CARDINALE, ROONEY & VANDERVALK WARN VOTERS WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW WILL HURT THEM AFTER THE ELECTION

State Sen. Gerald Cardinale, Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, the Republican legislative team representing District 39,  cautioned voters today that what they don’t know will hurt them financially after the election – and that’s the way the Democrats have planned it from the very beginning of the campaign.

“It’s no secret that Governor Corzine and the Democrats have kept two different plans to hike tolls under wraps until after the election,” said Cardinale. “It has been reported that top Democrats in the Legislature asked the governor to keep the details of his plan to raise tolls annually on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway hidden so they couldn’t be used against their candidates during the campaign. Now this week we learned a separate plan to raise tolls at the Port Authority’s bridge and tunnel crossings was also held back until after the election at the request of Democrats.

“There’s an old saying that goes ‘what you don’t know can’t hurt you.’ Just the opposite is true in this case. What the voters haven’t been told during this campaign will definitely hurt them financially once the votes are counted.”

ROONEY & VANDERVALK TO CORZINE: ‘JUST SAY NO’ TO PROPOSED POST-ELECTION PATH TOLL INCREASE

Reacting to a published report that the Port Authority is planning a huge toll increase on its Hudson River crossings and higher fares for passengers of the PATH rail line right after the November election, Republican Assembly members John Rooney and Charlotte Vandervalk urged Governor Corzine to use his veto power to block the move.

“When will the madness end?” asked Rooney, R-District 39. “Many Bergen County residents commute to New York every day. A $2 or $3 toll increase would be devastating.”

“Corzine should just say no,” added Vandervalk, also R-District 39. “It’s bad enough the governor and the Democrats are planning to raise tolls annually on New Jersey’s toll roads. A whopping increase in PATH fares and river and bridge crossings just adds insult to injury.”

ROONEY & VANDERVALK ACCUSE FERRIERO OF LYING ABOUT ENCAP ON TELEVISION SHOW

Republican Assembly members John Rooney and Charlotte Vandervalk demanded an apology from Bergen County Democratic Boss Joseph Ferriero for “brazenly lying” when he accused them of sponsoring legislation that was supposedly responsible for the EnCap debacle in the Meadowlands.

On the “New Jersey Now” public affairs program broadcast by WWOR Channel 9 on Sunday, Ferriero tried to deflect blame for the failed EnCap project that has cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and inflicted severe environmental damage on the Meadowlands. He falsely pinned the blame on Rooney and Vandervalk.

“EnCap was a pet project of three Democratic administrations, starting with former Governor McGreevey,” noted Vandervalk, R-District 39. “It was under their watch that rules were bent to move this residential development and golf course ahead. Now that the project has failed, leaving the taxpayers millions of dollars in the hole, I find it incredulous that Ferriero would go on television to try to pin the blame on us when it was his political party that has been calling the shots since day one.”

ROONEY & VANDERVALK SAY DEMOCRATS REFUSAL TO DEAL WITH PROPERTY TAX AND ETHICS REFORM SHOWS WHY INITIATIVE & REFERENDUM IS ESSENTIAL

The abject failure of Democrats who rule the State House to give any serious consideration to meaningful property tax, budget and ethics reforms demonstrates the need to embrace initiative and referendum (I & R) and place more power in the hands of the people say Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk.

Rooney and Vandervalk, the Republican team representing the 39th Legislative District in the Assembly, said the people should have the ability to force change if their elected representatives refuse to act.

ROONEY & VANDERVALK SAY REPORT ON HIGH SCHOOL ‘DROPOUT FACTORIES’ IS ANOTHER REASON TO DEMAND GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY FROM ABBOTT DISTRICTS

A report prepared for the Associated Press and released today that classifies 13 high schools in New Jersey, most located in Abbott Districts, as “dropout factories” is just another reason why the state must demand greater accountability for its massive investment in these special needs school districts, say Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk.

“Before the Legislature begins its post-election debate on the Corzine administration’s still secret school funding formula, steps must be taken to ensure the gross waste of taxpayer dollars in Abbott funds is halted and that the money is directed where it belongs – the classroom,” said Rooney, R-District 39. 

