Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) put out a statement today accusing GOP congressional candidate Jon Runyan of “hiding from the press while trying to privately impress party bosses, and taking advantage of thousands of dollars in tax breaks meant for hard-working farmers.” That’s not exactly true: Runyan has done numerous press calls about in congressional campaign, beginning last December (while he was still playing in the NFL) and as recently as yesterday. The other shot at Runyan deals with a farmland tax assessment he took out on 20 of his Mount Laurel estate’s 25 acres. Runyan pays $57,000 a year in taxes on the first five acres, but just $468 on the other twenty, since he used the land to graze his four donkeys and for timber – he sold $810 worth of firewood.
The farmland tax assessment has come up as a campaign issue several times in recent New Jersey political campaigns, with varying success. Then-Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) used the issue to help unseat state Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Marlboro). It has also been used against former Gov. Christie Whitman, U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage), former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer (R-Delaware Twp.).
Yesterday, Wisniewski bashed Runyan for using a Woodbridge address on his Federal Election Commission filing, even though he knew that’s where Runyan’s campaign treasurer has his office.
