Is there any surprise that Daggett won the debate in a landslide. He is the most competent and honest candidate by far. Now the people of N.J. have heard him speak and his poll numbers will begin to rise . Christie was nothing but hot air who didn't give ONE specific plan to any question he was asked. Corzine seemed more interested in Daggetts answers than his own. Both christie and corzine praised Daggett all night, they are both followers, We need a leader and that leader is Daggett !!!!!!

So it doesn't matter that your plan is unrealistic on every level. Daggetts idea to expand the sales tax to include lawyers fees, architect fees, beach rental fees, and more is counter productive. He claims this will only effect the "top level" taxpayers. So I guess Daggett doesn't think middle and lower income taxpayers don't rent at the beach, don't put a small addition on their home and don't get divorced/need any sort of legal advice.

In addition, Daggett talks about "sitting down" with the state workers Unions and "talking" about concessions. Does ANYONE believe that the state workers Unions will give up ANYTHING? TOTALLY PIE IN THE SKY.

And BTW---what the heck did Corzine(D-Elitest) say? I heard him say in his "I'm a rich guy" way that "people come, people go"---when asked about the exodus from NJ. He fudged his failed numbers from his first four years and offered NOTHING new...so I guess we are to expect more of the same. Corzine appears much better when he is spending MILLIONS lying and distorting on tv and much less comfortable doing anything face to face.

Christie was the only one who talked about cutting spending---apparently reality isn't good enough for some. Maybe they need to come up with a catchy slogan for "live within your means".

"Don't let facts get in the way"...Corzine '09

Your full of crap. Christie didn't give one specific plan in that debate. The largest thing he said he would cut is 250 million and then he immediately talked about things that were only valued at a couple hundred thousand dollars. He also didn't say what percentage he was cutting taxes which left everyone on and off the stage baffled, because he was asked the same question 3 or 4 times. Daggett's plan would decrease taxes for the middle class and allow them to keep there beach rental prices at the same level, because they will be getting a 25% reduction in property tax.

Jon Corzine looked as if he did not want to be there. He was aloof,nervous,not articulate and fumbled repeatedly. It was similar to the style of his administrtion. Unfortunately if one votes for Daggett it almost ensures the reelection of Corzine, an obviously incompetent Governor. So I think we need to give Christie a chance.What do we have to lose? Dagget can't win and I would be throwing my vote away. God forbid we get another 4 years of Corslime.

I thought about voting for Christie until I saw the debate last night. He said everything a Republican wanted to hear, but in reality he said nothing at all. I'm gonna vote for Daggett because he did the best and he deserves my vote.

Congratulations to Chris Daggett for the both the courage to enter this race as an independent candidate and his performance in the debate last night. Why 'waste' your vote for either of the two major party 'machine' candidates and continue to endorse the self-perpetuating leadership void in Trenton? Why not vote for Chris Daggett? Isn't he the clear choice to break the pattern of the pointless partisan politics which have brought this state to the brink of a financial catastrophe? All the Best, Herb Tarbous Independent Candidate for Congress ('06, '08) 6th Congressional District of NJ

Daggett has about as much chance as a snow ball in hell. You just threw your vote away. This is exactly what Corslime wants, divide the opposition and conquer. With Corslime there is no chance of lowering my property taxes.So don't cry the blues or complain when you have to put up with Corslime for another 4 years.

He lowers your property taxes by increasing the sales tax on items that are currently not taxable. Thats just robbing Peter to pay Paul. It translates into the same level of taxation with no reduction in the size of government. This state has added 55,000 employees in the last decade. Thats where the waste and inefficiency is occurring. We have over 3,000 employees in the EPA alone. Its just ridiculous.

No one " won" the debate last night. Dagget's plan is a fantasy and Corzine and Christie have no ideas. Two areas that have expanded drastically is law enforcement and education. The government continues to pursuit failed ideas like the war on sex offenders, drugs, poverty, and every other " dire" emergency they can think of. These ideas mean well, but they are expensive, don't work, and infringe on our freedom. For starters these candidates should re evaluate what the role of government should be. I have a hint- It isn't to protect people from cradle to grave.

Nobody won and everybody lost. What a waste of time.

Throw your vote away---laughable. First of all, on top of the facts written above...his 4 billion dollar revenue from his ridiculous expansion of the sales tax is a joke. There is no way that his plan will raise the 4 billion to pay for the 25% cut---NO WAY. And he knows it...