“After the investment of billions of dollars in the Abbott districts, the children are still not getting the education they deserve,” added Vandervalk, also R-District 39. “This report shows students are not being given a good enough incentive stay in high school and graduate, a decision that can be ruinous to their future.”

ROONEY & VANDERVALK SAY REPUBLICAN PLAN FOR PERMANENT PROPERTY TAX CUTS WILL HELP BERGEN TAXPAYERS WEATHER ‘PERFECT STORM’

Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, Republicans representing the 39th Legislative District, said today deep, constitutionally-guaranteed property tax cuts will help Bergen County homeowners weather the ‘perfect tax storm’  that one Rutgers University profession predicts is fast approaching New Jersey’s shores.

The District 39 Republican team said a recent news report broadcast by Millennium Radio (NJ 101.5-FM) offered more powerful evidence that New Jersey is becoming unaffordable for a greater multitude of middle class families every day. Richard Harris, a professor of political science and public policy at Rutgers-Camden, said taxpayers are being squeezed harder they have ever been. He said “a broken property tax system” is one major reason why.

The Record has endorsed Democrat Joseph Ariyan for State Senator over GOP incumbent Gerald Cardinale and backed Democrat Esther Fletcher for Assembly over incumbent Republican John Rooney. They endorsed GOP Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk. READ

ROONEY SAYS CORZINE HAS A COSTLY
‘NOVEMBER SURPRISE’ FOR THE TAXPAYERS 

Republican Assemblyman John Rooney said today Governor Jon Corzine has finally admitted publicly that he and the Democrats have a post-election, lame duck surprise for the taxpayers.

“In a news report on Millennium Radio yesterday, Corzine said he hoped his super secret plan to sell state toll road assets in exchange for a one-time shot of quick cash to plug a hole in next year’s budget would be presented to Legislature for action during the lame duck session, which will begin after the November election,” said Rooney, R-District 39.

“It stretches credibility beyond belief for the governor to continue to deny that he has deliberately withheld the details of his so-called ‘asset monetization’ plan from the voters for months,” added Rooney.

“It is doubtful that the only reason why he has been unable to present the plan to the public is because he has been waiting for a legal opinion. He could have gotten his questions answered a lot earlier than this.

“The real reason for the governor’s continued insistence that the plan be kept under wraps is because he knows knowledge of the details would hurt the legislative campaigns of Democrats, whose support he’s banking on to muscle this boondoggle through the Legislature,” Rooney said.

THE BIG WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING:
NORCROSS MONEY ROLLS NORTH;
CODEY CASH HEADS SOUTH

Rooney Wonders When the Wheeling Will End?

 Reacting to published reports that Camden County political boss George Norcross has decided to dump a bundle of money into the District 39 legislative races while Essex County powerbroker and Senate President Richard Codey intends to send hundreds of thousands of dollars down south to defeat Republicans in Districts 1 and 2, Assemblyman John Rooney predicted the Legislature will never stop the insidious “wheeling” of campaign around the state as long as Democrats maintain their grip on the Legislature.

ROONEY & VANDERVALK ARE ENCOURAGED BY SIGNS THE CORZINE ADMINISTRATION IS NO LONGER SUGARCOATING THE FACTS ABOUT NJ’S POOR BUSINESS CLIMATE

Governor’s Economic Growth Chief Now Admits It Will Take ‘Years’ To Improve State’s Business Appeal

Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk today welcomed an admission by Gary Rose, Governor Corzine’s point man on economic growth strategies, that New Jersey has a poor business reputation because honesty is a necessary first step on the road to recovery.

The Republican legislators representing District 39 cited a report in today’s edition of the Asbury Park Press in which Rose said improving the state’s poor business reputation will require years of work. But he said reversing the trend is essential otherwise New Jersey will continue to lose companies and skilled workers to lower-cost states. Rose made the remarks at a forum sponsored New Jersey Leadership, a nonprofit organization that provides leadership training.

“Six years of tax increases by the Democrats who control the Legislature have taken a heavy toll,” said Rooney. “Businesses and taxpayers alike are beating a path out of New Jersey to states with more tax-friendly climates. The evidence that the tax-and-spend policies of the current and prior Democratic administrations have inflicted major damage to our economy can no longer be denied, even by the governor’s own business czar. The doctor’s diagnosis is correct. But I am skeptical whether the doctor can heal himself.”