Corzine for Governor

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title: Wonder
Type: :30 TV
Date launched: 10/19/05

AD SCRIPT BACKUP

ANNCR: Ever wonder where Doug Forrester gets his phony tax numbers to smear Jon Corzine? They were made up by extreme right-wing groups like the National Taxpayers Union...

To Back Ups Its Claim, Forrester's Latest Attack Ad Cites Right-Wing Groups, Including NTU. A Forrester TV ad called "Comfortable," which first aired on October 17, claims that Corzine’s record on taxes has "earned him failing grades from 'tax watchdog' groups." A visual in the ad sources the National Taxpayers Union in particular. Forrester had previously attacked Corzine by invoking Americans for Tax Reform, saying that apart from NTU, "another group identified him as an enemy of the taxpayer." [Forrester TV Ad, "Comfortable," Launched 10/17/05; 101.5 Debate, 10/11/05]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2005
CONTACTS:
Ivette Mendez
Allyn Brooks-LaSure
Gloria Montealegre
732-729-9820 (Office)

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title: Wonder
Type: :30 TV
Date launched: 10/19/05

AD SCRIPT BACKUP

ANNCR: Ever wonder where Doug Forrester gets his phony tax numbers to smear Jon Corzine? They were made up by extreme right-wing groups like the National Taxpayers Union...

To Back Ups Its Claim, Forrester's Latest Attack Ad Cites Right-Wing Groups, Including NTU. A Forrester TV ad called "Comfortable," which first aired on October 17, claims that Corzine's record on taxes has "earned him failing grades from 'tax watchdog' groups." A visual in the ad sources the National Taxpayers Union in particular. Forrester had previously attacked Corzine by invoking Americans for Tax Reform, saying that apart from NTU, "another group identified him as an enemy of the taxpayer." [Forrester TV Ad, "Comfortable," Launched 10/17/05; 101.5 Debate, 10/11/05]

Groups Cited By Forrester - Including NTU - Pursue An Extreme Right-Wing Agenda. Both NTU and ATR have pursued extreme right-wing agendas. In 2004, NTU gave awards to the four most right-wing members of the U.S. Senate, as identified by the National Journal’s "most conservative" vote rankings. In 2004, ATR - whose president, Grover Norquist, was dubbed a "right-wing impresario" by Washington Monthly - hosted strategy sessions between the Bush White House and a group described by Business Week as "right-wing activists." [NTU, 2004 Rankings (Linked here as of 10/05); National Journal, 2/11/05; Washington Monthly, 3/1/04; Boston Globe, 8/31/04; Business Week, 6/7/04]

ANNCR:... a group committed to destroying Social Security and establishing a national sales tax.

NTU Has Pressed For Social Security Privatization. NTU has consistently supported privatizing Social Security. In July 2001, NTU and other conservative groups met with Republican leaders of the U.S. House to discuss strategy regarding Social Security reform, and National Journal reported that right wing groups including NTU were "delighted that President Bush directed his Commission to Strengthen Social Security to include privately owned investment accounts in a reform proposal[.]" In 2004, NTU’s president praised one Republican candidate who supported President Bush’s privatization proposal for having "the foresight to recognize that providing personal-saving alternatives to Social Security is the only way younger generations can be assured of their retirement futures." [National Journal, 7/14/01; Washington Times, 7/19/01; NTU Release, 9/13/04; AP, 9/23/04]

NTU Supported A 23 Percent National Sales Tax On Consumers. In 2004, NTU endorsed a bill that would replace the income tax with a national sales tax. According to the Augusta Chronicle, the bill "would levy a 23 percent sales tax on all goods and services, including new homes, cars, food, gasoline, home insurance and college tuition." [Austin American-Statesman, 12/26/04; S 1493, Introduced by Sen. Chambliss, 7/30/03; Augusta Chronicle, 8/20/04]

ANNCR: The fact is, Jon Corzine has voted to lower taxes on the middle class.