Christie has been honest---NO ONE but The "Wizard of Wall St" knows how bad it is right now. It is pure guess work for a candidate to be more specific...it's about principles and governing philosophy...

A vote for Daggett is foolish and is ultimately a vote for Corzine(D-Liar). If that's what you want dverchow--be my guest. I'm voting for change. NJ can't afford 4 more years of Jon Corzine(D-Out of Touch).

"Don't let facts get in the way"....Corzine '09

Just Ridiculous. What plan did Christie argue for last night that would deserve my vote? Did he say how much he would decrease taxes? No. Did he tell us everything he would cut? No.
The impression I'm left with is that he wants to cut taxes and leave the budget the way it is. Just like Bushy with the Federal Government. Your not getting change. Your getting some lying tough guy who's merely blowing hot air out of his arse to win an election. Its everything you want to hear, but with no specificity.
Daggett's plan would increase taxes on people who are buying non-essential items. Those people are usually the rich. That's why a sales tax is more productive than a property tax. Also the whole concept of property tax is sort of inhumane. Your taxing people on their shelters. There are things that should not be taxed and that includes shelters, essential foods(milk, eggs, vegetables, chicken and fruits) and water.
In addition, I'm not wasting my vote at all. Wasting a vote would be for me to vote for Christie and gets someone who isn't as competent or trustworthy as Daggett. Wasting a vote is to pull the lever for someone I don't beleive in. The guy I'm talking to is wasting a vote. He doesn't want to vote for Daggett because he thinks Corzine might win. Most people who saw that debate thought Daggett won and want to vote for him. If all of them voted and campaigned for him, he could win.

I missed the debate last night. Did the candidates get asked about their positions on reopening Pascack Valley Hospital at all?

African American voters should be made aware that Jon Corzine opposes school vouchers for parents who are forced to send their kids to failed schools. Education is an important issue in the African American community. Jon Corzine is the captive of the teachers union that has consistently opposed vouchers for poor parents and he has also opposed charter schools because of the power and influence of the teachers union. School vouchers will enable minority kids to get a decent education and go to a school where there is no gun violence and where they will be safe. Chris Christie favors these school vouchers. Thats why he deserves more suppport from the African American community. I believe he will get that support when these facts are made known.

....leaves me with no alternative than to vote for Dagget. He's the one guy who has actually offered a plan to cut expenses and taxes.
For those who argue the old saw about throwing your vote away here's my analysis:
1) Vote for Corzine - more of the same, nuff said
2) Vote for Christie - he will get nothing accomplished with Democrats in firm control of legislature and totally unafraid of this hack who insults us with standard drivel.
3) Vote for Daggett - he wins and puts the fear of god in the status quo politicians or he loses and we end up with the other two losers.
So the only real chance of making a true change in this state, that is giving Illinois, California, and Louisiana a real challenge for worst run state in the country, is voting for a true alternative regardless of whether the "experts" think he can win.
I have heard no reason of why I should vote for any of the two losers.

Jon Corzine has spent the the past 4 years raising our taxes and Chis Daggett has already promised to do so. Of course, Daggett also promises to lower property taxes in exchange for the other tax hikes but the past five elected Democratic Governors(Hughes, Byrne, Florio, McGreevey, and Corzine) all made the same promise. Each time the other taxes got hiked but property taxes went up anyway.

Daggett is just making the same kind of failed promise the Dems have been making for decades. Spending cuts, not more tax hikes, are the only way out of New Jersey's fiscal mess. Christie has to expose the fallacy behind Daggett's tax proposal because the media certainly won't - they are mostly liberal Democrats so they like Daggett's plan.

Christie says that implying he is an overweight slob is discriminatory and uncalled for but immediately states gay and lesbian people are not to expect equality in his following statements. He is a disgrace. Corzine is wasting paper, billboard marketing and television advertising. VOTE THIRD PARTY AND BOOT THESE CLOWNS OUT. Someone has to start "the change" that is being called for.

The bumptious basis for the Daggett "plan" is that revenues -- and the government that inevitably wastes them -- should not be reduced.

His is not a plan for tax reduction at all!

It is a tax trade at best -- he would just increase another tax to "ease" the pressure on property taxes -- AND, in the process, he'd keep the float!

Daggett has proposed nothing more, nothing less than a shell game, and he pompously calls it a plan. For the most part, the press all nod their heads like windshield bobbin' dolls!

You remember the "trick" anyone's funny uncle used to show little kids for a cheap laugh -- pushing his cheek out with his tongue, and then pushing on it with his finger, only to have it jump over to the opposite cheek? Even lots of little kids thought it was stupid!

