Four Candidates Contend for District 12 State Assembly

Four candidates, two Democrats and two Republicans, are vying for two State Assembly seats representing District 12 in the Nov. 8 election. The towns within District 12 in Monmouth County are Allentown, Englishtown, Manalapan, Matawan, Millstone Township, Roosevelt and Upper Freehold. Also part of the redrawn district are Old Bridge in Middlesex County and portions of Ocean and Burlington Counties. 

Members of the State Assembly are elected to two-year terms and are paid an annual salary of $49,000 for what the state regards as a part-time position.

“The state legislature generally performs duties for the state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level,” Democratic candidate Catherine Tinney Rome said.  “The legislature approves the state's operating and capital budgets, prepares and analyzes legislation, reviews and amends submitted budgets, and helps to solve constituents' grievances with the state government.” Republican candidate Ronald Dancer describes his duty as “being accessible and available to hear concerns and take action by cutting through government's red tape to get things done and improve their quality of life.”

Catherine Tinney Rome

Age: 56
Occupation: Former Wall Street Investment Firm Manager
Place of Residence: Old Bridge, NJ
Party:  Democratic

What do you plan to accomplish if elected?

I will bring back the action verb to the word "represent".  Too many career politicians are entrenched in party/partisan politics and work only to maintain their seats.  They forget why were sent to Trenton and for whom they work; they do not represnt voters' interests, but rather their own--just looking to the next election.  If I am fortunate enough to be entrusted with the people's confidence, I will always work to properly represent them and their interests; I will never forget for whom I work.  There are many issues with which to deal, and I have many ideas, with a particular focus on the following:

• Restore Full Homestead Benefit Credits.

• Reduce the burden on all property tax payers by dramatically increasing state aid in 2012.

• Close loopholes that let wealthy opportunists evade their fair share of property taxes by exploiting Farmland Assessment and Preservation Programs.

These are just beginning steps to provide relief to homeowners.  I will work to permanently change the way schools are funded, shifting the reliance on property tax funding.  One possibility is to use some of the Pharmaceutical Industry's taxes to help educate for jobs in that industry.  I have some other good ideas.  I also want to rebuild New Jersey's crumbling infrastructure.  This will create jobs, make the roads more passable, and make New Jersey more business friendly.  I commuted from New Jersey to Manhattan for many years and witnessed firsthand the dangerous road conditions.  This needs to be addressed now.

Name three issues that are the most important to you and a possible solution for each.

See above.  Lack of real representation.  Property taxes.  Infrastructure.

Why should residents of district 12 vote for you?

I am a first-time candidate who worked my way up from secretary to very successfully run a Wall Street Investment for 22 years.  I will bring a strong work ethic and professional skills to the legislature.   I am independent thinker who always stands up for what I believe.  My volunteer activities speak to my nature and willingness to get involved, stand up, open my mouth, and fight when I see a wrong.  I was on the board of my condominium on Staten Island.  I am active with Vietnam Veterans, homeless shelter, and animal rescue.  While I was still residing on Staten Island, I was a founding member of the Staten Island University Hospital Community Outreach Council.  This board was formed due to my tireless efforts while my mother was in that hospital for 5 months.  I saw many things that could be improved in regard to patient care, and dealing with family members.  I gained access to the CEO and, thus, the Council was formed.  Although, unfortunately, my mother died in that hospital, I am very proud that I made things better for her and for countless other patients and their families.  I served on the Board for 8 years, until moving to Old Bridge 11 years ago.  While my mother was dying, I lobbied, successfully, (after hard fought battles) many layers of Washington bureaucracy to have my mother buried with her son, my brother (who was killed in Vietnam in 1970).  I was told in no uncertain terms that she was ineligible.  I did not accept that answer, although I heard it many times.  In New Jersey, while commuting, I again became involved when the bus company was changing routes and times to the detriment of the commuters.  Once again, my tenacity paid off.  The key to my successes, is that, while I do fight and will not back down, I always offer reasoned arguments, a willingness to listen, and I offer solutions. I will bring this energy and independent thinking to the state legislature.

Bill Spedding

Age: 69

Occupation: Retired
Place of Residence: 26 Oakmont Ln. Jackson, NJ 08527
Party: Democratic

What do you plan to accomplish if elected?
My priorities are to establish full Homestead Benefit Credits to all owners of existing homes.  These credits should be built right into the tax bill just as farmland assessments have their tax break built right into their real-estate tax bill.

• To protect other property owners we need to dramatically increase State aid to municipalities and school districts.

