10TH DISTRICT CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON ISSUES

Democrats And Third-Party Contenders Challenge Republican Incumbents

Three longtime incumbent Republicans in the 10th Legislative District
are facing challenges by Democrats and third-party candidates.

Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, Assemblyman David W. Wolfe and Assemblyman
James W. Holzapfel, all R-Ocean, have each represented the district
since the early 1990s. And, as is usually the case in GOP-dominated
Ocean County, the incumbents hold a significant fund-raising
advantage over their opponents.

Ciesla, for example, has raised $261,368 thus far, according to the
latest filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. By
contrast, his opponent, Democratic Lavallette Borough Councilwoman
Britta Forsberg-Wenzel, has raised $28,318, a figure which includes a
$19,500 loan from herself to her campaign.

Despite the fiscal disparity, and the fact that the Republican
candidates tout their records on issues like property tax reform and
the environment, their Democratic challengers say the incumbents are
vulnerable largely because of their tenure in the Statehouse.

"Unfortunately, our current representatives are living very much in
the status quo," Forsberg-Wenzel said. "They're not at the top of the
issues, and in fact, most of the people I talk to don't know their
names. That's pretty sad for leaders who have been there for so long."

Forsberg-Wenzel, along with her Democratic running mates in the
Assembly race, Point Pleasant Councilman John Kaklamanis and attorney
Sal Martino, argue that although Ciesla, Wolfe and Holzapfel say they
support good environmental policy and alleviating property taxes, the
health of local waterways has continued to deteriorate and New Jersey
property taxes continue to rise.

However, the Republican incumbents are running on many of the same
issues as the Democrats. With regard to the environment, they point
to their opposition of relicensing the Oyster Creek nuclear power
plant, support for increasing developmental buffers around the
Metedeconk River and the installation of vessel pumping stations
around Barnegat Bay.

They also agree with their opponents that property taxes must be
addressed and say that part of problem in doing this is that
Republican proposals are often stymied in the Democratically
controlled state government. One such issue is the idea of an
equalized funding formula for public schools.

"That is the key. We've been waiting for a year-and-a-half now for a
formula from the governor and from the (state) Department of
Education, and that hasn't come," Wolfe said.

Ciesla said the current formula gives disproportionately to urban
districts. This leaves suburban taxpayers paying a larger bill than
they should, the senator argued.

"The school aid formula that exists in the state of New Jersey is
seriously flawed to the point where it punishes suburban districts
and unfairly enriches urban districts," Ciesla said.

Holzapfel said the property tax burden has become so great for some
New Jersey homeowners that they are leaving the state.

"Eventually, people are just throwing up their hands and saying, "You
know what? I love New Jersey, but this is something I can't handle
anymore,' " he said.

Holzapfel added that a key issue for him in the coming term would be
fighting "asset monetization," Gov. Corzine's proposal to help cover
transportation costs and other needs by selling or leasing toll
roads. Critics say tolls could increase as a result.

Holzapfel said this would make New Jersey even less affordable,
particularly for residents of the 10th District. He said Ocean County
includes the longest stretch of the Garden State Parkway in the state.

"If (monetization) happens, it's going to have a tremendous impact on
the people of the 10th District," Holzapfel said. "We have to get
that message out."

Kaklamanis said his focus in the Assembly would be reducing taxes
through cutting expenditures. In his first term on the Point Pleasant
Borough Council, Kaklamanis said, he and other council members were
able to shrink the size of last year's tax increase by meeting with
each department head and going over budget requests in detail.

He said the state budget should also be closely scrutinized each year.

"You have to work with the unions and the public employees to try to
downsize spending, not to spend what you don't have," Kaklamanis said.

Kaklamanis' running mate, Sal Martino, said he would crack down on
public corruption, an issue that most of the candidates for 10th
District seats said needed to be addressed.

"Clearly, there's a perception in New Jersey now that people in
government office -- it's business as usual if someone in office is
caught doing something wrong," Martino said.

The 10th District Assembly race also features two Green Party
candidates -- Liz Arnone of Brick and Matthew Q. Dimon of Toms River.
Both said they were running out of frustration with how entrenched
the two major parties have become, and said a third party would help
combat problems such as corruption.

Arnone, for instance, said the Green Party forbids accepting
corporate donations, which would make politicians less beholden to
powerful interests.

"I'm very disappointed, and very frustrated, and very disgusted with
the two-party system," Arnone said. "They no longer represent the
interests of the people. They represent the interests of corporations."

Also running for state Senate is Libertarian candidate Jim Miller,
55, of Toms River. Miller is running primarily on a platform of
improving health care and legalizing medical marijuana.

Miller's late wife, Cheryl, suffered from multiple sclerosis, one of
many disorders Miller said the drug can be used to treat.