As Senator, Corzine Has Voted 70 Times To Lower Taxes, Redistribute Proposed Tax Cuts More Toward The Middle Class, And Pass Substitute Tax Cut Packages. [Vote #76, 4/5/01; Vote #112, 5/17/01; Vote #114, 5/17/01; #116, 5/21/01; Vote #119, 6/17/01; #124, 5/21/01; Vote #125, 5/21/01; Vote #126, 5/21/01; Vote #129, 5/21/01; Vote #133, 5/22/01; Vote #135, 5/22/01; #138, 5/22/01; Vote #139, 5/22/01; Vote #140, 5/22/01; Vote #141, 5/22/01; Vote #142, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #148, 5/22/01; Vote #149, 5/22/01; Vote #151, 5/22/01; Vote #152, 5/22/01; Vote #156, 5/22/01; Vote #157, 5/22/01; Vote #159, 5/23/01; Vote #163, 5/23/01; Vote #164, 5/23/01; Vote #337, 11/14/01; Vote #338, 3/8/02; Vote #3, 1/25/02; Vote #7, 1/29/02; Vote #9, 1/29/02; Vote #10, 1/29/02; Vote #13, 2/6/02; Vote #149, 6/12/02; Vote #150, 6/12/02; Vote #72, 3/21/03; Vote #83, 3/25/03; Vote #95, 3/25/03; Vote #100, 3/25/03; Vote #107, 3/26/03; Vote #147, 5/15/03; Vote #149, 5/15/03; Vote #151, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #154, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/15/03; Vote #160, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #163, 5/15/03; Vote #164, 5/15/03; Vote #165, 5/15/03; Vote #166, 5/15/03; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #169, 5/15/03; Vote $172, 5/15/03; Vote #366, 7/9/03; Vote #31, 3/3/04; Vote #81, 5/5/04; Vote #82, 5/5/04; Vote #91, 5/11/04; Vote #49, 3/11/04; Vote #71, 4/26/04; Vote #75, 4/29/04; Vote #76, 4/29/94; Vote #77, 4/29/04; Vote #210, 6/5/03; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #62, 3/17/05]

2003: Corzine Proposed A "Wage Tax Holiday" That Would Have Provided More Middle Class Relief Than Bush's Package. In 2003, Corzine proposed and voted for a "Wage Tax Holiday," which would have provided more New Jerseyans with more relief than Bush’s unfair 2003 tax cut. [Vote #162, Motion on S 1054, Rejected 47-53, 5/15/03; Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/16/03; S 911, Introduced by Landrieu-Corzine, 4/11/03; New Orleans Times-Picayune, 1/24/03; Citizens for Tax Justice, "The Bush Tax Cuts In New Jersey," 11/19/03]

2004: Corzine Voted For The "Middle Class Tax Cuts Bill," Which Became Law. In 2004, Corzine voted for adoption of the conference report on the bill that extended the three "middle class tax cuts:" the $1,000-per-child tax credit, the upper limit for the current 10 percent bracket, and tax breaks for married couples. The bill was signed into law. [Vote #188, Adoption of HR 1308, 9/23/04; New York Times, 9/24/04]

ANNCR: Doug Forrester wants to give tax breaks to the wealthy...

Forrester's Plan Gives A New Tax Break To The Wealthiest Households In New Jersey. In October 2005, the Asbury Park Press reported that, under Forrester's plan, "[p]eople earning $200,000 or more would see the largest and fastest benefits because they currently get nothing but would be included in Forrester's plan." The Bergen Record had previously reported that Forrester's plan "includ[es] up to $5,000 in yearly property tax credits for households earning more than $200,000 a year, which receive no benefits under the current rebate programs or Corzine's proposal." [Asbury Park Press, 10/16/05; Bergen Record, 9/30/05]

Forrester Proposal Would Give Over Half A Billion To The Wealthiest Five Percent. Despite Herb Jackson's calling Forrester's assumptions "flawed" and Tom Moran's saying Forrester is "playing politics with the numbers," according to Forrester's own projections, over four years, Forrester's plan would give $569 million to the wealthiest five percent of homeowners - 100,000 households. The Star-Ledger reported that Republicans "do not dispute" that estimate, under which the 100,000 wealthiest taxpayers would receive $200 million in the fourth year alone. [OLS Memo, 4/6/05; Trenton Times, 7/21/05; NJN, Reporters Roundtable, 9/23/05; Star-Ledger, 6/3/05; Calculations using OLS data and Forrester’s assumptions; Star Ledger, 10/9/05]

