CORRECTING CORZINE'S RHETORIC
--A Desperate Jon Corzine Will Say Anything To Save His Faltering Campaign--For Immediate Release
Contact: Sherry Sylvester
November 1, 2005
(609) 452-0101

CORRECTING CORZINE'S RHETORIC
--A Desperate Jon Corzine Will Say Anything To Save His Faltering Campaign--

Fact Check #1.

Corzine said, on Forrester's 30-in-3 Property Tax Plan "Every third party verifier considers this an unworkable plan."

But, Editorials Across New Jersey Praise Forrester's 30-in-3 Property Tax Relief Plan.

Forrester's Property Tax Plan Will Work And "Must Be Done." "Forrester's "30-in-3 plan," which would reduce property taxes 30 percent by his third year in office, has been ridiculed by Corzine as unachievable. We disagree. We think it can be done. And it must be done." (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)

"On A Purely Financial Basis, Forrester's Plan Returns More Money To Residents." (Editorial, "New Jersey needs Forrester in Trenton," The Courier Post, October 16, 2005)

"If Garden Staters Have Any Desire At All To Lighten Their Tax Load And Clean Up Their Government, The Post Today Urges Them To Cast Their Votes For Forrester Over Sen. Jon Corzine." (Editorial, "Forrester For N.J. Gov," New York Post, 10/31/05)

"[F]orrester's [Property Tax] Plan Is Better. He Proposes To Phase In A State Income-Tax Credit Of 30 Percent Of A Homeowner’s Property-Tax Bill. And He Wants A Constitutional Amendment To Guarantee That The Credit Is Permanent. Corzine ... Would Leave Them To The Mercies Of Jersey's Incorrigible Tax-And-Spend Lawmakers." (Editorial, "Forrester For N.J. Gov," New York Post, 10/31/05)

"[O]bscenely High Property Taxes - Highest Per Capita In The Nation - Are Only A Symptom Of The Chronic Illnesses That Infect New Jersey: An Antiquated Tax Structure, Runaway Spending And A Culture Of Corruption That Rewards The Politically Connected. ... We Have Come To Believe That Republican Doug Forrester Is The Shock Therapy The State Needs." (Editorial, "Doug Forrester For Governor," Star-Ledger, 10/30/05)

Fact Check #2.

Corzine said, "Rebates if we are dedicated to them, we can deliver $1,200 to $1,800, 90 percent for all seniors."

And Editorials Across New Jersey Criticize Corzine's Rebate Gimmick.

Corzine's Property Tax Plan Will Fail. "Corzine's plan for reducing property taxes consists of modest increases in property tax rebates - increases that won't come close to offsetting annual property tax increases." (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)

"Corzine's Proposal On Property Tax Reform Is A Clear Example Where Corzine Tries To Sound Better But Falls Short." (Editorial, "New Jersey needs Forrester in Trenton," The Courier Post, October 16, 2005)

"Mr. Corzine's Plan Would Increase Property-Tax Rebates By 40 Percent Over Four Years For The Middle Class, The Disabled And Cash-Strapped Seniors. That Would Cost The State Treasury Several Billion Dollars Over The Four Years ..." (Editorial, "The Governor’s Race," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 10/30/05)

"Mr. Corzine ... Says He Would 'Securitize' The Tolls On The Turnpike For Five Years To Boost Transportation Funding. That Sure Sounds Like A Lot More Borrowing To Us, And Excessive Borrowing Is One Of The Reasons The State Is In Such A Deep Financial Hole." (Editorial, "The Governor’s Race," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 10/30/05)

"[Corzine Has Not] Offered Clear Answers To Where The State Will Come Up With The Billions Of Dollars Needed For Their Property Tax-Relief Programs. [Nor] ... Addressed A Looming Budget Gap Of As Much As $3 Billion Next Year ..." (Editorial, "An Endorsement," Press Of Atlantic City, 10/30/05)

Fact Check #3.

Corzine said, "I don't think anyone is challenging my ethics..."

