Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Steve Sweeney discussed school funding, education, public safety, immigration, and much more during a sit down with the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce this afternoon.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
“I have a record, so you can see what I stand for … We have too much regulation. Everyone wants to one up. So you put regulation on top of regulation,” Sweeney began during a conversation with HCCC President Emory Edwards.
“We’re not polarizing like in Washington. We do have both parties that want to work to get things done,” Sweeney said about his long tenure in Trenton.
He noted that he has been an advocate for the disabled community, noting that he has a daughter with Down syndrome, and that he did not attend college since he became an iron worker out of high school – which is common in that field.
That experience prompted him to lead the effort to pass a bill fo the vocational training of prisoners.
“They’re gonna make a living somehow. Let’s give people skills. The administration never implemented it,” Sweeney recalled.
He also stated he, along with with former Senator Loretta Weinberg, led efforts to have the Corporate Business Tax (CBT) as a dedicated source of revenue for NJ Transit.
“They didn’t dedicate the funding,” Sweeney recalled (they finally did so this year after the suggested of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop) before mentioning he wants to get Trenton accustomed to multi-year budgeting.
Around this time, Edwards asked Sweeney if he learned any lessons from last week’s election where former President Donald Trump (R) defeated Vice President Kamala Harris (D).
“We’re not listening to the middle class: I’ve been saying this for six, seven years. My ironworkers who were [John F.] Kennedy Democrats … are now Republicans.”
Sweeney noted the 1992 slogan of Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, “it’s the economy, stupid,” resonates today.
“New Jersey is the greatest state. But we’re making it too expensive,” he added.
Sweeney noted that ironworkers who make an average annual salary of $90,000 a year often complain about how expensive it is to live here before the conversation transitioned to education.
“I’m a huge believer in higher education. We’re the greatest exporter of kids in the country,” he said.
“You spend so much money in these kids. And then they wind up going to Virginia. You go somewhere for four or five years, you’re most likely not coming back,” Sweeney asserted.
Edwards noted affordability issues are common in Hudson County before Edwards asked how they could be addressed.
“Texas spends a lot of money on higher ed. They built a workforce for it, and it’s cheaper. Investment in higher education is going to drive the type of industries we want here. The industries will come,” Sweeney argued.
When asked about his plans for North Jersey, Sweeney said he wants to see the Hudson-Bergen Light rail – which still doesn’t actually have any stops in Bergen County – completed.
He noted that traffic and a lack of affordability causes people to leave the Garden State.
Edwards asked how to create an environment where people can live, work, and travel.
“Proper planning solves all that. No one thinks about the infrastructure. We need to have resources. In Trenton, we need more police and need to bolster the school system. Camden is the same way,” Sweeney said, noting that education and safety are key priorities.
“When it’s broken, it takes years,” he argued about fixing things.
Edwards noted the school funding formula Sweeney spearheaded in 2016, commonly referred to as S2, significantly impacted the Jersey City Board of Education’s finances.
“You created a whole bunch of PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes). You gotta leave something for the schools. They didn’t … We were sued in the courts,” he said prior to the bill being passed.
Sweeney noted discrepancies between district spending is widespread and that certain districts would have been wise to do layoffs, as undesirable as they are.
“It’s the only formula our Supreme Court approved. We were in lawsuits for 20 years. We should look at it again,” Sweeney acquiesced, though he said that before S2, municipalities such as Woodbridge were paying far more than Jersey City.
“What’s your philosophy on bipartisanship?” Edwards asked.
“It starts with respect. You’re not my enemy. We might disagree on issues,” Sweeney noted, acknowledging he has been called a “Christiecrat.”
“Sometimes the voters send you a real cruel joke: I voted for Jon Corzine,” he stated, indicating he became senate president at the expense of former Governor Dick Codey in 2010 when Christie became governor.
Sweeney also spoke about public safety and immigration before the session concluded.
“What works in Camden is community policing. The public gets to know the police. They really tried to change the dialogue. We need more cops,” he said.
“Immigration is a problem. This country is a nation of immigrants. This country needs a fair process to gain legal status. Not just throw the borders open,” Sweeney added, making it clear he opposed mass deportations proposed by Trump.
Finally, he was candid about getting upset by Ed Durr in 2021.
Sweeney noted he lost to Edward Durr when running for re-election in 2021. He admitted he thought he was doing better in the polls, and Murphy, while re-elected, lost the district 60-40.
“My district was 53 percent Republican: We didn’t take anything for granted. S*** happens. It’s more important what you do after you lose. I got up, dusted myself off, and I’m moving forward,” Sweeney added.
“I’m still confident I’m the one person who’s running who knows how the state works. I have a record. Christie and I had legendary battles.”
Sweeney’s appearance this afternoon was part of the HCCC’s “Meet the Candidates” series, which fellow Democrats Fulop and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka have also participated in.
Does he really expect to get votes in Jersey City, where his having slashed state funding – evidently to punish the city- left the JC BOE budget decimated.