WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
Job creation and affordability are my top two priorities. We must continue to invest in infrastructure and provide private sector incentives to create jobs especially in clean energy and technology. In addition, we must continue to find ways to reduce the cost of government and dedicating new revenues towards tax relief for seniors and middle class families.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
At a time when state aid to local school districts has been cut by more than $800 million, any further attempts to divert much needed funding to New Jersey’s public schools would be wrong. As a graduate and beneficiary of both public and parochial education, I know first hand the value and role different types of educational institutions play in achieving success for our State’s students. We must continue to find solutions that invest in education in order to maintain a strong and vibrant public education system for all students.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
We need to move away from the Abbott designation and focus on the needs of individual students. The 2008 funding formula was able to attain Supreme Court approval while doing away with the Abbott distinctions. Too many suburban towns have needs similar to Abbott schools but have too often been left behind when funding decisions are made. Ultimately, we must find a better way to fund education than the regressive property tax. In the meantime we must work to provide a better balance for the "forgotten" middle suburban districts that deserve a greater slice of state funding.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
Regional planning initiatives that work to bring together multiple municipalities and stakeholders to prevent sprawl are important to maintaining New Jersey's quality of life. The Highlands and Pinelands preservation areas are larger examples of this, but smaller initiatives like the D&R Canal Commission have also shown key successes in managing development that balances economic growth and preservation. I believe open space preservation needs a permanent and sustainable funding source.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
I support legislation that offers an alternative to the Governor’s Energy Master Plan to ensure that the goal would be set at 30 percent renewable power by 2020. We must lead the effort for reducing energy demand by 20 percent. The BPU must take greater steps to reduce demand, such as increasing support to retrofit buildings to make them more efficient. These are bold initiatives, but with bold action we can achieve them.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
Everyone seems to agree that the current method of funding infrastructure improvements cannot continue forever. However, in the short term, due to the Governor's policies we will continue to follow a path of short term fixes. Toll hikes and diversion of money originally dedicated to the ARC tunnel have pushed off this discussion for another few years. We should use this time to find a consensus among the Governor, Legislature, and the public on a responsible long-term funding plan. Infrastructure improvements are key to our economic growth and putting New Jerseyans back to work.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
The state must continue to encourage and facilitate shared services to help local governments and schools stay under the property tax caps and reduce the burden on taxpayers. In addition, we must continue to prioritize what governmental programs we can continue to afford and which we cannot. Finally, we must look to rebalance the sacrifices we are asking residents to make. So far seniors and working families have bore the burden of rising property taxes due to cuts in rebates, while millionaires received an income tax break. In these difficult times, we must restore the rebates and local aid.
WINNER: Daniel R. Benson - Incumbent:
Unlike Washington DC, while we have heated disagreements on policy, when we agree we continue to get the job done. Open space and farmland preservation, small business tax cuts, restoring the senior tax freeze, and investing in infrastructure are some of the areas that there have been bi-partisan support. Even though there has been disagreement on how we get there, at the end of the day we were able to find some agreement. I believe the best we can do is continue to advocate on behalf of our constituents and look for common ground and common sense solutions that we can all agree are needed.
Full Name:
Daniel R. Benson
Party:
Democrat
Incumbent:
2011
Phone:
609-631-0198
Birthday:
11/22/1975
Education:
BS, Georgetown University, Physics and Government; MPP, Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Science and Technology Policy
Public Service:
Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, 2008-2011; Hamilton Township Council, 2002-2005
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
Job creation is a critical priority to get our economy growing. We need to lower property taxes by restoring adequate school funding that affects tax bills and funding relief programs such as the Senior Freeze program. We need to invest in the renewable energy industry that will spur economic growth
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
I believe that we need to support our state's public school system and should not be harmed by the diversion of taxpayer dollars to charter or private schools. I believe that the there needs to be greater transparency and oversight of charter school. The public needs to be given a voice in the approval process of these schools in their community since it impacts their tax dollars.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
I have written a bill, A-4249, that would provide additional funding to those schools who meet meet DOE efficiency guidelines and educate their students at the highest proficiency standards. We need to support school districts who stretch their dollars and produce results. I believe that the school funding formula needs to be fully funded.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
Sprawl does not stop at a town's borders; We need to look at sprawl from a regional perspective. We should not take away preservation dollars from towns but rather add the additional layer of regional consideration to ensure that dollars are not allocated primarily to one town over another.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
I believe that conservation and renewable energy need to be permanent components of our state's energy plans. The energy master plan needs to be reworked to ensure that job creation is tied to the advancement of renewable energy in our state. We need to embrace emerging industries as a mechanism to drive job creation. There also needs to be greater planning for when one of the state's nuclear power plants comes offline in the next few years.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
I do not support raising tolls or the gas tax particularly following the recent Port Authority toll increases. Working families can not afford the impact on their budgets simply to get to work or family. We need to look at our transportation funding mechanisms to ensure that we can pay for priority projects as they happening without pushing off debt and interest for years. We also need to maximize federal dollars for programs that can create needed construction jobs.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
I support fully funding the Senior Freeze program to help out most vulnerable citizens as well as rebates for those families who need them the most. Regionalization and shared services are helpful engines to drive down local taxes. We need to look at those local services that can be streamlined regionally without jeopardizing the quality of services for taxpayers.
