ASSELTA, CLARK, DONOHUE: NO TOLL ROAD SALE DURING LAME DUCK LEGISLATURE

(ALONG THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, November 2) – First District Senator Nick Asselta and his Assembly running mates Norris Clark and Mike Donohue today joined Senate Republican Leader Leonard Lance and Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, and Second District Senator Sonny McCullough and his Assembly running mates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina at a press conference off the Garden State Parkway to declare their opposition to any consideration of the Democrats’ plan to sell New Jersey’s toll roads during a lame duck session of the legislature.

“We’ve said it from the beginning – the Democrats will do everything they need to do, and whatever they have to do, and anything they can get away with, to sell our roads,” said Asselta. “But this latest plan to move a toll road sale scheme through a lame duck legislature is beyond the pale. We’re going to have a massive turnover on Tuesday – as much as a third of the current legislature will be leaving before next January. That’s 40 members of the Senate and Assembly who will never again have to stand before the voters and be held accountable for their actions, and that creates a pool of 40 members who will be vulnerable to pressure … or, alternatively, to more sophisticated forms of ‘persuasion.’

“Two months ago, Leader Lance and Leader DeCroce stood with us not far from here, and drew a line in the sand by declaring that if Republicans took back control in either the Senate or the Assembly, the plan to sell the toll roads would be dead – because neither of them, as either a Republican Senate President or a Republican Assembly Speaker, would post the enabling legislation for a vote. We called on Dick Codey and Joe Roberts to step up and make a similar pledge. They failed to do so. So a bright line was drawn between the two parties – the Republicans have made clear their total opposition to this risky scheme, while the Democrats have made clear their unwillingness to take the steps necessary to kill it.

“Today, we issue a new challenge, with a similar intent – to make even more clear to the voters of New Jersey, who will be choosing their new legislature just four days from now, that one party stands firmly opposed to this scheme, while the other party makes plans to move ahead with it. If Dick Codey and Joe Roberts aren’t willing to stand up right now and declare their refusal to consider this scheme in a lame duck session, then voters should beware – if they won’t say no now, they will be saying yes then.

“All that sludge coming from Camden can’t hide this simple truth: Republicans stand opposed to selling our roads, and have pledged to kill this scheme. Democrats gave the Governor a blank check to begin selling our roads, and make plans to move ahead with this scheme before January.”

“Elections are the root of our republic,” said Clark. “Regular elections allow us as citizens to hold our leaders accountable. They cast their votes, they provide their service, and on a regular basis, we as citizens are allowed to judge their performance in office and determine whether or not they deserve another term.

“Moving a toll road sale scheme through a lame duck session subverts democracy. It removes the element of accountability, and in doing so, corrupts the fundamental free choice we cherish. If Dick Codey and Joe Roberts follow the Governor’s lead and move this plan through a lame duck legislature, where they can gather votes from legislators who will never stand before their constituents again to be held accountable for their votes, it will be a sad day for the cause of self-government itself – not just for the economic damage that will be done to the state, but for the larger and irreversible damage that will be done to the principle of accountability itself.”

“Where are Jeff Van Drew and Nelson Albano on this issue?” asked Donohue. “Despite the fact that they voted to give the Governor a blank check to prepare to sell the toll roads, they have mouthed their meaningless words of opposition for months now. They refused to call on their legislative leaders to refuse to post the enabling legislation, and today they remain silent on this outrageous scheme to move through a lame duck legislature a plan that wouldn’t stand a chance in a regular session.

“But let’s face it – given the massive support they’ve received in from Joe Roberts and his Camden machine, they are beholden to the Powers That Be in their party. So even if they were to come out today and agree with us that moving this plan through a lame duck legislature is wrong, would voters be able to trust them? Is it reasonable to believe they won’t be responsive to the wishes of those who are funding their campaign with tainted money? I don’t think so – and I don’t think the voters of the First District think so, either.”

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Paid for by Asselta Clark Donohue