Herald A lantern 7 October ftl

31

Republican Jim Hurley

The Senate Race'

(From Page 2) -Thinly, I suppose a large problem would l*e hazardous waste. It shows up in all the polls, by ‘the*way. in our district even. Because of the Swainton problem [where there was an- illegal chemical dump] and th£ problem of the Vineland' Chemical Co. here in Cumberland County, it's very much on the minds of people. And the identification of hazardous waste dumps and the bond iss^ie on the ballot this fall, indicates that -we’ce getting serious about the cleanup and control of hazardous, toxic wastes. —I guess ranking right in there, with hazardous waste, and maybe even above that would be this issue of orer-reguldtion and centralization of power in Trenton — the Iqss of norne rule, the loss of local con- , trol.... ' . v •How would you rate the effectiveness of retiring Republican incumbent State Senator^ James Cafiero of Wildwood as a representfftive of his First Legislative con-

stituency?

■ HURLEY: Every legislator, I’ve found in my 14 years experience, has brought his own areas of expertise and his own areas of interest to bear on the legislative function. Jimmy Cafiero is no exception to that. He had particular interests. They involved the coast. They involved the profession in which he functions, the Idw profession. And he did some excellent work there: In the field of inheritance, in the field of real estate, in the field of the coastline — concern about the coastline and concern about the tourism area of Cape May County; what was going to hap-

pen to it.

He was a caring and sharing legislator. He may not have been one who drafted the greatest and most far-reaching legislation but. in my judgment, he’ll be remembered because — and this is a very significant thing — he is absolutely honest, his credibility was never questioned, he was recognized by his colleagues and rose to the position of Minority Leader and functioned in a workmanlike and effect man-

ner there.

He doesn’t have any bills named after him, Cafiero bills, Jrtit he also has a very busy law practice,)and he may not have spent as much time on his legislative duties outside his office and outside his county as some other people do. •To our knowledge there has never been a definitive determination on whether the death penalty is a deterrent to heinous crime. What is your understanding; and. the deterrent question aside, are there other reasons the death penalty should be restored in New Jersey? HURLEY: I can’t think of another reason it should be. There may not be definitive ones, but experience is a great teacher to me. I was a proponent in my early days in Trenton of . prison reform c measures, rehabilative measures; all kinds of things that were tried — maybe not effectively, but at least they were tried. In my opinion, most of them faifed. As I’ve observed this process, the people who are willing to kill or to do violent harm to people - if they are willing to do that, and if they do not pay with their own life, then they are very often, in tny opinion, reckless and careleSs and cavalier in their attitude. ■ I think some other states nave shown us. for example in the mandatory sentence area, when they have in front of the cash register a sign, in some states, that says: If you rob this store and use a weapon and you are caught and convicted, you will go to jail for five years, or nine years, or ten — that has proven to be a deterrent. People know the consequence. And I think dealing with the kind of people who kill or rob or steal or whatever, you have to be that blunt. You have to be blunt enough to say: You could pay with your life. I believe it’s a deterrent; only from experience. •Among (He many questions on the November ballot is a proposal to amend the State Constitution concerning riparian rights. A Yes vote would place a one-year time limit on the state's claim to any lands which have been flowed by tidal warers during the past 40 years. Currently there are no such time restrictions. Advocates say the change is necessary to remove uncertainty about title from lands along the coast and rivers; opponents say it would diminish the Cohstitutional provision which earmarks assets from the safe of riparian lands to support free public schools in New Jersey and undermine the current double-A bond rating guaranteed local school bonds. What is your position on the riparian rights amendment question? •

