Lonegan, Van Drew: Repeal N.J. ‘Cap and Trade’

CAPE MAY — Steven Lonegan, state director of Americans for Prosperity, and Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) spoke at Congress Hall Tue., May 10 in favor of the repeal of “Cap and Trade” legislation in New Jersey.
Lonegan walked the audience through New Jersey’s long history as a pro-business state which led the nation in industrial growth. However, in the last several decades, the state has become unfriendly to business, he said.
As an example he cited Ocean Spray, cranberry processor, which packed up and moved out of New Jersey, in part due to the high cost of electricity.
Van Drew voted against “Cap and Trade” when it was passed in New Jersey, and is now one of 47 in the Legislature in support of its repeal. The senator said that New Jersey stands at a crossroads, and that plentiful and affordable energy is the basis of the economy.
He stated that “Cap and Trade” will increase everyone energy bills, will cause business to leave the state and will keep others from locating n the Garden State. He said that the state is regulated to death.
Van Drew stressed that New Jersey has tremendous potential based upon its highly educated workforce, and that this is a beautiful state, but the state must have energy in the form of nuclear power and fossil fuels, while simultaneously continuing to develop renewable energy sources.
“Patriotism trumps partisanship; I am named after Thomas Jefferson,” said Van Drew. He added that it is not just about New Jersey; “the future of our nation is at stake…What happens in New Jersey will happen in America.”
Van Drew said Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam (both D-1st) also support repeal.
In the question-and-answer time afterward, in response to dialogue about the high cost of alternative fuels, Cape May Deputy Mayor Jack Wichterman added that the new Cape May convention hall cut a half million dollars from the cost of the project by eliminating the geo-thermal system in favor of a traditional one costing only $9,000.