Flat tax and conservative cred remain chief issues for Kyrillos and Butehorn respectively
By Max Pizarro | May 31st, 2009 - 11:34am
Christie Campaign Chairman Joe Kyrillos
In their NJN mano-a-mano this morning, Lonegan Campaign Chairman Hank Butehorn and Christie Campaign Chairman state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R-Middetown) mostly scrapped over Lonegan's proposed flat tax and Christie's conservative credentials.
"We disagree on how to cut income taxes," Kyrillos told NJN senior political correspondent Michael Aron. "The electorate won't abide income tax hikes for a majority of residents out there."
Butehorn called the Christie campaign's interpretation of Lonegan's flat tax "an outright lie."
"It's about time the state has a conservative Republican leader with a plan to cut taxes and reduce spending,"said Butehorn, whose argument for the flat tax hinges on what upper and upper middle income earners would be able to inject into the system under the provisions of Lonegan's tax plan.
Lonegan's plan would replace the progressive income tax with a flat tax of 2.9%, which would drop to 2.5% by 2011 and to 2.1% in 2012.
Kyrillos objected.
"His plan will raise taxes on a majority of New Jerseyans," he said.
Aron pressed Kyrillos on what Christie would do specifically to significantly cut taxes and reduce spending.
Kyrillos gave an answer that included the line,"Chris has been very specific about what's broken with the state. ...We're not talking about electing an economic theorist here."
He later explained.
"Chris is a no-nonsense practical conservative... He wants to return New Jersey to the kind of place Chris Christie grew up in. He's a tough guy who worked to make New Jersey safer from bad guys. If the voters of New Jersey didn't have Chris Christie, they'd want to invent him."
"I haven't seen the evidence that Chris Christie is a conservative," Butehorn maintained.
Kyrillos repeatedly referred to the rival candidate as Steve "Lonergan," adding an "R" into the name, but gave credit at the end of the program to the former mayor of Bogota's "spirited" campaign efforts.
Wake-Up Call
Morning News Digest: March 12, 2010
Weinberg: 'history is going to defend Jon Corzine’s legacy'Former Gov. Jon Corzine has not gone quietly, not that current Gov. Christopher Christie has let the public forget him. Virtually every time Christie announces a new budget fix in response to a problem that he pins squarely on the previous administration,...
Wally Edge
In the increasingly contentious Republican primary for the Congress in the twelfth district, Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre might want to become a little more thorough with his opposition research. This week, Halfacre alleged that rival...
Today is bittersweet for PolitickerNJ.com as we announce the departure of Matt Friedman from our reporting staff. Matt will be joining the Star-Ledger statehouse bureau, and we are extraordinarily proud of him as he begins the next...
Barack Obama has made his first appointment from Bergen: Victor Herlinsky, an early supporter and Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s ex-law partner, was named to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the...
Former Edison Mayor Jun Choi is the new managing director of the Government Strategy Group, a New Providence-based firm that provides financial management consulting services to governments. He has also joined the Eagleton Institute of...
The Middlesex County Republican Organization Screening Committee has recommended that newspaper publisher Diane Gooch be the organization candidate for Congress in the sixth district. Party rules state that the screening committee...
Contributors
This is going to be a budget that is going to be unlike any other you’ve probably seen in NJ in at least the last 20 years and maybe... more »
Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get done... more »
Trivia Question --- A Democrat Chief Executive elected by an overwhelming margin cannot convince overwhelming Democrat Majorities in the Legislative Branch to enact his agenda, and faces increasing public... more »
As part of his solution to New Jersey’s current budget deficit, Gov. Chris Christie announced that, effective yesterday, he will not allow any additional parents to enroll in FamilyCare,... more »
The First BankAmericano was started in Elizabeth with a mission to serve the traditionally underserved Hispanic population by bringing them into the financial system through savings and checking accounts... more »
Let me get this straight. The state has a “cap” or limit on how much municipalities can increase their annual budget every year—four percent. The goal is to keep... more »
My New Jersey Mort Zuckerman Story Both national and local media have been reporting about the possibility of New York Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman seeking the Republican nomination... more »
You’ve got to hand it to Christie; he calls it as he sees it. I don’t mean the newly crowned Governor, Chris Christie, but his nine-year-old son, Patrick. ... more »
Anyone involved in governing and administrating a town or county in New Jersey understands the economic problems outlined in The Star-Ledger editorials of February 28 and March 1. The... more »
It is widely anticipated that Gov. Chris Christie’s first budget message, to be delivered on March 16, will show the harsh reality of New Jersey’s bleak financial outlook. No... more »
In keeping with the commitment I made to you in the November election, I am looking at every possible way to cut wasteful government spending and relieve your tax... more »
Republican Playbook: Fear, Scorn & Partisanship -- Instill fear. Sow uncertainty. Create doubt. Demonize. These tactics may be the unfortunate norm for campaigning, but they are bad – if not... more »
Our new Governor suffers from no lack of advice. Much of it, contained in the transition reports, deserves prompt attention. Obviously, economic prosperity benefits everyone, and – as... more »
I have to genuinely wonder if this legislature will go down as the most taxing legislature in the history of the state of New Jersey surpassing the legislative actions... more »
Now that the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this election. First and... more »
3.11.10 That Dog Won’t Hunt, SonI had a recent email exchange with one of my favorite Rightwing-Conservatives-Libertarians ---Steve Lonegan. The subject matter was, of course, national... more »
Sheriff Larkin must go: no ifs ands or buts.According to published reports, Mercer County Sheriff Kevin Larkin entered the Political Science class of associate professor Michael Glass at Mercer... more »
On January 11th New Jersey’s 213th Legislature ended its session, followed the next day by the commencement of the 214th Legislature, with newly elected officials being sworn into office,... more »
On January 6, 2010, several newspapers published articles with titles like “no more aid for struggling cities”, “Christie will cut state aid” and the like; furthermore, in the body... more »
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, you target teachers. That’s not a positive note to start your tenure. You forget that the Teachers’ Union makes decisions on its own, such... more »
On the day of his inauguration, Governor Christopher Christie inherited a gaping $2 billion hole in the state’s budget and swiftly set about the people’s business in meeting our... more »
Most Active Stories
Latest from Twitter
Shaftan WHOSE SIDE IS HE ON?? NJ or NY??? #Lautenberg pushes multibillion $$ tunnel benefitting NY & hurting NJ http://bit.ly/aKz5Iq #liberals #tcot
Mar 13th, 2010 10:34 pm
RonaldCRice HCR=Health care 4 millions who lack it, req. almost everyone 2 obtain coverage, & subsidizes cost of premiums 4 the poor & middle-incomed
Mar 13th, 2010 9:30 pm
FrankPallone Avon Fire Dept's Irish Night Out at the Municipal Building. Joe Finn, Jr. singing. South Park Pipe & Drums sounded great.