HURLEY: I'm a co-sponsor with Assemblyman [William] Gormley of that question. As a matter of fact, it would have been my question if he hadn’t beaten me to the punch because he Jives in Absecon Island and he was hit with the question a little bit before I was. There’s no question in my mind that we’re not going to lose any money, because it's land that the state never knew it had. And so as time goes by and they discover older maps that say the state has a riparian claim on this, who knows? Nobody can calculate that, so therefore We didn't lose anything. They never had it. It’s not something we’re 'taking away from them. / Thirdly, I think we definitely have to put' an extent, ap end, to the state’s'claim somewhere.' When we had the public hearing ' in Trenton, the deputy attorney general for the DEP • [Dept, of Environmental Protection] said: We could go all the way bach to 1664. , Well, we don’t have a 1664 map, number one Bbt number two. there are thousands and thousands of properties — and not just on the coast; that’s a very common mistake that’s made. Along • rivers and streams. In fact, aH of New Jersey may at one time have been flowed by tidal water. Therefore there would never be a free and clear title. And I think it’s only fair to property owners, whoever they may be, that if they have had a deed without restriction; or if that property has had a deed without restriction for a specific period of time — maybe 40 years is not the answer. I happen to think it’s satisfactory. (Although I got a letter from a lawyer the other day who makes an excellent, excellent argument for going back to 1950 because that’s when the state took possession of federal title lands. He has a reason for saying that, and I think -it’s a pretty good one But I definitely believe there ought to be an end a definite drawing the line of the state’s claim. Now one other thing: That is not a Con stitutional mandate. It is not in the Com stitution, about riparian lands. It is an extension that has come to us from lpe~ English common law, and it has been adopted in this state by tradition or whatever you want to call it. But nowhere in the Constitution can I find a reference to riparian lands. In fact this amendment to the Constitution doesn’t amend the riparian land section. It adds a section to the Constitution. That’s what it means by ' amending it. And all of this I’ve learned because of the raising of this question. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind; nobody’s trying to refute the right of the state, the claim of the state, to its possession of riparian land — lands covered by the tide. It goes all the way back to Roman times, and certainly comes thru the Crown, and comes to us from the East and West Jersey and the proprietorship of this state. But I don’t believe that anybody ever intended that you could continue to find back to Year One another map. and say the state has claim to this and since your property is on it, therefore since it’s now worth $5 million — you pay the claim on $5 million. See, that’s a very big point in this whole argument: It is on today's market value; not the market value in 1950 when you bought it and you got a clear title

to it.

The whole business of possession of private property and your constitutional V right to own that property free from restriction is a little bit in question here

too.

I guess that’s $ long answer. But I’m in

favor of it (chuckle!.

) M's Leader of the Minority Party in the lower statehouse. what have you done to strengthen home rule from state takeover, as illustrated by the proposed dune and shorefront legislation that would have the, state usurping authority now' in the hands

of municipalities?

HURLEY: Well, I believe I was a strong force and the Minority was a strong force in getting the Administration to withdraw that bill — at least take it back to committee realizing it would never come out of committee Granted, we had some help from the Majority in this one because we ’ couldn't have done it on our own. But we had 36 Republicans united against it. We also had 36 Republicans united and voting against the Pinelands Legislation. Uhfortunately. there were 41 Democrats who thought that they should have that But we have had. particularly in the last two^years when there were 36, a dramatic effect on legislation. And it is in the area of home ruje that, I think, we have had Jhe

(Page 32 Please)

Democrat Ed Salmon

(From Page2) .y ou sourt j like a conservative; your that own property and there could be peo- parfv (abp | fjl Democrat Generally speak pie that have been paying taxes years artd j n# , haVp vou / ounc i yourself more comfor years, and have bought their property fab/r within (br policies of Republican outright; then if a map from years ago was' president Reagan, or Democrat Governor

found, and foun^l that that was under (he B Vrru >?

riparian rights claim - the state could SALMON: I dop’t find mysplf comfor comp in and make that individual pay to tab | e with either And I say that them a fair market fee for the use of that straightforward. I find myself comfortable land And I think that’s wrong, arid cer- wilh gill Hughes’ philosophy

tainly against our basic freedoms of

homeownership.

•The glass industry is big in Cumberland County Tourism is the thing on-t^e Jersey Cape. Politically. Cumberland is a s\ying county, while Cape May is a Republicbn stronghold. Would representing both counties in Trenton present any problem for

you?

SALMON: None at all. In fact, I’m looking forward to the challenges of represen-’ ting both counties. I’m probably unique as a candidate for the First Legislative District as a senator the fact that I am a homeowner rind year-roufyi taxpayer in Cape May County live in Ocean City five months a year with my family. I'm also a homeowner and year-rodnd taxpayer in Cumberland County. I know the problems of both (counties) I feel one of the things that we need more than anything else in our District is strong, aggressive and- effective leadership. Because of rriy experiences as a mayor* and as a freeholder, because of the fact 1 that I am aware of the problems because I live in both counties — I feel I can effectively represent both counties and will try. In fact, when I talked to the mayor of Ocean City, he wanted me to commit to living six months in each county after election so I would be fair to both counties. And I will be fair to both counties. And I'have an interest in both counties, and I want to make sure that our citizens here in Cape May and Cumberland receive their ffair share in Trenton •You've been the mayor of an industrial city and an educator, and arc a member of both the National and New JerscvJEduca tfon Associations. How do you/eel about the President's plan to abolish tfhr Dept, of Education; and. if you were Auiyor of Philadelphia, how woutd^you harbfle the teacliers' strike? SALMON: First of all, I do not Believe in duplication of services. And I think one of the things we must make sure we eliminate is any kind of duplication of ser-

vices:

