Adler Defends Fuel Tax Increase, Refuses to Hold DEP Accountable for Wasting Taxpayer Dollars

Adler Defends Fuel Tax Increase, Refuses to Hold DEP Accountable for Wasting Taxpayer Dollars

Myers calls Adler's attempts to change the subject "typical Trenton politics"

          Mount Holly, August 15, 2008-Career Trenton politician John Adler's stunning defense of a $27 million fuel tax increase that has helped contribute to higher gas prices and costlier home heating oil, and his refusal to explain why he hasn't held the NJ DEP accountable for their failure to clean up toxic sites with money generated from the tax, is typical of the dysfunctional, unaccountable state government Adler has presided over in Trenton, charged successful businessman and congressional candidate Chris Myers (NJ-3) today.

          Responding to Myers' criticism of his vote to increase fuel taxes (Myers' 8/14 release attached), Adler's campaign fired off a press release (link below) that stunningly claimed Adler voted for the tax increase-one of his 43 such votes since 2002-in part, because "the rate had not been raised since 1987." [http://www.politickernj.com/adlerforcongress/22305/while-myers-stands-big-business-adler-stands-3rd-district-families]

          "John Adler just doesn't get it," said Myers, who as Medford's Mayor, cut property taxes this year despite massive cuts to state aid and costly unfunded mandates from Trenton.  "Just because a tax hasn't been raised in 15 or 20 years isn't a reason, or an excuse, to raise that tax today.  Frankly, that mindset embodies everything that is wrong with Trenton.  No wonder our State is in such fiscal disarray and living here so unaffordable under the Adler, McGreevey, Corzine regime."

          Myers, pointing again to a federal EPA Report (link below) that showed the NJ DEP has plenty of resources but is falling down on the job when it comes to toxic waste clean-ups, said Adler needs to explain why he felt the need to raise taxes on consumers to provide the NJ DEP with even more revenue when they aren't cleaning up toxic sites with the revenue they already have.  [http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/NEWS01/806190393/1006]

          "If running away from your record in Trenton were an Olympic event, John Adler would easily win the gold medal," said Myers, who added that Adler's baseless allegation that Myers doesn't think polluters should be held accountable for toxic spills is completely false and nothing more than a desperate diversion from the real issue at hand-Adler's penchant for raising taxes and perpetuating waste and unaccountability in Trenton.  "John Adler needs to stop avoiding the issue at hand and explain to New Jersey's already overburdened taxpayers why he's taking more of their hard-earned money and funneling it to Trenton without any accountability as to how it's spent."

-30-