SCHUNDLER & TOLLS:  PUTTING UP BARRIERS TO THE TRUTH

WOODBRIDGE, NJ - McGreevey for Governor campaign director Steve DeMicco 
today called on Republican Bret Schundler to stop misleading voters and tell 
the truth to the people of New Jersey about how long it will really take to 
remove tolls on the Garden State Parkway.

Schundler has said again and again that he will remove the tolls within his 
first nine months in office if he's elected governor, and that removing the 
tolls will be "the best tax cut we could possibly give you."  He uses 
Connecticut's experience with toll removal as his poster child, saying that 
it only took the state six months to remove the toll barriers.

But a closer look at what happened in Connecticut unveils an entirely 
different story.  It actually took the state about three years to get rid of 
the tolls, and their gas tax tripled to the highest in the nation in order 
to make it happen.

"Whether it's his plan to remove the parkway tolls, abandon public schools, 
weaken New Jersey's tough gun laws or restrict a woman's right to choose, 
Bret Schundler isn't talking straight to the people of this state," said 
DeMicco.  "Bret Schundler should stop trying to mislead voters and he should 
tell the truth about his record and what his plans would really mean for our 
state's future."

Jim McGreevey also wants to remove the tolls in New Jersey, but he's 
committed to doing it right - relieving congestion and not adding to the 
burden of commuters or the debt of New Jersey's taxpayers.

To set the record straight, following are the facts about Connecticut's toll 
removal experience:

How long did it really take to remove the tolls?
* Former Governor William A. O'Neill signed legislation to remove the tolls 
on the Connecticut Turnpike on July 15, 1983, but it was 27 months later 
before the state stopped collecting the tolls -- on October 9, 1985. 
[Source: The New York Times, 7/16/83] [Source: "The Complete Guide to Roads, 
Crossings and Exits In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut," 
www.nycroads.com/roads/ct-turnpike/]
-more-
* Jay William Burns, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner, projected it 
would take an additional nine months -- until July, 1986 -- to actually 
demolish the toll barriers and reconstruct the road. [Source: The New York 
Times, 10/6/85]

Tolls and Taxes...
* In 1984, the tax on gas in Connecticut was 13-cents per gallon. By 1997, 
it was 39 cents per gallon, the highest in the nation. [Source: Connecticut 
Department of Transportation, State Funding: Special Transportation Fund, 
10/4/01]

* In 1991, Connecticut instituted an income tax. [Source: New York Times, 
9/4/96] After instituting an income tax, Connecticut's gas tax decreased to 
25-cents per gallon, which is still the seventh highest in the nation.  It 
far outpaces New Jersey's 14.5-cent gas tax, one of the five lowest in the 
nation. [Source: State Motor Fuel Tax Rates, Transportation Planning 
Division, Nebraska Department of Roads, July 1, 2001]

The Garden State Parkway and the Connecticut Turnpike - comparing apples to 
oranges.

* Connecticut had no debt on its road when it removed the tolls.  Its $115 
million debt had already been paid off. [Source: The New York Times, 
10/6/85] Today, the Garden State Parkway faces a $600 million outstanding 
debt. [Source: Star-Ledger, 8/9/01]

* The CT Turnpike tolls generated only $55 million a year in revenues. 
[Source: The New York Times, 2/6/83] In contrast, the Garden State Parkway 
generates $190 million in revenue. [Source: Star-Ledger, 8/9/01]

Piling on the debt - but Schundler won't say whether he'll put it to a vote. 

* Bret Schundler still hasn't said if he'll put the question to the voters 
of whether the State should assume the Parkway's $600 million in debt.

"Jim McGreevey is the only candidate providing straight talk on removing the 
parkway tolls and other important issues in this campaign, and he's 
committed to making sure that it's done responsibly," DeMicco said. 
"Unfortunately, Bret Schundler has no problem with misleading voters and 
hiding the truth.  New Jersey deserves better."


*****
Paid for by McGreevey for Governor 2001, Inc
"Fights for New Jersey. Right for New Jersey."
*****

You have been sent this email because you or someone you know registered
with our email distribution list.  If you have received this message in
error, please reply to this message or write to jim@mcgreevey.org with 
"unsubscribe" in the
subject line.