The League of Women Voters of New Jersey 2009 Gubernatorial Candidates Voters Guide
Q: With the global economic recession continuing, what specific measures would you enact to create jobs and foster economic development in New Jersey?
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) - I answered a League questionnaire last year when I was a candidate for congress. I gave short, improvised answers. This is tougher. Would have made a heck of a legislator. Not doctrinaire, willing to listen to both sides. Governor though is an executive position, we’re in worse shape locally then nationally, and there’s nothing in my background to suggest I’d make an effective Governor. I’m a protest candidate and nothing more.
Create jobs? That’s easy. Don’t hire another blessed state employee for at least 5 years and eliminate a cabinet agency or two. That’s “message one” to the private sector that NJ is business friendly.
Q: Even before the recession, New Jersey had a serious problem keeping its pension fund adequately funded. Explain what you will do to make sure that the state does not go bankrupt as the baby boomers retire and it must pay their pensions.
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) - Follow this logic. If we took the steps outlined at the end of question #1, and cut the gov’t payroll through attrition, eliminated several cabinet agencies,…and retrained those employees to replace all the baby boomers retiring soon in the remaining departments-maybe, a skittish investors would give New Jersey a fresh look and back an enormous state bond at a reasonable rate of interest. That could provide the proceeds to pay for the unfunded portion of the state pension plan. If the state employees where smart, they’d grab it, because as things stand now nothing is guaranteed.
Q. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country. What specific plan do you have to alleviate New Jersey’s property tax burden?
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) - I’ve said all I’m going to say about cutting government payroll; just remember, nobody gets laid off in my plan. There’s going to be massive retirements soon and that’s an opportunity as well to get a handle on property taxes. Nitpicking to death, or scoffing at the “idea” I floated in questions #1 and #2 misses the whole point.
Q. The tradition of ‘home rule’ means that New Jersey has over 500 municipalities and more than 600 school districts. What are the budgetary implications of maintaining or consolidating them?
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) - There seems to be a common thread in all these League of Women Voters questions so far. Can anyone guess? Yes indeed-it’s that we’re broke! I rested my case earlier for a crash diet with no layoffs; it applies locally as well. The budgetary implications of doing nothing, is chaos.
Q. What methods do you support for bringing the quality of all schools in NJ up to the level enjoyed by students at our best schools?
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) – Merit pay for Principals and Superintendents? I did quite a bit of substitute teaching several years ago. The teachers aren’t the problem, the Principals are. Do the principals back teachers who stand up to students who bring cell phone, ipods, blackberries etc. to school and into the classroom? Not the ones I saw; that’s one example.
It’s- get the kids onto the school buses on time, or else! To the principals and superintendents, I say, if the shoe doesn’t fit……question said specifically “level enjoyed by students at our best schools?”
P.S. I’d issue an executive order forbidding the printing of school handbooks and save a bunch of money. The handbooks I saw, all mentioned that cell phones, and i-pods are
prohibited in the classroom.
Q. What health care reform measures need to be enacted in New Jersey, and how should they be funded?
Gary Stein (Independent, multiple slogans) – Funny, I keep coming back to previous answers. The well’s run dry, and this question-concerning health care- is important. What can we do? Yes- I have the answer. However, this really needs fixing at the federal level. If the Obama administration did what we’ll do in NJ, that is, eliminate cabinet level departments and immediately implement a hiring freeze, perhaps- China, plus rich Americans (who pay most of
the taxes)- and future generations- might forgive our past, and current transgressions- and consent to a government backed health care reform bill, specifically Single Payer. I said as much, in the far left wing blog the Daily Kos- just before I was banned last June- in a Diary: “Health Care Reform Nailed Over Coffee and a Bagel”