Tom Moran: Relief Under Forrester's Plan Is Not Targeted To Middle Class. Tom Moran of the Star-Ledger wrote that Forrester's plan "includ[es] the wealthiest families in the state." Moran later wrote that Forrester's plan "doesn't direct the relief to where it's needed most." [News 12 NJ Forum, 5/2/05; AP, 4/18/05; Star-Ledger, 6/3/05, 9/16/05]

ANNCR: ... that will cut education and health care.

Forrester's Plan Would Cost Far More Than He Admits. In estimating the cost of his plan at $6.4 billion, Forrester cited an OLS report dated April 2005. The Bergen Record reported that OLS's analysis "assumed property taxes will rise by about 3 percent a year." However, according to a list furnished by the Assembly GOP, the average annual increase in property taxes over the 20 years from 1984 through 2004 was far higher - 6.5 percent. In September 2005, Bergen Record columnist Herb Jackson questioned the OLS study, saying, "They [Republicans] told OLS to assume property taxes only grow three percent, and they don't - they grow at seven percent. So the numbers are automatically flawed based on the input that OLS was told to use." [Asbury Park Press, 8/30/05; OLS Memo, 4/6/05; Bergen Record, 7/14/05; Assembly GOP Tax Blueprint; NJN, 9/23/05]

Forrester Hasn’t Said How He Would Pay For His Proposal. In June 2005, when Forrester was using a lower cost estimate than the $6.4 billion he adopted in August, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Forrester "has not specified where he would get the $2.7 billion to enact his plan, other than that he would find wasted money in the state budget." In September 2005, the Star-Ledger's Tom Moran wrote, "don't count on that cash just yet. Forrester hasn't said how he'd pay for this [property tax] program." In October 2005, the Courier Post reported, that "Forrester offered no specifics about where he would find the money to pay for his plan." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/9/05; Asbury Park Press, 8/30/05; Star-Ledger, 9/16/05; Courier Post, 10/1/05]

Forrester Signed A No New Tax Pledge - Meaning He Would Have To Make Huge Cuts To Pay For His Huge Plan. In March 2005, Forrester signed a pledge stating that he pledged to oppose any tax increase. The following month, Forrester released his property tax plan, which Star-Ledger columnist Tom Moran in September called "the largest new spending program of the year." [Americans for Tax Reform, Release, 3/18/05; Forrester Release, 4/18/05; Star-Ledger, 9/16/05]

New York Times: "It Is Hard To See How [Forrester] Could Avoid At Least Some Cuts To Various Programs, Like Education Or Health Care." In an October 2005 ad watch, the New York Times wrote, "Given the fact that Mr. Forrester has pledged not to raise property taxes, and does not seem inclined to tackle the thorny issues of school financing that academics say is at the heart of the state's high property taxes, it is hard to see how he could avoid at least some cuts to various programs, like education or health care." [New York Times, 10/4/05]

ANNCR: Even Republicans say Forrester's plan is nothing but a shell game that will double your taxes in the next ten years.

2005: Attacking Forrester For "Not Being Honest," Schundler Said Forrester's Plan Would Cause Property Taxes To Double Over Ten Years. In a direct mail piece distributed during the 2005 gubernatorial primary, GOP candidate Bret Schundler attacked Forrester's plan, saying, "it doesn’t do anything to keep your property tax bill - and your out-of-pocket expense - from continuously rising." In the piece, Schundler - saying Forrester was "not being honest" - said, "Doug Forrester must have been counting on you, and tax experts like Steve Forbes, never actually studying his property tax plan." Schundler also said, "under the Forrester plan your tax bill would DOUBLE in the next ten years[.]" [Schundler Campaign Mail Piece, 2005]