ADDIEGO AND RUDDER ON CORZINE PLAN TO REVIVE TOLL HIKE SCHEME: AGAIN, GOV. CORZINE, WHERE'S THE TRANSPARENCY?

Responding to yesterday’s revelation by Governor Jon Corzine that he is considering revisiting his plan to lease the Turnpike and raise tolls 800 percent, Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder today said the news is indicative of the lack of transparency in the Corzine administration.

“Governor Corzine’s first massive toll hike scheme was shrouded in secrecy. Apparently, his second attempt is as well,” stated Addiego, R-Burlington. “Why are we just now hearing about his plan to revive his proposal which the public clearly rejected last year?  His claims of running a transparent administration are an affront to the people he was elected to serve. The only thing transparent about the governor is his lack of transparency.”

Addiego and Rudder said any attempt to bring back Corzine’s proposal which failed miserably the last time he tried to ram it through the Legislature would be met with the same vehement opposition by Assembly Republicans.

“The last thing this state and its residents need is another fiscal burden,” said Rudder, R-Burlington. “It’s time Governor Corzine and his party stop treating our taxpayers as their personal piggy banks. We successfully defeated the governor’s first massive toll hike plan. We’ll do it again if necessary, but I would hope the governor would see the handwriting on the wall and abandon this foolish plan.

“His repeated attempts to defy the public’s will is extremely troublesome as is the fact that we learned about his intentions to revisit this issue in a newspaper article,” he aded. “It shows how little regard and respect he has for our residents and the Legislature.”

The New York Times reported Thursday that Corzine said he is seriously considering revisiting his plan to lease the Turnpike and borrow $40 billion which would result in toll increases of 800 percent to pay down state debt.

Addiego and Rudder added that such a move would be “unconscionable” especially since Corzine pushed through a significant toll hike on the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway in December last year.

The domino effect an added 800 percent toll increase would have on commuters and the state economy, they said, would be “devastating.”

They urged Governor Corzine to consider the Republican’s “Common Sense Plan for an Affordable New Jersey,” which includes a proposal for reforming state government that does not rely on higher taxes, tolls or debt.”

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