WINNER: Wayne P. DeAngelo - Incumbent:
We need to encourage greater public participation in the legislative and electoral process to hold representatives accountable. I am proud to have been elected under the Fair and Clean Elections program in a competitive district in 2007. This program was an example of how we can encourage direct public interaction in choosing their legislators. I encourage openness and transparency in all levels of government so that voters can decide who best works for them.
Full Name:
Wayne P. DeAngelo
Party:
Democratic
Incumbent:
2008
Phone:
609-631-7501
Birthday:
11/05/1965
Education:
Rupert John Trade School, Electrical
Public Service:
Hamilton Township Planning Board, 2006-2007, Council 2002-2005, Zoning Board 2000-2001
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Sheree McGowan:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Full Name:
Sheree McGowan
Party:
Republican
Incumbent:
No
Phone:
(609) 200-1404
Education:
B.S. degrees in accounting and finance from Rider University, M.B.A. from Rider University
Steven Welzer:
* Revamp the income tax structure: the super-affluent and the multinational corporations should pay their fair share (enabling the working and middle classes to pay less).
* Environmental protection / renewable energy.
* Shift economic and social resources back toward local communities.
Steven Welzer:
We must maintain the quality of education of our public schools first and foremost. I support adequate compensation for the teaching profession. Governor Christie is wrong to target teachers as scapegoats for his fiscal crisis.
Steven Welzer:
Equality of educational opportunity is a priority of my campaign platform.
Steven Welzer:
Preservation, the integrity of the environment, and the prevention of sprawl is in the interest of all of us. It should be a high priority in regard to allocation of social resources at all levels of government.
Steven Welzer:
Gov. Christie's plan is inadequate because his priorities are problematic. The quality of life in our state would be enhanced if we gave more priority to social and environmental issues. Christie tends to defer to the influence and "needs" of the power elites when what we really need is someone who will stand up to them.
Steven Welzer:
Carbon taxes would help to both reduce greenhouse gas generation and to fund expansion of our mass-transit infrastructure. The Green Party recognizes that the building of more and more roads for private automobile transportation is a folly which, over time, consumes more and more of our resources without solving the problem of traffic congestion.
Steven Welzer:
Property taxpayers are strained because the income tax structure results in revenue shortfalls. The super-affluent and the corporations sponsor laws that hurt the average citizen. For example, Warren Buffett recently said that he was taxed at 17.7 per cent on the $46 million he made last year, while his secretary (who earned $60,000) was taxed at 30 percent. This kind of disparity is as prevalent in New Jersey as in any other state.
Steven Welzer:
Having only two significant political choices (Democrat or Republican) year after year results in a bipolar contention that's more like a nasty sport than a reasoned political discussion. Most other democracies enable the participation of "more voices and more choices" in the process (i.e., more than two significant parties). Our electoral system needs to be opened up so that alternative parties like the Green Party can get funding, press, participation in debates, etc.
Full Name:
Steven Welzer
Party:
Green Party
Incumbent:
No
Phone:
609-443-6782
Birthday:
1950
Education:
M.A. in Economics from Rutgers 1983
Public Service:
Green Party of the United States National Committee
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Wayne Wittman:
The candidate has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions.
Full Name:
Wayne Wittman
Party:
Republican
Incumbent:
No
Phone:
609-651-0748
Education:
BS, Cook College Rutgers University; AD, Mercer County Community College, Applied Science
Public Service:
Mayor of Cranbury; Cranbury Township Committee
e.thePeople