Mar 13th, 2010 8:45 pm
jason_springer Quote of the Day: "Guantanamo's got nothin' on these guys": Zack Fink has a story about Lou Manzo... http://tinyurl.com/ybeb58y @BlueJersey
Mar 13th, 2010 7:37 pm
RobTornoe Reading: Howell Raines - Why don't honest journalists take on Roger Ailes and Fox News? http://bit.ly/bmFjDJ
Mar 13th, 2010 7:04 pm
jason_springer Slide#14, or Why Health Care Reform Helps Now: In the leaked DCCC (Chris Van Hollen) memo I poste... http://tinyurl.com/ybpsoyp @BlueJersey
Mar 13th, 2010 7:03 pm
fredsnowflack New blog post: Not in April .. http://blogs.dailyrecord.com/morrispolitics/2010/03/13/not-in-april/
Mar 13th, 2010 6:48 pm
fredsnowflack New blog post: If one were to quibble ----- http://blogs.dailyrecord.com/morrispolitics/2010/03/13/if-one-were-to-qu...
Mar 13th, 2010 6:33 pm
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
"I think he could be more civil. This is not necessary. I wish him a lot of luck. I have seen enough to know that this is the toughest job in America. I would never, ever wish this job on my worst enemy." -- Joshua Zeitz, a spokesman for former Gov. Jon Corzine, on Gov. Chris Christie.
- The Record, 03/12/10Poll
Recent Press Releases
Press releases are submitted by PolitickerNJ users, not by staff. They do not represent the viewpoint of PolitickerNJ.com.
McKEON MEASURE TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR HIGHLANDS TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ADVANCES IN SENATE
Mar 13 2010
Mar 13 2010
Mar 12 2010
Mar 12 2010
Mar 12 2010
Mar 11 2010
Mar 11 2010
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
Aron pressed Kyrillos on what Christie would do specifically to significantly cut taxes and reduce spending. Kyrillos gave an answer that included the line, "Chris has been very specific about what's broken with the state. ...We're not talking about electing an economic theorist here."
What the heck kind of answer is that?!?! The state's number one issue is economics and Kyrillos - a legislative leader - gives THAT answer?!?!
No wonder we're in the shape we're in. Corzine's opposition in the legislature and possibly on the ballot cannot express any knowledge of economic theory!
"We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work!"
- FDR's Treasure Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, in 1939, on 8 years of New Deal spending as an attempt to end the Great Depression.
Hank did a great job.
A much more articulate spokesman than I am.
mountaintop
damning with faint praise ....
Prick Shaftan Did a Lousy Job
Nobody watches NJN on Sunday. Speaking of credentials, what exactly has Shaftan done with his career? Replaced one set of Democrats with another set in No. Arlington, while getting a gig for his boy Lonegan up in No. Arlington?
Fought a few Republican primary fights? Won some general elections for the GOP in incredibly safe GOP districts?
Shaftan's mantra has been extrem right-wingers will win general elections where moderate GOPers will lose. Until recently, I considered myself a right-winger, I still kindof like Ron Paul, Art Laffer and Schiff in spite of their ill considered endorsements of Stevie boy. The thing is Shaftan has absolutely no empirical evidence to back up his mantra.
All Shaftan's "successes" seem to be Sussex County based. Or maybe in places like Bogota that have had a long history of many Republican mayors before his Stevie Boy.
Before this whole race started I had some grudging respect for this Prick. No more.
Anyone who has seen this schlep speak knows that ModerateMillie's post above was right on (no pun intended).
Is there any room left on the bus?
CC has to be
in the poop to have Joe front anything.
Honestly
"He wants to return New Jersey to the kind of place Chris Christie grew up in."
That's a great idea. Lets return government employment numbers to what they were when Chris Christie was a little kid.
Honestly these people are amateurs, that's why Lonegan is giving them a run for their money, and that's why Christie will lose in the General. He's a much weaker candidate that you think!
Lonegan 09
"Is there any room left on
"Is there any room left on the bus?"
Just a few Looneytics and some boxes of kool-aid.
Good point
Why has the polling for Lonegan gone up over the last week, because it's clear that Christie is a blindman without a hope of finding his way.
CliffordCase
Drop Dead and do Humanity a favor.
Joe Kyrillos
The last one to know anything. As usual the word from a guy who comes from La La Land in Ocean county where they think that is "Down at the Shore"
FDU Likely Voters
Christie 54% Lonegan 30%