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Article IndexCHRISTIE: The governor's failure to recognize his statutory obligation to direct funding in conformance with the original enabling laws was clearly evident in his handling of the 2009 and 2010 budget. Simply stating that the budget law trumps all other laws is not good enough. I can pledge to honor both the letter and the intent of all laws of this state. Where taxes have been levied for explicit purposes, we must honor those commitments and reestablish the credibility of the Office of the Governor.
DAGGETT: Before talking about adding revenue, we have to figure out how to take the costs out of the system. That will be my highest priority. Simply put, we must address the cost structure of government at all levels: state, county, local and school district – and the costs from unfunded state mandates addressed in the first question, above.
TOP PRIORITIES
Entering 2010, what are the top three priorities for the state government? How will you address these priorities?
CORZINE: The economy is priority number one, priority number two and priority number three. Before any other state in the country, we launched the New Jersey Economic Assistance & Recovery Plan in October. Recognizing the creeping global recession, I introduced a comprehensive, bipartisan package of policies, programs and legislation designed to mitigate the worst effects of the economic downturn. The plan includes assistance to those in greatest need, expediting job creation, stimulating business, enhancing the business climate and providing foreclosure relief. We have expedited job creation in schools and public infrastructure. Since October, our efforts have yielded more than 11,000 new jobs. Furthermore, we will ensure that the projected 100,000 jobs are created or saved in New Jersey through the federal stimulus.
Additionally, I have been working closely with President Obama to take full advantage of more than $17.5 billion available to New Jersey and its residents through the federal stimulus program, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. The ARRA provides a great deal of money directly to many cities and municipalities in New Jersey. More than $230 million is available for neighborhood preservation and stabilization, public housing, energy efficiency improvements and law enforcement.
As a result of the state and federal economic recovery packages, New Jersey is poised to rebound from the global recession stronger than ever before.
CHRISTIE: The number one priority of the state must be to return our citizens to work. Only with a strong and vibrant economy can we begin to address the myriad of problems facing this great state. Clearly, as part of fixing our economy, we must end the steady decay of our urban centers, a problem addressed in my "Bringing Back Our Cities" plan. No governor of New Jersey can succeed without recognizing that property taxes continue as the largest issue facing our residents. Until we resolve the structural issues driving our property taxes higher each year, we must continue to provide relief through the property tax rebate program – not eliminate rebates for 1.2 million New Jerseyans, as Governor Corzine just did.
DAGGETT: Priority number one is the economy, the budget and job growth. We need to cut the size and cost of government at all levels, dig our state out of a deep financial hole created by both political parties, and make our tax structure competitive with other states. We will benchmark New Jersey's state tax structure against other states and make recommendations for changes in income, inheritance, business and other taxes that bring our tax structure more in line with other states. We will establish a business advocacy program in the governor's office, dedicated to helping businesses navigate government permitting processes and securing the necessary financing to establish and grow their businesses. My second priority will be education and my third priority will be the environment. We have to be relentless in pursuit of educating every individual student. We cannot allow another generation of children to graduate from our schools without the education and job skills to compete in the new economy. We will eliminate the alternative assessment program that allows students to graduate without the necessary skills to compete in a new economy. Regarding the environment, more than ever before, a strong economy and a strong environment go hand in hand, and we need to ensure we are in a strong position to participate in the new "green economy."
THE ROLE OF THE LT. GOVERNOR
When you take the oath of office in January, you will be joined by New Jersey's first lieutenant governor. What role will your lieutenant governor play in your administration?
CORZINE: The lieutenant governor must be capable of operating inside the government. My lieutenant governor will perform a dual role, adding a cabinet position to his or her responsibilities. Furthermore, I firmly believe that one of the qualifications of the lieutenant governor is that the individual should reflect the rich diversity of the New Jersey political process.
CHRISTIE: I am delighted to be joined in this campaign by a talented and knowledgeable running mate in former Monmouth Beach Commissioner Kim Guadagno. With her experience in the Attorney General and US Attorney offices, in Monmouth Beach and as sheriff of Monmouth County, Kim has experienced firsthand the issues facing local elected officials and the citizens of this state. This background will enable Kim to go to work immediately addressing the bureaucracy that is crippling our state economy and our communities.
DAGGETT: The lieutenant governor will play a major role in our administration, however, in these tough economic times, I will not create another new bureaucracy around the position. New Jersey needs to find ways to reduce the cost of government, not create new expenses requiring new revenue.
THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE
Over 250 municipalities have joined the League's challenge of the state Council on Affordable Housing's 3rd round regulations. The need to provide affordable housing is not the debate – most parties concede the need exists. But the approach towards the solution, the assessments and calculations by COAH are the subject of the debate. What is the future of COAH and affordable housing in New Jersey? And how should the need for affordable housing be integrated with the intent of the State Plan, the need for open space preservation and other state policy priorities?
CORZINE: For too many families, housing is simply unaffordable in New Jersey. During the last few years, the state Legislature and I have laid the groundwork to ensure that housing is available to all New Jerseyans and to raise the quality of life for everyone in this state. Since 2006, more than 27,000 affordable homes were created or maintained, the controversial system of regional contribution agreements was eliminated, state rental assistance was doubled and more than 5,000 first time home buyer mortgages were issued.
Under my first-in-the-nation Economic Assistance & Recovery Plan, a comprehensive foreclosure mitigation strategy was implemented. I have also provided housing opportunities to New Jersey's veterans and sought to protect the homeless population in New Jersey. Finally, I am taking advantage of hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal stimulus for affordable housing and neighborhood preservation.
Although the need for increased affordable housing opportunities has not diminished in any way, during this time of national economic crisis, I supported legislation to suspend the 2.5 percent Non-Residential Developer fee, while appropriating $15million to the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The legislation will remove the fee, which has been stifling investment in our municipalities. With the fee removed, builders can begin the projects that will serve as the catalyst for our economic recovery. By fueling our economic recovery, it gets us back to a place where we can put the emphasis we need to on helping municipalities meet affordable housing needs, helping to make New Jersey affordable for all New Jerseyans.
Throughout my public career, I have consistently sought to preserve and acquire open space. I campaigned vigorously to achieve a successful ballot initiative supporting a $200 million bond issue to protect open space and farms across New Jersey. I also signed legislation appropriating $80 million from the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund to the DEP for the acquisition or development of lands for recreation and conservation. Land preservation is critical throughout our state. We must remain vigilant in our efforts to protect and preserve New Jersey's environmental resources. When our open spaces fall victim to development, they are gone forever. We cannot allow that to happen.
CHRISTIE: The round three regulations issued by COAH are perhaps one of the worst examples of this governor's lack of leadership. The Department of Community Affairs ignored the State Plan, the state's open space and farmland preservation goals, the Department of Environmental Protection's water and waste water plans and the Department of Transportation's transportation master plan and ordered municipalities across the state to develop new master plans to accommodate ridiculous growth projections. Even worse after admitting that their projections are wrong, they refused to withdraw their regulations and force municipalities to continue to spend property tax dollars on this process.
I will stop this ridiculous process and return sanity to our efforts to ensure that New Jersey residents have access to safe and secure housing opportunities. My urban plan focuses very strongly on our need to repopulate our urban centers, bringing residents, jobs and our existing urban infrastructure back together. It is wrong to think that our housing policy should mandate more housing developments in our suburban and rural areas than in our existing cities.
DAGGETT: A crucial part of my plans to make New Jersey more affordable is to develop a comprehensive strategy to build affordable housing. In implementing an affordable housing program, it will be consistent with the State Plan, it will conform with open space preservation goals, and it will complement state policy priorities, such as smart growth. When we build affordable housing, it will be located where jobs and public transportation are available, instead of in rural areas lacking both.
PROPERTY TAX PRESSURES
The current recession has dealt a flurry of blows to New Jersey municipalities. As the foreclosure and unemployment rates rise, the tax collection rate falls. As the economy stalls, new construction slows with it. As interest rates fall, the rate of return on our reserves falls with them. This year's state budget proposal would cut municipal revenue replacement funding by about $32 million. Though never welcome, cuts of municipal property-tax relief funding are no longer surprising -- certainly not at this time. However, they inevitably put upward pressure on property taxes. How will your Administration help local officials deal with these pressures over the next four years?
CORZINE: Municipalities need to seek local solutions to reduce the costs of government. I have put in place the necessary structural reforms for long-term change at the state level, while preserving property tax relief for our seniors and those who need it most.
The reality is that I have provided more direct property tax relief in four years than any other governor in New Jersey's history – nearly $7 billion put directly into the pockets of New Jerseyans. Last year, the average increase in property taxes across the state rose by the lowest rate in a decade – 3.7 percent, which is under the 4 percent cap required by law.