DeWeese, Van Drew Hold Final Debate on Radio

RIO GRANDE — First legislative district senatorial candidates, incumbent Jeff Van Drew and newcomer Dave DeWeese, held their final debate before Tuesday’s election live on WFNE-FUN 106.7 FM radio, Sun. Nov. 6.
Both candidates were given a one-minute opening statement.
In his opening statement, DeWeese said Tuesday’s election was about change. He said it was about voters looking at where they are today and determining what has been going on during the last 10 years has not put them in the “right place today.”
DeWeese said everything was not Van Drew’s fault but he has been a part of the process. He said the election matched a “Conservative Republican and a tax and spend Democrat.”
In his opening statement, Van Drew said that he has shown leadership and worked hard to be bi-partisan. He said both parties needed to work together.
Van Drew said the public was tired of the “blame game.” He said voters want someone who would hold the line on taxes and someone who will “work for, fight for and stand up for South Jersey.”
Van Drew said he worked with Republicans and Democrats to bring a community college to the county, to get traffic lights off the Garden State Parkway, was a part of a team that stopped cap and trade in the state and to put a cap on spending.
On a question of economic development in the county, Van Drew said tax credits were needed for small and medium sized businesses that proved they were creating full time jobs. He said it needed to be confirmed what is being taught in community college and technical school covered jobs that are actually here.
Van Drew also endorsed Urban Enterprise Zones such as Wildwood
DeWeese said a more business-friendly environment was needed. He said the Democrat controlled legislature during the past 10 years has increased the tax burden upon small business and the wealthy through the millionaire’s tax that has chased those who create businesses out of the state.
DeWeese called for reduced taxes and spending, cutting red tape and rolling back regulations for businesses to open and stay in business in the state.
On a topic of improving tourism, DeWeese said other states spent substantially more on marketing than New Jersey.
Van Drew said the state needed to be “branded” such as having clean beaches and water, lots of fun and great dining and entertainment. He said he has fought to make sure beach replenishment funds were kept intact.
On a question of whether the state should become more involved in consolidation and shared service of local towns and school districts, DeWeese said the state should offer incentives.
He said county government could act as a partner with municipalities in sharing services.
“The bottom line is people need their property taxes reduced,” said DeWeese.
He said a lack of consolidation was creating the highest property taxes in the nation.
Van Drew said the law was changed requiring towns to undertake an expensive master plan review from every six years to 10 years. He said he was co-sponsoring a bill that would reappoint municipal court judges every year instead of every three years which would help court consolidation.
He agreed with DeWeese in offering incentives to municipalities during their first year or two of consolidation.
Should state government force consolidation, in particular, for school districts? DeWeese said every possible avenue should be looked at to rollback property taxes. He said 48 to 52 percent of property taxes were tied into school funding.
Van Drew said the administrative side of school districts and towns should be examined. He said he moved a bill through committee that would allow sharing of tax assessing on a countywide basis.
“There are many functions that can be done countywide for local towns, they still maintain their identity, but you’ve got to drop the property taxes,” said Van Drew.
On a question of the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which is nearly depleted, Van Drew said he opposed raising the gasoline tax.
DeWeese said the bottom line was no increase in taxes. He said he thought it insulted the public’s intelligence when Van Drew says “It’s all about bi-partisanship.”
He said it’s a two-party system and Democrats have “rolled in over $500,000 of funding into Van Drew’s campaign.” DeWeese charged that Democratic leader and Senate President Steve Sweeney directed Van Drew how to vote on some issues.
“This whole bi-partisanship mantra is not the answer to the question,” said DeWeese. “The answer is changing the philosophy, changing the culture in Trenton.”
Van Drew defended bi-partisanship noting he worked with Republicans on evacuation issues, the Veteran’s Healthcare Task Force and capping government spending. He said he was one of the two votes that “crossed the aisle to make sure the governor’s budget went through.”
Van Drew called bi-partisanship “the answer for our future.” He said it did not mean the political parties would not have differences.
“This continual fighting and partisanship and arguing and backbiting that we see in Washington and sometimes see in our state, is hurtful, harmful and non-productive and people are tired of it.”
On a question of adding an amusement tax in the Wildwoods, both Van Drew and DeWeese said they opposed it.
On the topic of expanding gambling beyond Atlantic City, Van Drew encouraged listeners to vote “yes” on Tuesday’s ballot question of allowing sports betting at racetracks and casinos. He said organized crime was involved in sports betting.
DeWeese concurred with Van Drew on the issue. DeWeese said he would oppose expanded Internet gambling and the damage it would do to Atlantic City.
Van Drew said Republicans and Democrats have “stuck together to say we don’t want gambling in the Meadowlands.”
DeWeese said if elected, he would limit the number of bills a legislator could sponsor to six per year. He said 8,000 bills per year we sponsored in the legislature with 475 becoming law at a cost of $24 million to taxpayers.
Van Drew said the governor signed 28 of bills he was sponsor or co-sponsor of such as free saltwater fishing licenses, a tax levy cap, Veteran’s Task Force, over fishing of Menhaden and funding for increase penalties for Medicaid fraud.
He said DeWeese did not realize every time a tax is cut or a regulation is eliminated or red tape cut, it is the result of a bill.
DeWeese said of 442 bills sponsored by Van Drew, 10 became law. He said the free saltwater fishing bill is costing state taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grant money.
Coastal Broadcasting News Director Denis Brown moderated the debate.