Republican Candidate Jordan Rickards Ambushes North Brunswick Town Council

"Mr. Mayor, At the previous council meeting, it was announced that North Brunswick residents will see yet another tax increase to cover municipal expenses, even though taxes were already at record levels. The average New Jersey taxpayer is already currently paying about $7,000 annually in property taxes. Over the course of a 30 year mortgage, that homeowner was already on pace to pay an astronomical $210,000 in property taxes, just for the right to keep his own home. In other words, in order to afford a home in North Brunswick, you almost have to pay for two homes. New Jersey's property tax burden is the highest in the nation, over $2,000 greater than the next highest state, Connecticut, according recent U.S. Census figures. The property tax burden is three times greater here than it is in neighboring Pennsylvania, and almost nine times greater than in neighboring Delaware. But apparently, this Council think we're not paying enough. According to the Home News, at the most recent meeting, Democrat Council President Ralph Andrews tried to avoid accountability, blaming external factors and saying, incredibly, that “the Council has been fiscally conservative.” That, of course, is a flagrant misrepresentation of the truth and he knows it. In 2000 the municipal budget was only $30 million dollars, and North Brunswick was running fine. Now, only nine years later, the all-Democrat Council has increased spending to nearly $45 million. And while it is true that the Council now seeks to cut the budget by a miniscule 1 percent, what the Council neglects to mention is that this 1 percent cut comes after they raised spending 50%. In short, this Council has been about as "fiscally conservative" as a group of drunken teenagers with daddy’s credit card. What’s even more alarming is that nobody on the all-Democrat Council thought to call Councilman Andrews out on his blatant non-truth, not even Councilman Socio, who is running for re-election this year and is serving his ninth year on the Council. It would have been refreshing to hear him, or any other member say “You know what Mr. Andrews? You’re wrong. We all know that we haven’t been fiscally conservative, and that’s the problem.” But that didn't happen. Instead we get excuses, the most common of which is that this is all Trenton's fault. So far I've heard that excuse from Councilman Socio, as quoted in the Home News, Councilman Andrews, as I mentioned, and Mayor Womack. This is sort of ironic, because Trenton -- like this council -- is controlled entirely by Democrats. In other words, when this Council blames "Trenton", who they're really blaming are their comrades in arms: Governor Corzine, the Democrat controlled Assembly, and the Democrat controlled Senate. Now, I have to confess that few things give me more pleasure than to watch two groups of Democrats blame each other for the problems they have all caused. But the people of this town need to know the truth, and the truth is that Trenton did not force this all-Democrat council to recklessly add $15 million to our budget over the last eight years. You cast the votes, you are to blame for the mess you've created, and you should have the courage to take responsibility. Unless, of course, you would like us to believe that this Council is nothing more than a puppet for Jon Corzine and the greater Democrat machine; a claim that does not seem all that implausible given your like-minded, reckless, tax-and-spend-and-tax-again policies that are bankrupting this State and its citizens. So here's my request. Before this vote is cast, I'd like one of you, just one, to have the courage to admit that you have not been fiscally conservative, and it's your own fault. Because if Trenton's entirely to blame, then you're nothing more than Trenton's puppet. And if you're only partially to blame, then you're still part of the problem. And if you're part of the problem, then it's time for you to go." www.NorthBrunswickGOP.org