Schundler: Lonegan tax plan won't work

Former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler thinks that Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan's flat tax plan could be good for New Jersey in the long run, but that it is not politically feasible.

"What Steve is talking about is a very dramatic change in our tax system which would have more people having increased taxes and some having lower taxes. In the long term you can make an argument that it would be pro-growth, but I don't think politically you can get it implemented," said Schundler during a conference with Lonegan's rival for the nomination, former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.  "It's just not realistic. When you have most people having a tax increase, you won't get the support necessary for it."

Schundler, a conservative who upset Bob Franks in 2001 to win the Republican nomination for governor and lost the 2005 gubernatorial primary to Douglas Forrester in a race that included Lonegan, was mayor of Jersey City from 1992 to 2001.  He planned to run to retake the mayoralty this year, but opted out in January, citing personal financial difficulties.

Schundler said that Christie's plan to cut taxes for everyone after first decreasing government spending was more viable.

"How do you get political support for making taxes go down?  You have to make everyone's taxes go down," he said.

Christie chimed in by panning Lonegan's tax plan, which, combined with Lonegan's support for ending the property tax rebates, would hit senior citizens with a "double whammy."

"In these difficult economic times, with people worrying about how they're going to keep their job, keep their mortgage... to raise taxes on 70% of New Jersey residents during recessionary economic times is just wrong," he said (The Lonegan camp estimates that about 50% of New Jerseyans will pay higher taxes under the plan).

In a follow-up interview with PolitickerNJ.com, Schundler dismissed any parallels between his insurgent 2001 campaign and Lonegan's current one, and said that he considers both Lonegan and Christie to be conservatives.

"He's a person who has taken a very different approach than I did," said Schundler, who argued that Lonegan's confrontational campaign style does not help him win over voters.

"I think to win in New Jersey you need someone to go out and show people why the policies you're proposing are good for everyone. I think all too often Steve is attacking his opponent rather than going to the voters and attracting him to the ideas on their merit," he said.

Lonegan strategist Rick Shaftan said that Republicans have used a soft peddling strategy for too long in New Jersey, and that it cost Schundler the general election against McGreevey.

"That's why Bret lost and Steve's going to win. It's because Steve Lonegan is leader and Bret Schundler is a follower.  That's because Bret followed the polls and didn't have the courage to take strong positions," said Shaftan, who thinks that those who will see their state income taxes increase under Lonegan's tax plan will vote for it anyway because they plan to eventually bin the higher income bracket.

Shaftan also disputed the characterization that the Lonegan campaign was exclusively negative, noting a recent Christie internet campaign ad that used documentary footage of Lonegan in an unfavorable light.

"I think this video shows Steve Lonegan is playing to win. I don't know if the girly man staff of the Christie campaign understands that," he said.  "We're like no campaign they've ever see before."