WEST DEPTFORD – Republicans seeking to take back the Legislature came to a Democratic stronghold Wednesday – District 3 – to make their case for change in November’s elections.
In need of nine new GOP Assembly members in order to have power of the lower chamber swing to Republicans, Minority Leader Jon Bramnick presented first-time legislative candidates Gloucester County Freeholder Larry Wallace – a dental management company operator – and Salem County Freeholder Bob Vanderslice – a bank president – as an antidote to entrenched Trenton politicos.
“Give us two years in the majority,’’ Bramnick said. “Democrats have been in control for more than a decade.”
He presented the arguments that he said will be replicated in coming days in Districts including 1, 14, 22, 27 and 38: The so-called Corzine Democrats’ failed policies contribute to businesses folding or moving out of state.
Bramnick and the Third District candidates pledged that if the GOP wins a majority in the Legislature then the first order of business next year will be to vote on the proposed 10 percent tax reduction that they said Democrats will not bring to the floor for a vote.
Despite the fact this district has been a Democratic stronghold – home to Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly members John Burzichelli and Celeste Riley – the challengers said they deserve a chance since the political establishment is not helping out small businesspeople such as Bill Campbell, whose 11-employee heating and air-conditioning business can’t expand the way he said he would like due to the economy as well as over-regulation in Trenton.
Campbell let the candidates use his Campbell Comfort Systems offices here in West Deptford to get their message out.
The years 2011 and ’12 were a problem, he said; 2013 has been a bit of an improvement, but still, he said that he should have 15 employees but there are still customers out there who don’t have the money to spend on the energy-saving home improvements they would like to have.
“It’s time for the slick lifetime politicians to go,’’ Wallace said. He pointed to his tenure as a freeholder in which he said he helped to end full-time medical benefits for part-time freeholders as an example of the kind of ferreting out of waste and abuse that he said must be executed more in Trenton.
Seventy percent of poll respondents consistently say New Jersey is headed in the right direction, Bramnick said, and it may be time to send help in the form of fresh blood.
However, political analysts in the past have said it will be an uphill climb to take control of the Legislature from Democrats; some polls also have shown that respondents are happy with keeping the Democrats in power.
Accompanying Bramnick and the candidates today were West Deptford Mayor Ray Chintall and Committeeman Sam Cianfarini.