• Reduce property taxes through consolidation of local services by creating aggressive positive and negative incentives.

• Create jobs through  transportation improvements. In addition to a long term enhancement of the Transportation Trust Fund, I favor a major bond issue to fund the upgrading of our infrastructure.  This should be funded by general obligation bonds for a few years followed by a Motor fuel tax increase.  The law increasing the fuel tax must be enacted a few years before the tax increase is effective. This would allow those wishing to purchase vehicles to plan for the increased fuel tax.

Name three issues that are the most important to you and a possible solution for each.

The three issues that are most important to me are the reduction of property taxes, protection of our educational system, and the creation of jobs.    An explanation of my solutions to these issues is contained in the answer to the previous question.

Why should residents of district 12 vote for you?

I am motivated to provide a fair deal to the middle class.  The experience gained by serving in many areas of state and local government provides me with a broad understanding of policies and taxes in New Jersey and this legislative district. I understand that if there are unsatisfactory middle or lower level employees it is because management failed to utilize progressive discipline. We should test merit pay and the elimination of tenure on management before we apply it to the rest of the public sector. My opponents always vote whatever way the Governor directs them.  We need to make prudent decisions to support, oppose, or compromise with the Governor.
 

Ronald Stanley Dancer

Age: 62
Occupation: Retired Trainer / Driver of Race Horses for the Stanley Dancer Stables, Ocean County Adjuster's Office
Place of Residence: New Egypt (Plumsted Township), Ocean County
Party: Republican

What do you plan to accomplish if elected?

• Continue to be a voice and vote against increasing taxes as evidenced by my Assembly voting record against 115 taxes during the McGreevy and Corzine Administrations.

• To reduce property taxes, I am sponsoring and voting for legislation to end the practice of sending more than 50% of all State Education Aid to just 31 inner city schools, while the remaining 574 rural and suburban schools, such as Manalapan and Englishtown, divide up less than 50% of what is left. An excessive and unfair amount of state taxes from Manalapan and Englishtown taxpayers have been going to subsidize the inner City Schools and that practice will end with Governor Christie replacing two more of the Supreme Court Justices this coming March.

• Create jobs and job security by supporting Governor Christie's business friendly policies and Economic Growth Plan.

Name three issues that are the most important to you and a possible solution for each.
 
    1)Reducing Taxes 2) Reducing Regulations 3) Producing jobs
      
First, reducing taxes, I am supporting and sponsoring Legislation to make it more difficult for Government to take additional money from the pockets of our residents by requiring a "two-thirds super majority" vote, rather than a fifty per cent plus one, "simple majority." Reduce Property Taxes with enactment of key bills in Governor's Tool Kit. Support legislation to require "sustainable revenue certifications" for State spending with a "cap."
 
Secondly, reducing regulations, I will continue to support legislation enacting the recommendations of the "Red Tape Review Group."

Thirdly, more JOB opportunities and JOB security must be the priority of public policy makers by providing the business community of this State with the confidence and certainty that excessive taxes and onerous job killing regulations are being reduced for both the short and long term for business retention and attraction.
 
Why should residents of district 12 vote for you?
 
I have a proven track record of voting "NO" 115 times against new and increased taxes in the State Assembly Legislature. Prior to the new District 12,  I earned the confidence and respect of residents and voters in my previous Legislative District 30 with large re-election majorities to represent them at the State level, by first being available, accessible and responsive to the people at the local level (in their hometowns) with results, not rhetoric or unfulfilled promises.

Robert Clifton

Age: 42
Occupation: Director of Government Affairs for Comcast Cable and Director of the Monmouth County
Board of Chosen Freeholds (2005 to Present), Mayor for the Borough of Matawan (1996 to 2005)
Place of Residence: Matawan Borough
Party: Republican

What do you plan to accomplish if elected?

Look to reduce taxes and spending and support efforts to create jobs and rebuild New Jersey’s
economy.

Name three issues that are the most important to you and a possible solution for each.

The three most important issues to me and to the residents of the 12th District are taxes, regulations and jobs. If we can reduce taxes and eliminate unnecessary regulations we can increase jobs and create economic development.

Why should residents of district 12 vote for you?

As a Monmouth County Freeholder Director I have strived to reduce spending. In 2011, we cut $1.9 million in spending. I have worked to reduce the size of government. In my seven years on the Freeholder Board we have reduced the county workforce by almost 500 full time positions. Finally, I will work to fight tax increases. In 2011 Monmouth County had no county tax increase.

If elected, I will take my experience to Trenton to work for every resident of the 12th Legislative District.