For Immediate Release                                                 Contact: Raiyan Syed

June 27, 2007                                                                    (609) 601-1151

 

Whelan, Kuehner, & Spellman vow to fight against the sale or lease of roadways to private or foreign entities

 

Say Democrats stopped Bush sale of New Jersey's ports to foreign corporations, Democrats will best protect roadways against privatization

(Atlantic City, NJ) – Assemblyman Jim Whelan, the Second District Democratic state Senate candidate, and his Assembly running mates, Joe Kuehner and Blondell Spellman today vowed to fight against any plan to lease or sell the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway, or New Jersey Turnpike to any private corporation or foreign government. They also urged local residents to join with them in declaring their opposition to any plan by signing a petition that outright opposes the sale or lease of toll roads.

"New Jersey is not for sale and our toll-roads are not for sale," declared Whelan who recently led efforts to bring back over $2 million in transportation funding for his district.

"These roadways play a central role in the livelihood of New Jerseyan's from all walks of life, and they play a vital role in bringing commerce, tourism and business to our region. Allowing private or foreign owners to take over will mean higher tolls and rising costs for small businesses and local residents. But as long as we have a say in the matter this will never happen."

"Our focus is to protect the hard working taxpayers and tollpayers of the 2nd district and make sure that Atlantic County remains an affordable place to live, work and raise a family," said Spellman. "Frankly speaking, we can't depend on private or foreign entities to maintain our roads, keep tolls affordable and ensure the safety of our motorists. We need to maintain and protect our own infrastructure."

Pointing to previous Republican administrations failed schemes to privatize government entities, Kuehner said Democrats are best equipped to protect New Jersey's toll roads. Kuehner used the Bush administrations failed attempt to sell New Jersey's ports to a foreign government, the Whitman administration's initial attempts to privatize services at the former Division of Motor Vehicles and inspection stations, and other boondoggles that cost taxpayers millions of dollars as prime examples of Republican failures.

"Let's remember that Democrats in New Jersey led the efforts to stop President Bush from selling our ports to a foreign government last year and its Democrats like us who will once again take the lead in the efforts to protect our roadways from becoming privatized. We just can't trust Republicans to protect our valuable assets.   They've already proven to be a liability," said Kuehner.

"Instead of surrendering control of our valuable state assets, Trenton should cut government spending, and do more with less just like our families do each and every day. This state's hardworking, over-taxed citizens are being forced to work multiple jobs and make sacrifices to make ends meet, and Trenton has an obligation to do the same," they concluded.

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