Contacts: David von Savage – 609-884-1577

Senator Nick Asselta – 609-884-7377

Michael Donohue – 609-780-6525

R. Norris Clark – 609-425-1325

Asselta – Clark – Donohue Protest Proposed Cuts to Tourism Funding

New Jersey – 1^st Legislative District:

1st District Senator Nick Asselta and Assembly candidates R. Norris Clark and Michael Donohue call on the Mayors of 1^st District municipalities to join them in protesting proposed cuts to state funding to promote the region’s tourist industry.

Asselta, Clark and Donohue have sent letters to Mayors of each of the district’s municipalities urging them to adopt a Resolution against reducing tourism funding.

“I have been fighting for years to ensure that our district’s most important industry is properly funded,” Senator Asselta says. “This funding comes from occupancy taxes that small business owners collect. It must come back to support our region’s largest revenue producer and job creator.”

“Tourism generates $37 billion in annual revenue and supports over 500,000 jobs,” says Assembly candidate Clark. “If we don’t support this industry, we risk crippling our region’s economy and hurting thousands of small businesses and families.”

“This is just one more example of how Trenton just doesn’t get it. The tourist trade is the lifeblood of our district,” Assembly candidate Donohue says. “Cutting support for destination marketing threatens the entire economy of our area. We must stop this reckless attack on our most important industry.”

The Republican ticket plans a series of public protests against any reduction in support of the tourist industry.

SAMPLE OF LETTER TO MAYORS:

April 13, 2007

Dear Mayor:

As you know, our communities in the First District rely on a vibrant tourist trade in order to provide jobs and sustain a positive quality of life for our citizens.

The proposed budget for the State of New Jersey for fiscal year 2008 drastically reduces the amount of funding for destination marketing. This funding comes, in large part, from the occupancy tax which is generated and sustained by our tourist industry. That industry generates $37 billion in revenue per year and supports over 500,000 jobs.

We are committed to fighting for every dollar for promotion of our tourism industry. We are adamantly opposed to this reduction and funding which threatens the viability of our districts most important revenue and job creating market.

In order to send a clear message to the leadership in Trenton that we will not sit quietly while South Jersey is once again ignored, we urge you to have your governing body immediately adopt the attached Resolution and forward copies to Governor Corzine and Assembly Budget Chairman Louis Greenwald.

Together we can make our voices heard and insist that our most vital industry receive the funding it deserves so that we can continue to provide revenue to our small business owners and jobs for our citizens.

Thank you for your help in this fight.

Sincerely Yours,

Senator Nick Asselta, (R) 1^st District

R. Norris Clark, 1^st District Republican Assembly Candidate

Michael Donohue, 1^st District Republican Assembly Candidate

DRAFT TOURISM RESOLUTION 2007

Whereas, Tourism is the second largest industry in the State generating over $37 billion in revenue per year and supports over 500,000 jobs, and

Whereas, the Tourism industry’s larger contribution to the quality of life for NJ’s citizens is felt everyday by both individual and corporate residents, and

Whereas, Tourism is a driving force in generating revenue to the State budget through, fees and taxes paid, in a large part, by non residents, and

Whereas, those fees and taxes inure to the benefit of every citizen in the State, and

Whereas, competition from other out of state destinations and attractions are ever increasing, and

Whereas, there is indisputable evidence of the relationship between revenue spent in promoting tourism through advertising and marketing and the success of a tourism destination, and

Whereas, NJ ranks in the bottom of money dedicated to marketing the State’s Tourism industry as compared to other states and even some local destinations, and

Whereas, the Tourism industry, through the establishment of an occupancy tax on each room night spent in the State’s lodging properties, is currently self funding not only the advertising and promotion activities of the State’s Tourism Office but also the arts and history grants programs, and

Whereas the State has seen fit to dedicate that revenue to tourism advertising in promotion in the establishment of the occupancy tax, and

Whereas, last year’s budget drastically reduced that amount, therefore

Be it resolved that _____________________________________________ supports the restoration of the original amount dedicated to Tourism advertising and promotion as evidenced in the FY 2005 State Budget of $12.25 million, and further

Be it resolved that the increase over the proposed FY 2008 amount of $2 million dollar’s be dedicated to funding regional Destination Marketing Organizations as established through industry standard practices for operation.

Given this day by

__________________________________

R. Norris Clark

Clark for Assembly

norris@clarkforassembly