BERKELEY — Members of the Holiday City-Silver Ridge Republican Club received hefty helpings of politics with their annual picnic lunch Friday, as candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor visited Veterans Park in the final days before Tuesday's primary elections.
"It's good for the people to see and hear and meet the candidates in person," said Eileen Sibert, 76, of Berkeley, who is president of the club. "It helps people make up their minds. We invited all seven candidates. Only some accepted."
Sheltered from the drizzling rain by the park's wooden pavilion, the poll-designated front-runners for their party's nod — Mercer County businessman Douglas Forrester and former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler — addressed about 60 senior citizens. So did Robert Schroeder, the municipal councilman from Bergen County, who received the Ocean County Republican Party endorsement, and Jennifer Murphy, wife of Morris County Freeholder and gubernatorial hopeful John Murphy.
The three other GOP hopefuls — Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano, former Bergen County Freeholder Todd Caliguire and Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan — were not represented.
Forrester, who led Schundler in the most recent poll, made another Ocean County appearance later in the afternoon at Barnegat High School, speaking to about 300 students, none of whom will be old enough to vote Tuesday or in November.
Forrester and Schundler have locked horns in recent weeks over their respective plans to lower property taxes.
"Under my plan, we will reduce property taxes by 30 percent in three years," Forrester told the audience. "The state will pay that 30 percent for you."
"Doug Forrester won't tell you this but, under his plan, after property taxes go down for three years, they climb right back up again," Schundler said. "My plan, on the other hand, offers permanent relief. By placing spending limits at all levels of government, we will bring down property taxes six percent each year until we've eliminated them completely."
Schroeder and Jennifer Murphy downplayed the polls. Each claimed their campaigns were gaining momentum.
"I pay no attention to the polls," Schroeder said. "The only poll that counts is the one next Tuesday. We are energized and motivated. We will be going all out for these next several days."
Schroeder is vowing to eliminate property taxes for senior citizens.
"Forrester and Schundler have both gotten ugly attacking each other," Jennifer Murphy said. "Many of their backers will not support the other one if he gets the nomination, leaving either one too weak to beat (Sen. Jon S.) Corzine. But John can unite the party, take blue-collar votes away from the Democrats and defeat Corzine in November. He's the logical choice."
Corzine, D-N.J., is the presumptive Democratic nominee, facing two little-known candidates in his party's primary for the nomination to run for governor.
Donald Blydenburgh, 74, of Toms River agreed that the ongoing squabble between Forrester and Schundler could be making things easier for Corzine.
"But I think Corzine is just using his millions to shop for votes," Blydenburgh said. "I want someone who is actually going to try to do something for the people. I'm leaning toward Murphy."
Blydenburgh's wife, Doris, said whoever the next governor may be, he needs to concentrate on helping people find employment.
"Here comes the next graduating class into the work force, yet many of last year's graduates do not yet have jobs," she said. "Somebody needs to do something about the situation."
At Barnegat High School, which opened last year and has only a freshman class, Forrester said he wants to rid New Jersey of its corrupt government stigma.
"I don't want to give you a society in New Jersey that has a reputation of corruption," he said.
"He's a good talker," said Erik Smithman, 15, adding that he did not know an election was coming up.
Roxanne Keelan, 14, was impressed by Forrester.
"I'm going to tell my parents to vote for him," she said.
At the Veterans Park picnic, Marie Gregoire, 73, of Toms River said that Forrester was her probable choice, although her enthusiasm was tempered by experience.
"He is one of the lesser evils," she said. "These politicians talk and make promises. You listen but you just don't know. I do know that the Democrats have had their chances and have done nothing for us. Our taxes just continue to rise. Maybe Forrester can do a better job."
Forrester and Schundler also appeared Friday at an event in Monroe, Middlesex County, where they discussed the link between education, property taxes and fiscal mismanagement during a forum sponsored by a statewide group of suburban school districts.
The appearances by the two overlapped at the event, hosted by the Garden State Coalition of Schools, but the candidates did not debate or directly interact.
Each addressed the group of 120 parents, administrators and school board members and answered the same questions on issues such as state funding, local spending restrictions, the use of vouchers and charter schools.
Schundler, who spoke first, assured the audience his plan to control state spending would free up additional money for schools and basic community services, such as police and fire. His proposal to cap school districts' spending growth would have little impact on thrifty suburban districts, he insisted.
"You would have enough funding to cover all your rising costs and even be able to lower property taxes at the same time," said Schundler, the 2001 gubernatorial nominee. "What I'm proposing is that you get funding without having to beg for it . . . and you have the freedom to do a lot more creative things."
Forrester, who arrived as Schundler was answering questions, stuck close to his traditional stump speech, drawing a link between corruption and rising property taxes, and didn't discuss education directly. His plan to root out "waste, fraud and abuse" would free up more money for school programs, he said.
"The problem is we allow it (corruption) to continue. And it siphons public resources and keeps it from families that need it," said Forrester, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2002. "Until we have clear standards for public accounting and resources . . . we will not move forward."
Lynne Strickland, executive director of the coalition, said the group invited the Republican front-runners to ensure education was a campaign issue. Originally, the plan called for both candidates to appear together, but — when Forrester's camp complained of a scheduling conflict — they spoke sequentially, with Schundler lingering until the end.
"We will talk education with anyone, anytime," Strickland said.
Strickland said the organization didn't invite the other five Republicans in the primary field to keep the discussion focused.
