CAMPAIGN RHETORIC & PROMISES
Last Updated 2/2002
BYE BYE BRET!!!!!!! GOOD RIDDANCE!
Election results for Hudson County:
James E McGreevey: 85,074 Bret Schundler: 37,440 votes.
Bret lost every district in Jersey City including his own! In his immediate neighborhood McGreevey won by better than 2 to 1 ( 213 to 97). He got 13,899 votes in all of J City...
Schundler left $54M hole in budget, state says, CLICK TO IT
THE ABORTION ISSUE
Bret & Lynnn Schundler have lived in the neighborhood for 15 years. None of us long-timers ever remember them being anti-abortion. My neighbors swear that the question was posed to him at a local Van Vorst Park Neighborhood Association meeting when he ran for state senate in 1991. Bret had been president of the association in the late 80s'. Bret stated he was pro-choice.. I vaguely remember but I know I would have remembered if he weren't. Having seen how Bret operates for the last 8+ years, he'll say and do anything to get elected. His strategy to cater to the far-right conservatives, so as to win the Republican primary worked... Now watch him dance as the election gets closer and he tries to win the mainstream support...
Schundler's tactics on abortion prove he's the wrong (guy) for the job Published in the Home News Tribune 7/16/01, By DAVID J. HARRISAfter a stunning victory in the Republican primary, it didn't take long for Bret Schundler to reveal himself as the wrong choice for the Grand Old Party. In a twisted set of arguments, Schundler accused Democrat Jim McGreevey of being an anti-Catholic "ayatollah" on abortion.
Schundler's decision to introduce the abortion issue is not challenged here. But his tactics and tone lower the quality of the debate on an issue of great concern for Garden State voters.
Whether one favors or opposes a woman's right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, neither acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco nor former Rep. Bob Franks would have presented the issue by name-calling and questioning McGreevey's standing as a Catholic.
In his thinly veiled attempt to pander to the state's Catholic majority, Schundler appears willing to wage a religious battle to attract voters to his side.
While Schundler has supported a woman's right to a legal abortion, he now says he has "come to view things similar to the pope and Mother Theresa." If Schundler had said he opposes abortion but if elected governor he would not use his office to change the laws of New Jersey to comply with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, I would have no quarrel with him.
By invoking the aura of the pope and Mother Teresa, Schundler attempts to erode our standing as free people who cherish our right to embrace religion and to reject it at the same time.
Campaigns to incorporate religious practices and beliefs within public law must be vigorously opposed. If Schundler has his way, women who have abortions and doctors who perform them will be subject to criminal charges.
When the law prevents women and their doctors from making decisions about reproductive health, we become a religious state. The dominant religious groups will use the powers of the state to force nonbelievers to comply with sectarian laws.
Look to countries such as Iran and Afghanistan for insight into the role of women under despotic religious rule. To remain free, a fire wall must separate religion and the state.
Why do we need to have this debate again? Women are not going back to being barefoot in winter and pregnant in the summer. Their hopes, dreams and aspirations should not revolve around childbearing unless they choose to do so...."
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NJ Governor Election Mirrors Election 2000, A report by Mike Schiller who writes for the Democracy Chronicle, and Citizens For Legitimate Government. www.mikeschiller.com
Bret Schundler is now claiming that anyone who views
proposed legislation that would make it a crime to have an abortion (even in cases or
rape) to be an extreme measure, is being intolerant of his religion. This,
however, is a distortion tactic known as "projection".
The truth is, nobody is proposing to make it illegal for Bret Schundler to oppose
abortion. Bret Schundler is proposing to make abortion illegal. It is he
who is proposing to take the step that would impose his religious views on other people's
lives by changing the law, not the other way around.
McGreevey did not criticize Schundler's religious beliefs, McGreevey criticizes
Schundler's proposed policy agenda, a policy agenda that would affect the lives of every
New Jersey Resident, not just the lives of Catholics.
For Schundler to even suggest imposing a law on this basis of his own personal religious
views, despite the fact that Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Wiccan, and other religions
do not share the same view as Schundler is the real act of religious intolerance. This is
why the church and state are separate, so that people of all religions can live free from
legislation that stems from only one particular religion's views. This is the fact
Schundler is trying to distort.
Other articles:
Democrats
Play the Abortion Card in New Jersey, By Jeff
McKay, CNSNews.com Correspondent
July 19, 2001
CONCEALED WEAPONS
"I will veto any bill that would allow individuals to carry concealed weapons," McGreevey said. "The only person who should carry a concealed weapon is a law enforcement officer."
Under current law, only New Jerseyans with special permission from a judge can carry a concealed handgun. Schundler, who is supported by the National Rifle Association, has said he would sign a bill making it legal for citizens to carry a concealed weapon if the measure is passed by the Legislature with the public's support.
