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Politics & Government

Senator: We Need to Provide More Job Opportunities

District 23 senate candidates debate issues at Bedminster forum.

The Somerset Hills League of Women Voters hosted a legislative debate between District 23 candidates for the New Jersey State Senate Monday—and the candidates showed how much they differ on key issues like taxes.

The event, which took place at the Bedminster Municipal Building, saw area media representatives pose questions to incumbent Republican Sen. Michael Doherty and his two challengers, Democrat John Graf Jr. and Independent candidate Daniel Seyler.

None of the three candidates—all with differing viewpoints on a variety of hot-button issues—shied away from giving their stance on controversial issues that affect the residents of New Jersey.

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When asked about what he plans to do to lower New Jersey’s notoriously high property taxes, Doherty pointed to his belief in equally-distributed state aid to schools throughout the state of New Jersey. This is known as Doherty’s “Fair School Funding” plan, and is supposed to help the residents of New Jersey’s 23rd legislative district—which now includes Somerset County municipalities such as Bridgewater, Bound Brook and Bedminster after the state’s recent post-census re-districting—pay less in taxes.

“I believe that money should be divided equally for each student,” he said. “When we get more school aid for our town, we’re gonna be able to lower the property taxes.”

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Graf, on the other hand, took a more holistic approach to the property tax problem in the state. He noted that even distribution of state aid throughout all of New Jersey’s school districts would take money away from schools in cities such as Newark, Camden and Atlantic City, which are struggling from an economic standpoint.

“As a senator, it’s a tough job when it comes to property taxes, because it’s the No. 1 priority in New Jersey,” he said. “We have this proposal that is sort of a shell game because we’re plugging in our zip codes on his website on his plan.”

Seyler feels that a key to solving the property tax issue would be to reduce the amount the state government spends on budgets.

“It seems to me that the only way we can reduce property tax is to reduce government spending,” said Seyler. “Anyone who comes to me with a budget, I would tell them that budget’s got to be 3 lower, or I’m going to give it back to [them] and knock it down 5 percent.”

The candidates also have differing views on the Occupy Wall Street Movement, which began in New York’s Zuccotti Park by the New York Stock Exchange building and has spurred similar movements nationwide.

“I think it’s a silly idea,” said Seyler. “Something does need to be done. What we need to do is back candidates who will introduce legislation that will change things from the top, instead of demonstrating from the streets.”

Graf, however, said he believes the grassroots movement has had an impact.

“If there’s one thing that comes out of it, it’s that it’s creating some havoc in some places,” he said. “But we’re going back to the 1960’s mentality where you have to do a protest like this to get points across so political leaders will stand up and say, ‘I better listen.’”

“People are listening,” he added. “Politicians need to start listening.”

Doherty said many Americans are angry enough to protest because of the lack of job opportunities available, including those in the manufacturing industry.

“I’m a little concerned about the lack of opportunity for some Americans, I think it’s a real issue," he said. "We need to provide more opportunity for American workers. We are the arsenal of democracy that was able to win World War II because of our great industrial might, and we’re losing that.”

Doherty, who pointed out that New Jersey ranks last in the country as a place to do business, has worked with Gov. Chris Christie to attract businesses—and more jobs—to the Garden State.

“We have formed a Business Action Center to keep businesses here and to attract new businesses,” Doherty said. “We are all involved in minimizing the amount of red tape.”

In addition to providing tax breaks to small businesses, certain industries, according to Graf, need to be targeted for job creation. This is especially the case in Somerset County, which already boasts a lot of jobs in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We are the mecca of the pharmaceutical industry,” he said. “Jobs need to be created in those areas.”

In the end, whoever wins the Senate race on Nov. 8 will have his hands full. Re-districting has put 35 municipalities within the confines of District 23, which will make it challenging for the winner to keep tabs on all of the included residents.

Seyler said he has made a point to get to all of the towns in the district throughout the course of his campaign. Generally speaking, all three men proclaimed that they were up to the challenge of serving such a large number of constituents.

“Trying to meet the needs of all those residents will be very difficult,” said Graf. “I’m ready to serve. I’m ready to go from Phillipsburg to South Bound Brook.”

“There’s some great towns in Somerset,” Doherty added. “I think the folks in Somerset County are some hard-working folks, just like folks in Warren and Hunterdon Counties that I’ve represented for the past 10 years.”

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