Middletown, NJ – Citing statistics which point to a looming $3 billion State Budget deficit and New Jersey’s ranking as last in the nation in terms of federal funds coming back to the State, Lenny Inzerillo, the Democratic candidate for the State Senate seat in the 13th District, today asked whether his Republican opponent is willing to stand against federal Bush Republicans and call for an end to the war in Iraq.

“That sucking sound you hear in the Middle East is the sound of billions of federal tax dollars paying for a war no one wants in a country that posed no immediate threat to the American people,” said Inzerillo, D-Middletown. “Meanwhile, New Jersey is struggling to meet mandated expenses, and continues to get the cold shoulder from the federal government in terms of our hard-earned tax dollars coming back to assist the State. It’s time for my opponent to clearly, and without question, condemn the Bush administration’s wasting of tax dollars and call for an end to the War in Iraq, so we can deal with issues that hit us closer to home.”

The candidate noted that statistics put the cost of the Iraq War at over $450 billion, of which $21 billion was collected from New Jersey State citizens. Were that money spent on domestic concerns, the federal program which provides health care access for uninsured kids could have been funded for the next 100 years, according to Inzerillo.

“The Bush Republicans have lost their perspective on what’s important in this country,” said Inzerillo. “It’s unfortunate that politics has become so divisive that it’s an ‘us-vs.-them’ issue, but given this Administration’s misplaced priorities, it’s time everyone in America decided where they stand. Is Kyrillos part of the Republican war machine, or is he willing to call for an end to the war, and increased support for State efforts to protect our citizens?”

Inzerillo added that the General Assembly, earlier this year, voted on resolutions condemning the ongoing conflict in Iraq , and calling on the President to begin plans for a troop withdrawal. Similar resolutions have been introduced in the Senate, but Kyrillos has not signed on to support any anti-war legislation as a prime or co-sponsor.

“When given the chance to show his independence from the Bush Republican mindset, my opponent punted,” said Inzerillo. “That sort of lack of real leadership is absolutely stunning, given the overwhelming sense in our district that the War in Iraq is one of the biggest foreign policy mistakes in decades. I hope Kyrillos can admit the error in their ways, and stand with me today in calling for an end to America’s continued involvement in Iraq.”

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