I am concerned, not as much as abolishing the Office of Education in Washington as I am of loss of educational .funds that we may need to operate a proper school system That’s one Two, I am opposed to strikes for public employees I think you have a public trpst as a teacher, and I just am personally opposed to strikes. I think I’m a professional, and I believe in binding arbitration. And I would like to sec us have some kind of legislation which would commit both public employees and the employers to binding arbitration so that both sides wouldn't be hurt in strikes, because let’s face it, in a strike both sides arc hurt. •Let's see if we understand *your response to the first part of the question concerning President Reagan's plan to abolish the Dept, of Education Are you saying that . SALMON: I'm saying if there's duphea lion of* services by what's being done in Washington and at the state level, that cer tain programs should be abolished. Now, I don’t know if that’s a fact or not . But one of the things I am also saying is that I am concerned about the loss Of educational funding that we receive from Washington But I really don't have enough information to sav whether the Dept of Education in Washington should be abolished because I really do not know about that. But I do know that oneof the things we must look at carefully in government is duplication of services. •O'feay. does that mean if there wasn’t a significant loss of fede/al . funding, it wouldn't matter to you. whether or not there was a Dept, of Education’’ . fflILMON: That's right To me. the most important thing is making sure we have proper funding that's going to the children of the school systems, is what I’m saying •Does this mean ttyit you think there' really isn 't a need for d federal levehDept of Education, that it shquld be something left in the states SALMON: Yes. I would prefer it left to. the states, personally I don't really know if there was a need for the Dept of Education No one’s convinced me that there was ft need

T have a record of being in opposition to Gov Brendan Byriie I fought him in the primary when he i;an for re-electibn. and I came out openly for his opponent, Joseph Hoffman. I worked very hard for Mr Hoffman and was hopeful he would be our next governor ' . It seems to’nfb that no matter who’s been there Brendan Byrne, a Democrat, or a Republican as governor - that we've been • shortchanged imSolith Jersey. And 1 think it's time to look at a South Jerseyan for governor in Jim Florin because I know he knows our area; he's been here hundreds of times, and he’s Committed to me that wt-:il work logotb"* to get a fair share foh our area President Reagan? I fe^l there's many areas in Washington where cuts cin be made, and I support some of tin; cuts the President has made But I get very con ccrjpl about cuts that deal wi^h our senior citizens and Social Security I cringed when I saw the headlines in the newspaper that said: Reagan Axes Social Security Pensions Because many of our senior citizens are on a very fixed income, they have a hard enough time just staying even with the cost of living And I was also concerned about the thousands of college students who had their Student Loan Assistance Programs cut out And also many of our veterans who had Veterans programs and Velerans pensions eliminated. I think it’s qnportant when you're mak ing cuts - and cuts should properly be made - that it is done on a priority basis, and it's not done in an area that affects those who need it the most •You piqued oureuriosily when you sttid the "Hughes' philosophy " Can you define

tHbt?

SALMON: One of the things < Congressman) Bill Hughes is known for is that he tries to represent everyone, whether' they’re Republican or a Democrat dr independent And that's what I have tried to do in my, service in public life as a mayor and a freeholder I may run under a party label, but I really do not care if you're o Republican, Democrat or independent j You are a constituent that needs service and you are a Constituent that needs to be represented When you come to some of the major issues that have come out of Trenton, where we’ve had to fight Byrne for exariiple, in'the Pinelands area, the-Dune Shore Protection Act that's come down, loss of dredgingl.funds and things of this nature — I have stood with Bill Hughes in standing up for bur area •Do you have tfnything you would like to •say to the vojerji of Cape May County in particular 1 . . SALMON: Yes. I have quite a bit . I think thd't there's a main difference between my opponent and myself, and that difference is in the word effectiveness. I feel my opponent has an ineffective record for the last 14 yean* For exafnple. mo§t of the real work of the legislature ^ dime in the regular com mittee assignments He (James Hurley] has not been on A regular committee for six years He is - one of two Assembly , representatives on the N.J Historical Commission, which meets five times a year A member since 1978. he's never at tended a meeting He has Sponsored a lot of legislation hut has been ineffective in getting legislation passed He introduced 48 resolutions, and only 5 passed. He introduced 380 bills and only 39 passed over the last 14 years He has a low level of ef fectiveness and this cjmnot be contributed (0.just a Democratic obstruction because the first six years he was in. the Republicans controlled the Assembly and the last eight years the Democrats - and he got as many bills signed Into law no matter 'what party controlled the legislature My opponent has 6 record of fai|mg to vote or to take a position In the cbrrenl session, he has fajjed to vote on 144 roll calls And he] fails to represent the District either way on important issues. For exam pic. hfc djd not vote on the Homestead Exemption Bill, which gave tax relief to senior citizens, disabled and homeowners 1 Page 32 Please)