Yet Schundler acknowledges that it's unlikely that a bill allowing residents to carry a handgun for protection would ever win legislative approval and he wouldn't lobby lawmakers to pass such a measure." (DON'T COUNT ON IT....) (Largest police union endorses McGreevey , 8/22/01, By WENDY RUDERMAN, Trenton Bureau-Bergen Record )
"IN AN ATTEMPT to gain more votes, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler has pledged to cut in half the school property-tax bill for elderly homeowners. While the plan might sound good to seniors, it would be a mistake for the rest of the taxpayers. Mr. Schundler says his plan would be phased in over three years and by then would cost the state $414 million annually. ..
But with the state's economy and the resulting tax revenues expected to suffer even more losses in the wake of the World Trade Center attack, it's foolhardy to promise voters more money in tax relief. It's simply not clear the state could afford to add any programs or tax cuts.
In fact, Mr. Schundler has already said he plans to divert $600 million from public schools to provide tax credits for scholarships to private schools. That money would have to be made up somehow - probably from higher property taxes...." ( Click the title above for the full article)
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BRET SCHUNDLER'S
TELEMARKETING SCAM:
REAL SHAME LIES IN HIS EFFORT TO MISLEAD SENIORS
McGreevey for Governor campaign director Steve DeMicco today stood by the campaign's radio
ad exposing Republican Bret Schundler's attempt to mislead seniors on his property tax
relief plan, and fired back at the Schundler
campaign for its disingenuous plan to reduce their property taxes.
"Bret Schundler is doing a disservice to seniors in New Jersey with his statewide
telemarketing campaign that is misleading voters," said DeMicco.
"Within 72 hours of the calls promising a tax cut, he backed off the plan, saying
there would not be any tax cuts next year. (Source: Associated Press, 9/27/01)
To date, Mr. Schundler has yet to say just when his plan
would be implemented. Our seniors deserve better, and he ought to apologize to them
for misrepresenting his plan for political gain."
Last week, the McGreevey campaign began airing a radio ad exposing Schundler's scheme to
mislead seniors. In recent weeks, Schundler launched a statewide phone-banking effort,
calling seniors throughout the state promising a new property tax cut. But, when
questioned about the plan, Schundler backed off his proposals and admitted that there will
be no tax
cut next year.
DeMicco also lambasted the Schundler campaign for its TV and radio ads that have been
criticized by the media. The New York Times called his ads "misleading"
(10/20/01) and The Bergen Record called them a "stretch" (10/16/01), and charged
that Schundler "exaggerates" his record (9/26/01).
10/23/2001
TRENTON, Oct. 1 — A television commercial featuring images of police officers and firefighters working at the World Trade Center disaster scene is being used as a club by both sides in the New Jersey governor's race.
On Friday, Bret D. Schundler, the Republican candidate, began broadcasting the 30-second advertisement, in which he praises the emergency workers as the embodiment of courage and calls them heroes. Today, the heads of three police and fire unions that have endorsed James E. McGreevey, the Democrat, and one that is expected to, all called the commercial "beyond the pale" and demanded in a letter that Mr. Schundler stop running it.
In the letter, the union presidents — Tom Canzanella of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, Rick Whelan of the New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police, Gus Danese of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association and Bill Lavin of the Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association — called Mr. Schundler's advertisement "a clear attempt to capitalize politically on a tragedy that has touched the entire nation."
"It is inappropriate, it is wrong, and it trivializes and diminishes the terrible loss of human life we suffered," they wrote. Mr. Danese said other candidates had run ads that referred to the attack without showing images from ground zero.
(Click underlined part of title above for full article..)
Schundler exploits WTC tragedy in crass political advertisement
By Greg Brickey, Urban Times News, 10/3/2001
The last week of September was a wild and giddy ride for the eccentric and entertaining
New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler, who in the course of just
seven days found himself damned by New Jersey firefighters and police, disrespected again
by the New York Times, and named the next President of the United States by the National
Enquirer.
During the same busy week, the energetic former Jersey City mayor also found time to
release what may be the most cynical political advertisement in human history, and tell
the Associated Press that a national recession would be "wonderful."
In last week's Urban Times News, we reported that
Schundler missed the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center while campaigning in
Israel, but succeeded in bringing media attention back to himself upon his
return by issuing his infamous condemnation of New Jersey's response to the World Trade
Center disaster, criticizing the efforts of Police, National Guard, hospital workers, and
even the state's blood donor
system. "They (State Police) didn't do much of anything," Schundler told the New
York Times, "they just sat there." Schundler also released and endorsed a
private hospital memo claiming that National Guard troops who drove ambulances to the
hospital "had no leadership and provided no help."
