transportation Authority Wade Lawson, and Linwood Board of Education member Joe Jacobs.
"School performance in our cities is abysmal and we owe it to our children to do better," Lawson said. "Governor Corzine has made school accountability optional and African-American students have suffered as a result with graduation rates for African-American students at 62 percent. We need strong action so our children don't slip through the cracks, and Chris has my vote because I know he will make sure all New Jersey's kids achieve."
Among the other African-Americans who endorsed Christie are: Tanya Freeman, chairwoman, Concerned Black Republicans; Terriann Moore, Essex County Registrar candidate; the Rev. Chris Collins of Camden; Mary Cudjoe, president and CEO of Roseville Health Care, Pittstown; Jean Lamonthe of Irvington; Eugene Lawrence, former Gloucester Township Democratic councilman, and Robert Mays, Hudson County Young Democrats president.
– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
