New Jersey residents deserve to have their tax dollars spent on transportation and infrastructure projects right here in the Garden State instead of being wasted in Washington.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
My view is that we should not be taxing at the Federal level for the things that New Jersey can do for itself.
How we fund transportation in this country is broken. You all pay a gasoline tax, right? Well, cars go farther, we get electric cars, and so on. And then we do more with the money than just build roads. We do bike lanes and mass transit.
We live in a nation where, when New Jersey figures out how to do something and does it well, and shows progress, it affects other states.
My appropriations requests have always sought to benefit New Jersey. That is how I base my submissions to the committee for consideration.
This corridor is important to national security and important to the whole Northeast. So it's not just our own New Jersey transportation needs: it's the whole rail corridor here we're talking about.
New Jersey shaped who and what I am. Growing up in Jersey gave you all the advantages of New York, but you were in its shadow. Anyone who's come from here will tell you that same story.
So, the point I'm making is, we are not going to cut spending in Washington if we think it's the job of every congressman and senator is to pave local parking lots and build local sewer plants. These parochial interests are getting in the way of the national interests.
I really think people understand that in New York City we have high taxes.
Every bit of money that we can bring from our federal transportation budget in Washington back here to Stewart Airport will benefit our local economy and our local residents.
My first responsibility is to be selfish for New Jersey.