N.J. governor candidates clash in first TV debate

TRENTON - In the first televised debate of the hotly contested New Jersey governor's race, the three leading candidates last night focused on the economy, property taxes, health care, and education, with each arguing that he would be the best person to lead the state through difficult financial times.

Gov. Corzine, who led the Wall Street firm Goldman, Sachs & Co. before serving in the U.S. Senate, touted his first-term accomplishments, which he said included making the state the first with a comprehensive economic stimulus plan, increasing the number of children covered by health insurance, and cutting the size of state government.

Speaking before a live audience at the NJN television studios, the Democratic governor said his views on social issues - such as support for women's rights to obtain an abortion - align more closely with those of the state's residents.

He also linked himself to the Obama administration, pointing out that his Republican challenger, Christopher J. Christie, has said he would reject stimulus funds if they came with strings attached.

Christie, a former U.S. attorney who made a career of prosecuting corruption, argued repeatedly that New Jersey had become unaffordable under Corzine's leadership and that the state needed to cut spending, though he declined to offer many specifics about how he would accomplish that. He said he would cut overtime and move future government employees, except those in law enforcement, into 401(k)-style retirement programs.

Independent candidate Chris Daggett, former commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said neither Corzine nor Christie had offered a specific plan for the next four years and offered his own proposal to cut property taxes, which he unveiled earlier in the week.

The 90-minute debate was broadcast live.

Recent public-opinion polls indicate Corzine has tightened the gap between himself and Christie, who has been ahead since the start of the year. Daggett also has increased his numbers but still struggles with poor name recognition.

Corzine, who is not known for his public speaking skills, sounded hoarse and somewhat subdued, and seemed to have trouble looking directly into the camera. Christie sounded like the former prosecutor that he is, forcefully laying out his case against Corzine and at times treading the line between passion and anger.

Daggett, the candidate with the most to gain and the least to lose, was the most polished speaker of the three and drew easy laughs from the audience. Both Corzine and Christie concurred with Daggett at times, but Corzine and Daggett appeared to agree more often, with both charging that Christie did not have a plan for how he would govern.

On the issue of taxes, Christie said "the people of New Jersey are suffocating" under their tax burden, and put the blame squarely on Corzine.

"New Jersey can no longer afford that kind of governance," Christie said. "We need to say no to that."

"Mr. Christie, it's easy to criticize when you have no plan of your own," Daggett said. "I'd like the tooth fairy to come also, but the tooth fairy is not going to come and solve this problem."

Daggett took every opportunity to reiterate his proposal, which would cut property taxes by 25 percent - up to a maximum of $2,500 - and make up the revenue by extending the sales tax to services that are not now taxed, including professional and household services.

Daggett said he would freeze spending, and ask all government employees to contribute more to their pensions and health care. They might also need to take salary freezes or cuts, he said.

Christie said Daggett's plan would increase taxes by $4 billion, but Daggett said his proposal would redistribute taxes more fairly.

Corzine defended his record and said Christie didn't seem to notice that the nation was in a deep recession.

On the issue of state spending, Corzine said he had cut the number of state employees by 8,400 since taking office. He said he would extend a hiring freeze, and pointed out that state employees had been forced to accept furloughs and wage freezes to cut costs.

The governor said he had put more money into the pension funds for government workers than the last four governors combined and had raised the retirement age to save money.

"On things that matter for the families of New Jersey, I stand with them," Corzine said in his closing statement. "I stand to make sure there is an economic recovery. Pushing ahead and growing private-sector jobs."

A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released yesterday showed Corzine supported by 40 percent of likely voters, and Christie by 43 percent. Daggett was favored by 8 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed Christie at 43 percent and Corzine at 39 percent, with Daggett at 12 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

Until very recently, the campaigns by the two leading candidates were notable for their negativity and lack of substance. They focused on issues such as spotty driving records and perceived lapses in judgment in lending money to friends and associates.

According to polls, the issue voters care about most is property taxes, which are the highest in the nation. In the most recent Monmouth poll, more voters said Christie would do a better job of handling property taxes.

New Jersey has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 1997.

Last night's debate, sponsored by NJN Public Television & Radio, The Inquirer, and Gannett NJ Newspaper Group, was the first of two televised debates in which the gubernatorial candidates have agreed to participate. The second will be held Oct. 16 and broadcast Oct. 18. The three candidates also have agreed to a radio debate on Oct. 22.

The three lieutenant governor candidates are scheduled to debate on Thursday. This is the first year New Jersey will elect a lieutenant governor, a new position.

New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with governor's races this year. Some view the New Jersey race as a referendum on President Obama.