GOP candidate Christie launches attack on Corzine

New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher J. Christie came out swinging against Democratic Gov. Corzine yesterday, blaming him for the state's loss of private sector jobs and voter cynicism.

In an angry voice, Christie said, "If you want to know why the voters of New Jersey are cynical and tired, he is the perfect example as to why. He promised to increase the [Homestead Rebate] program 40 percent in four years, and three years later you are proposing to eliminate that program? You are. You are, Governor, the cause of the cynicism of the voters and the people of this state."

After a meeting with Corzine yesterday afternoon, top lawmakers confirmed that property-tax rebates may be reduced for homeowners under 65.

Asked about potential cuts to programs like the tax rebates, Corzine said, "I think the public understands there's going to be a lot of choices in here that nobody likes, but the fact is that we have dramatically lower revenues and with those lower revenues, we're going to have to curtail some things that we might otherwise want to do."

Corzine, asked for a reaction to Christie's comments, said, "It's political season, right?"

Christie and Steve Lonegan are the front-runners in a primary that will determine Corzine's Republican opponent in the general election. Christie laid out his argument yesterday while unveiling a tax-cut plan that he said would stimulate investment in New Jersey.

Christie said that as governor, he would, among other things, cut an array of business taxes, meet with company executives hoping to locate in New Jersey, walk businesses through the state's regulations, and allow employers to buy into out-of-state health care plans.

Corzine and his staff have been trying to stay above the fray, declining to give detailed responses to questions raised by the GOP candidates.

Christie alluded to Corzine's 2005 campaign promise to repair the state's property-tax rebate program and "increase it by 10 percent per year, 40 percent over four years," according to a commentary piece he wrote for The Inquirer.

Christie said he did not believe the global recession was the cause of the state's loss of jobs. "These problems in New Jersey were happening well before the onset of the global economic recession," he said. His evidence was that there was a higher percentage of job growth in nearby states, including Pennsylvania, in 2007.