But that is what Daggett's plan amounts to.  The only part Daggett did NOT show was where he pushes his cheeks with both fingers and sticks his tongue out at everyone!

Guess what? Chris Daggett has a fever! And his only prescription is . . . "More Cowbell!

by Trochilus

Corzine has an army of staff and cash that exploits minorities for photo ops that he uses in the hopes of pulling the wool over the eyes of stupid politically correct people who prefer words in place of action. TIME TO VOTE THIRD PARTY. VOTE THE REPULICRATS AND DEMOCANS OUT OF POWER ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Four years ago, Jon Corzine had a plan -- he promised to increase property tax rebates for everyone — he specifically promised all home owners a rebate increase of 10% per year, for each of the four years.

It was a flat out lie.

In fact, Corzine already pulled his version of the "sales-tax" substitute gimmick Daggett is talking about, as his justification for his sales tax increase.

Remember? That sales tax increase was supposed to preserve the rebates!

Daggett's plan is cut from the same cloth -- substantially increase the sales tax to take pressure off burgeoning property taxes.

No need for actual cuts -- just use smoke and mirrors!

Of course, once he got his sales tax increase, Corzine began engaging in fiscal gimmickry, which he had also sworn he would not do.

Those gimmicks included items like the proposed elimination of the property tax deduction on state income taxes, a further attempted sneak attack on the taxpayers of the State. 

Gee, who could possibly object to having their taxes taxed?

And, he has employed the outright elimination of the rebate for a significant number of property owners.

In addition, Corzine promised to have a constitutional convention on property taxes.

The point is that no one in their right mind should believe anything Jon Corzine says today.

Now comes Chris Daggett, who is offering up a dose of Corzine lite.

All we need to do, says he, is to implement a huge hike in sales taxes, and he promises he'll use that to lower your property taxes.

Oh, sure!

by Trochilus

Governor Corzine was quoted during the debate as saying the following:

"No plan is not what being a governor is all about."

So, how about his old "plan?"  He promised the taxpayers you would give them "forty in four" -- a forty percent increase in rebates over four years?

When he promised that four years ago, was that "what being governor is all about?"

Sounds more like he is now trying to cover up for his mendacity then!

by Trochilus

Anybody who criticizes Daggett's plan without any solution of their own, or by supporting a candidate without a plan himself, deserves to pay the highest taxes in the nation. Your belief in Chris Christie and that he's going to lower your taxes is unbelievable. You vote party line, believe the bullsh*t that your candidate preaches, and think you are oh so righteous with your oh so right idea for the solution. Come up with a plan, other than "we're going to lower taxes and balance the budget" crap, and then maybe rational people in this state will listen to you. Stop acting like children.

angrydem,

The fundamental problem with Daggett's "plan" is that it is not sensible, or even workable.

Why would anyone pass a huge tax increase during a recession?  To stimulate the economy?  Are you nuts? 

This "we have a plan" talk is juvenile.  Hey, Hitler had a plan too, but did that give him a legitimate basis on which to "run" Europe? Of course not.

Daggett's scheme is definitely not a plan to cut taxes, or even one to give one ounce of "tax relief," for that matter. 

It is no more, no less than a crafty, sketchy proposal for enacting a huge sales tax increase, in order to try and offset property taxes -- and meanwhile keep the float.

In my town of Lambertville, Mayor DelVecchio takes money out the sewerage (now utility) authority in order to ease pressure on property taxes.  So instead, the sewer rates get hiked! What the hell is the difference? We all get dinged!  But he does it so he can tell everyone he kept taxes "stable."  It's a scam. 

Imagine an EMT telling a guy with a broken arm that he's going to slug him in the face to help take his mind off the pain in his arm.

This tax switch is not a plan. . . it is a switcheroo! We were't born yesterday!

Daggett is just stealing a page out of the Corzine playbook -- the one where Corzine hiked the sales tax, telling everyone he was doing it in order to stablize the rebates. What a crock!

But the "financial genius" never even began to solve the fiscal problems of the state.  Jon Corzine is one of the biggest disappointments of any politician since Florio. Jon was too busy enabling a corrupt political system, and never, ever challenging it to reform.

At least Christie is a guy with a clearly demonstrated, long-term ability to both recognize and to take on that deeply rooted corruption, 132 - 0.  As Governor he'll be able to break down the systematic corruption and stabilize our finacial situation and economy.

by Trochilus

First of all, putting officials in jail has nothing to do with one's ability to manage a state. There's a huge difference from being a prosecutor and from being a governor.