"Clearly he does not have his facts straight," responded acting Governor Donald
DiFrancesco, furious with Schundler's criticism. "To exploit this tragedy in any way
is inappropriate, offensive, and just plain wrong."
Behind in the polls but apparently believing that bad press is better than no press,
Schundler followed up last week's public relations fiasco with the first campaign
television commercial to exploit the tragic and
horrifying images of the World Trade Center disaster, drawing immediate condemnation from
New Jersey firefighters and police.
"I find it almost disgusting and despicable," said Tom Canzanella, president of
the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, "that a person who aspires
to be governor of the state of New Jersey
needs to trade not only on a horrendous situation, but with New York firefighters. You
have someone who's attempting to portray his alliance with police and firemen, when he
doesn't have one"
Rick Whelen, president of the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, was also offended by
the ad's use of images of police and firefighters working at ground zero. "He has no
support from law enforcement," said
Whelen. "Just ask any Jersey City cop."
The leaders of several police and firefighters unions have called upon the Schundler
campaign to stop running the ad, which they characterized as "a clear attempt to
capitalize politically on a tragedy that has touched the entire nation."
The best that can be said of Schundler's malignantly cynical commercial, entitled
"Leader", is that it is only 30-seconds long. "Now is the time to put
politics aside and do what's right for the people," Schundler
intones unconvincingly in the ad, as images of the WTC tragedy, the president, and the
words "courage" and "Schundler for Governor" flash across the screen.
"When so many have done so much," Schundler
continues, his voice dripping with insincerity, "how can we do less?"
Viewers who catch the preposterously self-serving and self-deluded ad may shake their
heads and wonder if they are watching a Saturday Night
Live outtake.
"It is inappropriate, it is wrong, and it trivializes and diminishes the terrible
loss of human life we suffered," said police and firefighters union leaders in a
letter condemning Schundler's television commercial.
On a lighter note, Schundler surprised a group of Associated
Press reporters and editors earlier in the week by announcing that he welcomed a national
recession because it would help him enact his own agenda of fiscal and social policies.
"That is why it is so wonderful," he said, "It would be a lot harder to do
this in a time when there wasn't a crisis." Schundler then went on to concede that a
recession would prevent him from making good on his campaign promise to cut everyone's
taxes, eliminate highway tolls, and still have money left over to deliver basic services.
"
(Obviously Bret Schundler could care less for the
hundreds of thousands who have and will get laid off. Let them eat cake!
Typical Bret, it's only what's best for Bret & the hell with everyone
else.... webmaster note)
Schundler denounces New Jersey's WTC relief effort,
By Greg Brickey, Urban Times News, 9/25/2001
(click title above for article)
REAL-WORLD TAKES ON (GSP) TOLL REMOVAL
"In separate forums last week (mid June 2001), New Jersey's business community and
Wall Street bond rating services registered concerns over political proposals to take
tolls off of the Garden State Parkway.
In a Bond Buyer article last week, a representative of Moody's Investors Services noted
that any plan to eliminate tolls must be accompanied by steps to shift responsibility for
servicing the Parkway's $622 million debt, most likely to the state. A Standard
& Poor representative told the financial newspaper that it would be "pretty
irresponsible" for the state to end tolls before retiring outstanding Parkway bonds
and that such a move would bring instability to the state's credit line.
A report last week on Parkway toll removal by the NJ Alliance for Action, a business
group, similarly concludes that without defined replacement revenue - like increasing the
gas tax - the only acceptable substitute for outstanding Parkway bonds would be state
general obligation bonds. The group estimates that the state's principal and interest
costs in taking over the bonds would equal almost $1 billion. The report says the
transfer would be expensive and could incite lawsuits by bondholders. Just paying off
the Parkway debt's principal would exact $200-$330 per NJ household.
"The real cost of building, improving, maintaining, and staffing the Parkway will
remain whether its riders pay a toll or not," said economist Donald Scarry, the
report's author. Scarry also points out toll removal's only savings - roughly $50
million a year in staffing and administration costs - will be entirely offset by the loss
of toll revenue from out-of-state drivers, who make up 20-25% of Parkway users."
Tri-State
Transportation Campaign, Electronic Edition Number 322, June 18, 2001, tstc@tstc.org,
The above is from a weekly, emailed newsletter from a well-respected, professional, transportation advisory group.
Typical Schundler style:
See the BULK LIEN SALE section as just one example…also the selling of our water system to United Water... another con job... I know that I don't want my income taxes to rise to pay for the Parkway's debt. Let the users pay, which is not I nor many urban dwellers who don't even own a car nor use the Parkway.. A free highway will only encourage more driving, more congestion and more suburban sprawl… Drivers previously traveling Routes 1, 9 and 35 and other parallel routes are likely to shift to the Parkway if it's free resulting in more peak period congestion.
