State Senator Nick Asselta said that Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew is not being honest about his opposition to monetization.
Asselta, who’s fending off Van Drew’s challenge for his first district state Senate seat, is following the statewide Republican strategy of attacking Democrats on monetization, an idea that could include the leasing toll roads and other infrastructure to private corporations. While Van Drew is circulating a petition in oppostion to the idea, Asselta said that by voting for a budget that included monetization language, Van Drew supports it.
"Jeff Van Drew is still not leveling with the residents of the First District,” said Asselta. “Based on what I read in the Press of Atlantic City this morning, it is clear that Jeff still refuses to acknowledge his own role in giving the Governor what he needs to move ahead with his plans to sell or lease New Jersey's toll roads – and, worse, he continues to mislead his constituents.”
Van Drew responded that he has always opposed monetization, and noted that he and fellow First District Assemblyman Nelson Albano were the only two Democrats to vote with Repulbicans against tabling Jennifer Beck’s resolution to strike the language from the budget.
“Same old, same old…. In their lust to be negative they’re either repetitive or inaccurate. Last time it was that I didn’t vote to remove the monetization from the language when in actuality I did,” said Van Drew. “The bottom line is we’re going to take the lead on this issue. We’ve always said we’ve opposed it ….So instead of having negative press releases about our client, we’re going to continue to do so. “