Secondly, in my opinion by Chris Daggett putting out a plan it allows for there to be a discussion about the pros and cons of that plan. Sure, it may not be the best plan in the world. There is no plan out there that is perfect. At least it's there for us to have a discussion about. I cannot support someone who's plan is to not tell us anything and hope that we have faith that he'll come up with something when he gets into office. Thats a load of crap. Having a plan allows people to know what they're voting for, and to critique the plan to make it better.

Third, Mr. Daggett has not said that his plan is a tax cut. He has said that it is a restructuring of the tax system. Chris Christie is trying to play it out like its a tax increase. It's not. It's a shift from a mandatory tax on every citizen in the state to a tax on people paying for services that they elect to use. It is more fair to the home owner, AND it puts us into a tax system much like every other state in the US. Other states already tax services, why should we not? The current tax structure in NJ was designed to serve a goods economy, which we are not anymore. We are a service economy and it makes sense to alter the system to reflect that.

Fourth, the major section of the tax plan that people are choosing to ignore is the cap on municipal government spending. If a municipal/local government decides to increase their budget over the CPI, then they will not get the property tax relief from the state. This will save taxpayers in this state millions, if not billions of dollars, that would be going out to salary/pension/healthcare increases that are above the cost of living.

The tax plan addresses a wide array of issues, and Mr. Daggett is not trying to play it off as a tax decrease. It is a restructuring of the system, but everyone is deciding to portray it as something else. This plan will help address the massive budget gap we are facing next year (8-10 billion dollars) and can help make the tax system in NJ more fair. I would like to see Mr. Christie put forward a plan that would really address the tax problem in this state, instead of talking about shared services, which first will not save as much money as he is pretending it will, and secondly will not really ever happen. Consolidation has been talked about in NJ for decades, and we have only seen one municipality consolidate since the 1970's. Home rule will never change in NJ, no matter how much sense it makes. Christie will not be able to make a dent in that, so he should focus on something that could provide ACTUAL REAL relief.

Angrydem,

You say: "First of all, putting officials in jail has nothing to do with one's ability to manage a state. There's a huge difference from being a prosecutor and from being a governor."

Well, I could just as easily say that being a Wall Street investment banker with a short stint as a United States Senator had nothing to do with one’s ability to manage a State. And Jon Corzine sure proved that! With all of his financial background, he somehow managed to back this State into a nearly intractable financial corner, with, as you note, a huge deficit. Part of the reason is that he has, by-and-large, ignored the rampant political corruption within his own political party.

Certainly over the past two gubernatorial terms, he, Jim McGreevey and Acting Governor Codey irresponsibly bankrupted the Transportation Trust Fund, and then spread that misery state wide.

And they ignored top level criminal public officials all around them, who Chris Christie had to bring to account.

And, I could also just as easily say that having been the regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has nothing to do with managing a State. It doesn’t. Nor does suggesting that a huge tax increase be enacted as a basis for giving people tax relief!

I’d disagree, however, about the benefits of having been the United States Attorney for the State. I’d say that it is very good preparation for being a Governor.

First, one major function of a United States Attorney is to watch how public officials handle their power, and the public funds and resources with which they have been entrusted. In appropriate circumstances, they exercise a judgment about whether to prosecute evidence of malfeasance or misfeasance.

I’d say Chris exercised good judgment to a fault in that regard – it’s hard to argue with 132 – 0. And, I’d add that to me that also demonstrates a high level of leadership and teamwork.

Overall, it has also given him a tremendous insight into the inherent flaws in our existing governmental systems, and where and how waste, fraud and abuse tend to begin.

You also say: "I cannot support someone who's plan is to not tell us anything and hope that we have faith that he'll come up with something when he gets into office.

You obviously haven’t paid much attention to what Chris Christie has been saying. He has eschewed tossing out one-shot gimmicks, like this tax-swap proposal of Daggett's. Corzine promised four years ago to do that, but went back on his word, as he did in so many other instances.