If Bret has his way with legalizing concealed weapons, that means more fatal "road rage"... I feel very sorry for suburban drivers...
If you haven't been in Jersey City, drive over and take a look at the horrendously potholed and filthy conditions of the streets. Prior to Schundler, there was a scheduled 10 year street repaving cycle but under Schundler, it's gone... His "Slice of Heaven" which he consistently used in his "Ethnic Festivals" and personal propaganda didn't include street repairs...
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
( DiFrancesco Raises Speeds at Toll Plazas, NYT, By DAVID M. HALBFINGER, 8/10/01)
Acting Gov DiFrancesco's plan - " The parkway would become a freeway only after 10 more years of toll- taking and $800 million more in construction projects. In the meantime, Mr. DiFrancesco called for gradually removing half of the parkway's toll plazas and eliminating tolls at all of its ramps, eliminating tokens altogether and switching to a pricing system to combat congestion by offering deep discounts for off-peak travel.
The parkway is now managed by the New Jersey Highway Authority, which relies on tolls to pay off $650 million in outstanding debt. Mr. DiFrancesco said his plan would allow state government to pay off that debt, assume financial responsibility for the parkway and pay for the construction projects at an average cost of $89 million a year over the next decade. Thereafter, running the parkway would add $215 million to the state budget, he said.
Mr. Schundler, who has made an end to parkway tolls a central pillar of his campaign, reiterated his vow to tear down the toll plazas within nine months of taking office. Mr. McGreevey, who has made no such promises, nonetheless said Mr. DiFrancesco's plan would move too slowly. "
"It (DiFrancesco's plan) makes the Schundler plan look like one of those pie-in-the-sky campaign promises at a time when he's already trailing in the polls," said David Rebovich, a political science professor at Rider University. "Schundler's plan now seems not just idealistic, but unreasonable.... Schundler has yet to present a detailed plan for eliminating parkway tolls in such a short period of time." ( DiFrancesco parkway plan further isolates Schundler
, 8/10/01, Bergen Record, RANDY DIAMOND- Trenton Bureau )
ROUGH CROWD: Protesters dog Schundler on Jersey City 'Success' tour , 09/06/01 By Alberto Canal, Jersey Journal staff writer
"Hounded by angry protesters, GOP gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler toured Jersey City yesterday to tout some of his marquee accomplishments as mayor and kick off the final nine weeks of the campaign.
Nearly an hour before Schundler arrived at Journal Square, where his "Success" tour pushed off aboard three buses just after 9 a.m., more than 30 demonstrators held signs of admonishment such as "Thanks for the debt Bret," and "Tax abate this, Bret."
At one point, he came close to losing his cool after Daryn Martin, head of the New Jersey Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, poked Schundler and repeatedly shouted and waved his finger in his face. The local chapter of the nonprofit ACORN often wrangled with the Schundler administration over affordable housing in the city, the state's second-largest. "I'm gonna be in your face all day, Bret," Martin screamed throughout the day as he and his group followed Schundler's buses. "You can't lie to me.""
Schundler, hecklers square off during tour of Jersey City , Thursday, September 6, 2001 , By HERB JACKSON, Trenton Bureau- Bergen Record
"I'm going to be in your face all the way," Daryn Martin, executive director of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, told Schundler during one of the several times the two men got within a few inches of each other. "The city's in such an uproar because you left it that way. If you can't manage the city, you can't manage the state," he said. Martin said his cadre of demonstrators was not paid by any political group, and insisted they frequently heckle Democratic city and county officials as well. He said the issue Wednesday was Schundler's treatment of the poor, not politics.
"Too much Wall Street housing and not enough affordable housing," he said.
THE REAL SCHUNDLER .......
A former member of Bret D. Schundler's campaign staff in New Jersey has been sharply criticized by New Hampshire's attorney general for orchestrating an anonymous mail and telephone campaign against a candidate and his wife in the state last September.
The Schundler aide, Christopher Lyon, left the staff of Mr. Schundler, the Republican candidate for governor, last Friday, shortly after the attorney general, Philip T. McLaughlin, issued a 300-page report and other documents calling Mr. Lyon's activity an apparent violation of New Hampshire's election law. Mr. Lyon did not return a phone call yesterday seeking comment........
GOP lobbyist accuses
Schundler campaign of heavy-handed tactics , Asbury
Park Press, 8/4/01
A former Assemblywoman who now works as a lobbyist has accused Bret Schundler's campaign of heavy-handed tactics to win her support.
Hazel Gluck, a Republican moderate who is a close ally of former Gov. Christie Whitman, has yet to offer her support to Schundler, the Republican nominee for governor.
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