Corzine Only Democrat Christie Will Ever Beat, Buono Declares

New Jersey state senator and gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono returned to her hometown of Nutley Tuesday to answer questions on the economy, education and her campaign. 

Along the way, she offered some critical comments on her opponent, Gov. Chris Christie.

Buono’s campaign held the “kitchen table conversation” meeting at the home of Assemblyman Ralph Caputo.

Energized by returning to her hometown, Buono hit back at Christie for describing her economic plan as a “return to the Corzine years.” 

“He’s trying to dredge up memories of an unpopular Democratic governor because that’s the only Democrat he’s ever going to beat,” Buono said.

Buono said she “butted heads with Corzine” several times during his administration.

She said the state is currently suffering from what she described as Christie’s “failed trickle down economic policy” and said the governor is “as out of touch as Mitt Romney.” 

“We’re the bottom of the barrel for job creation,” Buono said. There are 400,000 unemployed people in New Jersey. More than that are underemployed.”

The economic record, she said, spoils one of Christie’s favorite sayings.

 “This isn’t a comeback,” she said. “This is a catastrophe.”

Buono called for investment in education and training for high tech and research-oriented careers to attract high-skilled manufacturing jobs to the state. She said Christie’s administration had given $2.1 million in tax incentives to corporations, money that could have been better directed to small businesses that are more likely to employ New Jersey workers. 

Buono said as governor she would work to create an attractive climate for high tech, research-oriented companies. Noting the local example of Roche, which left Nutley for Europe, Buono said New Jersey could create an attractive climate for those research and tech companies by partnering with schools and offering other incentives to businesses.

The senator accused Christie of favoring the rich and harmed the working poor.

“The governor protected millionaires from tax increases an vetoed raising the minimum wage,” Buono said.

She said as governor she’d work to direct private investment for public projects, saying that public projects would be easy to identify.

“Our infrastructure is crumbling,” Buono said.” Our bridges are unsafe.”

“We don’t need to have a tragedy occur before we work on it," she added.

Local Democrat officials, including Nutley Commissioner Thomas Evans, Belleville Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke and County Freeholder Brendan Gil braved the heat for the meeting, held outside on Caputo’s deck.

When asked about The Star-Ledger report that her campaign was having difficulty raising money, Buono said she was sure her supporters believed in her.

“Isn’t that the kind of person you want as governor of New Jersey?” she asked. “And yet, you don’t hesitate a moment to criticize me for not drawing on the boss money to get the point where I’d get matching funds. I’d like you to reflect on that.”