Chris has also made a lengthy series of commitments to sound fiscal practices in his plan to help bring the State back to fiscal sanity, including:

 Building his budget up from the bottom, determining what resources we have, and making critical choices about what is most important to fund;

 Effective use of the veto and line-item veto;

 Pressing for an elected and therefore answerable State Auditor, rather than a political appointee, and having a Special Prosecutor to conduct audits and seek reimbursements until the elected State Auditor is in place;

 Implementing a system of performance reviews on all state programs, local governments and school districts;

 Sunsetting provisions on new and existing programs;

 Seeking a constitutional amendment to require a 2/3 majority vote to impose any new tax, or to increase existing taxes;

 Enacting a whole series of pension system reforms. As far as pension reform, Jon Corzine could care less.

Those are just a few – the list of elements of his fiscal plan goes on in some detail, including several commitments for pro-growth tax policy. You really should check it all out.

I’m also having trouble figuring out how you can conclude that this "plan" by Daggett is "more fair" to homeowners, when so many of the services that homeowners commonly make use of, will automatically cost more with Daggett's huge tax hike.

And since Daggett has not provided a reliable fiscal basis for his so-called tax swap, why would anyone be inclined to rely on the viability of his proposal?

That is a prerequisite to any serious discussion.

by Trochilus

The rampant bankrupting of the Transportation Trust Fund is not the fault of one party. There has been irresponsible borrowing without refunding the fund in both parties, going back through administrations of both both parties. This is not something new that can be solely based on the Democrats.

Nowhere did I say that being a wall street executive makes one qualified to be governor of NJ, and I did not vote for Jon Corzine in 2005.

Ignoring political corruption has been common practice for political officials throughout the history of New Jersey, so this is nothing new either.

I do believe that serving as Deputy Chief of Staff under Tom Kean, Regional Administrator of the EPA, and then Chairman of the DEP does provide some pretty good experience in executive leadership within New Jersey state government.

Look, no one is arguing that Chris Christie didn't do a great job as US Attorney. In the mind of many voters though, including myself, the position of prosecutor does not translate to executive leadership in the position of Governor. I would look first to his experience as an elected public official, in which he did not do a very good job, and was voted out in his second run for freeholder in Morris County.

I have taken a look at Mr. Christie's policies (very closely) and I personally believe, along with many others, that nothing he has proposed is anything of real substance that will make a difference in the tax structure of the state. He has taken positions on performance reviews of state programs... So has Daggett. Christie has taken a position on cutting unnecessary state mandates... so has Daggett. He has taken a position on pension reform, saying that he wants to put new workers into 401K programs... great! Daggett has a stronger position on the issue. Specifically, working with state employees to put more into their pension and benefit programs in order to save the system. Starting 401k programs now won't do anything. Do you really think state government is going to be making a substantial number of new hires where this will make any dent in the state budget gap?? No, it won't.

Christie has taken positions on issues that don't distinguish or make him any better than Daggett. Daggett's proposals have been more detailed, more precise, and have more numbers for people to look at. Also, you mention that the new plan is not fair to homeowners. The 25% they will be saving on their property taxes will be used to pay into the services they require. A 7% sales tax on those services will not amount to, in most cases, the amount of money they are saving on their property taxes. Once again, these are services they can elect to pay for.

Finally, before you say there is no reliable fiscal basis for the tax swap, you only say that because you have not researched it. You take Christie's word for it, when the Daggett campaign spent 6 months doing that research with independent experts and other outside sources. It's not like the numbers are made up. I think a prerequisite for any serious discussion is a detailed plan, which your candidate has not put forward. I have not seen anything in terms of pro-growth tax policy from his campaign other than saying they will lower taxes. Daggett has put forward 25% reductions in corporate and small business taxes. That is pro-growth, and that is specific. If Christie wants to win this election, he needs to come up with specifics instead of broad terminology which everyone knows is just hot air.

Plain and simple. His "detailed" plan - as outlined above - is nothing more than a promise to "do something," his own, entirely unoriginal version of Obama's "Hope & Change."

The fact remains that he has no core conservative principles which explains his refusal to give direct, detailed answers to questions regarding his post-election agenda. His entire campaign is based on the premise that he is not Jon Corzine - a strategy that used to work for RINOs but no longer resonates now that Obama is in the White House.

Note that Christie and Corzine are neck and neck while McDonnell is ten points ahead of Deeds in Virginia. That's because McDonnell is an unabashed conservative around whom the Republican base is rallying.

For his part, Christie is a mealy-mouthed, platitudinous RINO - a party hack with no conservative principles around whom only the ignorant, the desperate or the party hacks are converging. The conservative base, for the most part, will either vote third party, write in their candidate or simply stay home.

He will lose in November and it's just as well. New Jersey is doomed and it's better for it to collapse with a Democrat as governor.