But, Editorials Have Cited Corzine's Ethics Lapses This Campaign:

"The Case For Forrester Is Strengthened By Corzine's Ethical Lapses." (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)

"[Corzine] Never Would Have Won The Party Nomination...Had It Not Been For...His Ties To The State's Tainted Democratic Power Brokers. That Group Includes His Political Mentor, Disgraced U.S. Sen. Robert G. Torricelli, South Jersey Political Boss George E. Norcross III, Jailed Developer And Campaign Contributor Charles Kushner Jr. And Former Gov. James E. McGreevey." (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)

"Corzine Demonstrated Poor Judgment In Lavishing A $470,000 Gift On The Head Of The Largest State Employee Union A Week After He Declared His Candidacy For Governor.� (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)

"[Corzine] Reneged On A Promise When He Ran For His U.S. Senate Seat In 2000 To Put All His Assets In A Blind Trust To Avoid Possible Conflicts Of Interest." (Editorial, "Forrester best hope for tax, ethics reform," Asbury Park Press, October 23, 2005)
"[J]on Corzine Has Championed As A U.S. Senator, He Hasn't Convinced Us He Can Stand Up To The Entrenched Bosses Of His Party Or To The Powerful Public Employee Unions. Put Simply, Corzine Appears To Suffer From The Same Disease Of Wanting To Please Everyone That Contributed To The Downward Spiral Of James E. McGreevey's Administration." (Editorial, "Doug Forrester For Governor," Star-Ledger, 10/30/05)

"This Page Would Have Liked To Write A Glowing Recommendation Of Democrat Jon Corzine To Be New Jersey's Next Governor. But We Can’t. .... [He] Has Made Huge Campaign Contributions To The Political Bosses And Other Insiders Who Give New Jersey A Horrible Reputation And Drive Up The Cost Of Governance." (Editorial, "The Governor's Race," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 10/30/05)

"What's More, Mr. Corzine's Million-Dollar Donations To Black Ministers And Other Financial Dealings That Surfaced During The Campaign Reinforced An Appearance That He Uses His Money To Buy People's Support. Despite His Strong Points, The Senator Has A Troubling Blind Spot When It Comes To The Ramifications Of His Generosity." (Editorial, "The Governor's Race," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 10/30/05)

"Mr. Corzine Insists That He Will, But The Fact Is That He Has Bankrolled The Bosses In Order To Gain Their Support Over The Past Five Years, And He’d Have A Far Tougher Time Than Mr. Forrester In Curbing Their Influence. After All, His Money Helped Enable The Recent Climate Of Corruption." (Editorial, "The Governor's Race," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 10/30/05)

Fact Check #4.

Corzine said on Petty's Island, "Citgo should be responsible for cleaning it up."

But, "Citgo Has Offered To Clean Up The Island And Donate It To The State As A Nature Preserve." (Angela Delli Santi, "Forrester pushes for island's preservation," Associated Press, October 24, 2005)

Fact Check #5.

Corzine said he advocates the, "full use of the gas tax."

But, In The Last Debate Corzine Said, "There Will Be No Gas Tax Hike In The Corzine Administration...That's Not The Way To Pay For The Transportation Trust Fund." (Jon Corzine, Gubernatorial Debate, October 11, 2005)

Corzine, Earlier In The Campaign: "I Don’t Really Thing We Are Going To Be Able To Back Away On [Gas] Tax Issues." (Jon Corzine, Speaking To Employees At New Jersey Resources, August 31, 2005)

"I Don't Take "No Tax Pledges" Because I Don’t Know What's Realistic... I'm Prepared To Examine All Of Those Opportunities That Are Realistic. But You Can't Take The Thing [Gas Tax] Off." (Jon Corzine, Press Conference, July 13, 2005)

Fact Check #6.

Corzine said, "I have never supported the use of them [sports subsidies.] There is no contract that I have ever supported that would give a subsidy to the New Jersey Nets."

But, Corzine and His Business Partner, Convicted Businessman Charlie Kushner Sought $150 Million In Taxpayer Subsidies To Purchase The Nets.

"Agents For Corzine And Kushner Spent The Holiday Weekend Finalizing Terms Under Which A Purchase Of The Team Might Take Place, ...But When Reports Suggesting Corzine And Kushner Were Seeking $100 Million In State Assistance Surfaced Last Week, Gov. James E. Mcgreevey Quickly Went Public With A Hard Line Against Direct State Aid." (John Hassell And George E. Jordan, "In a word, sports subsidies are confusing," The Star-Ledger, September 2, 2003)

"The Bottom Line, Zoffinger Said, Is This: 'If It Quacks Like A Duck - And There's A Lot Of Ways To Dress It Up - It's Still A Duck.’" (John Hassell And George E. Jordan, "In a word, sports subsidies are confusing," The Star-Ledger, September 2, 2003)