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McGreevey, Schundler spar on taxes
Originally appeared in the Courier Post on Friday, October 26, 2001
EWING
While Schundler has long said he will cut taxes, it was the first time McGreevey clearly said he would not turn to residents if the economy continues to falter.
The two met at 7 p.m. at The College of New Jersey for their fourth debate.
"The first responsibility of the next governor is to attack waste and mismanagement," Woodbridge Mayor McGreevey said, admitting that he would not vote today for some tax cuts enacted by former Democratic Gov. Jim Florio, as he did while a legislator in the early 1990s. "We're going to have to cut some services. ... We have to have more bang for the buck."
Schundler, underscoring his tax-trimming proposals, called this a false choice and said later he doubted McGreevey's sincerity. His experience as Jersey City mayor shows government can build schools and police the streets for less, he said.
"We got property taxes down and improved services," said Schundler, who trails McGreevey by about 12 points, according to a recent poll of likely voters. "Our political leaders are afraid to do creative things. ... They want to just spend more or spend less."
The candidates sparred slightly, trying to highlight negatives from each others' records. They also tried, as in past debates, to steer questions around to topics they are familiar with: school choice as a cost-saver for Schundler and government waste for McGreevey.
"We have to be able to get our school costs down and do a better job," Schundler said, underscoring his call for vouchers to help parents pay for private school, a plan he said will cause students to shift to parochial schools and reduce state costs overall.
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