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Herald & Lantern 12 October '83

Muziani: Elect Republicans — Chinnici: ‘We Want Our Share’

(From Page 1J

standing for re-election on Nov. 8. ' We’re.working under a handicap." Muziani said of the local delegation.-because statehouse Democrats “pass any piece of

legislation they want."

THAT "HANDICAP" can not be overcome by replacing the GOP incumbents

This year, he stressed, was the first time the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee did not cut the proposed tourism budget ($3.5 bullion). Kean, Muziani continued, has increased the budget

more than any other governor.

"NEW YORK IS SPENDING $14 ^ million, Pennsylvania is spending $12

with Democrats, he reiterted, because "A^v^million, Tennessee is spending $7

Republican governor is not going to be receptive to a Democratic legislator. "So his particular philosophy is all wet,"

Muziani said of Salmon

If Republicans controlled the statehouse, he continued, auto insurance reform bills would not have been six months in the making. What Kean signed into law last week was a compromise with the {legislature's Democratic majority. "It isn't what I want; it isn’t what the governor wanted.” the candidate

complained.

Although Salmon has come out against any proposals to locate hazardous waste disposal sites in South Jersey, Muziani noted that it was Senate Democrats who proposed (in S-3185) that North Jersey counties be excluded as sites from such facilities — leaving South Jersey counties as the only possible alternatives. MUZIANI WAS ANGRY about Salmon’s insinuation last week that neither Ideal assemblyman could claim any credit for getting^jfcrk on the incomplete Route 55 moving again. Completion of the so-called "Road to Nowhere" is viewed by many as a means of opening up economically depressed Cumberland County to industrial growth and Cape May County to

more tourists

"Nothing was done about 55," during the eight-year administration of Democratic Gov Brenden Byrne. Muziani argued, adding *that the Kean Administration has made construction of the roadway a

priority

The assemblyman said he was in-

strumental in seeing that accomplished

but. unlike Salmon, who predicted itsjrom

pletion by 1989. Muziani doesn’t "want to

wait until the end of the decade." Presently, plans call for continuing

Route55 only as far east as Port Elizabeth, (’umlierland County, in several stages with financing from ’various suggested sources. Muziani explained While he has

proposed to extend the roadway farther

to the Garden State Parkway between the Avalon and Sea Isle City exits — and to build the extension as a toll road ."there are no plans to* do this, whatsoever," he said, "because there is no money to do

. this "

THE ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESSWAY Authority, though, has more money than it knows whatto do with, the candidate added He wants to see the authority floa* bonds- to finance the eastern extension of Route 55 through Cape May County “and charge a loll" to help underwrite the cost "But we have to keep working on it." he conceded Muziani was downright sarcastic dbout a Salmon press release last week, calling for the establishment of. a cabinet-level position for tourism

rfhlhon . but we have to beg, borrow or steal to get $3.5 million," he griped. "The passenger train system — it’s got to come back: It’s needed,” the Republican said of his latest .idea to stimulate local tourism through transportation. "It's got to come back to Cape May County. "They (opponents) claim we don’t have the ridership — (that) the financial feasibility isn't there." he added, "but you can't evaluate the ridership until the system is in place." The Cape May-Lewes Ferry, he con tinued, is "doing twice the business the projections showed." If a rail link is built from Philadelphia to Atlantic City, Muziani said he will push to see it extended southward through Cape May County. Asked where he envisions a rail lines through the county, Muziani replied: "The routes you leave to the professionals; I can’t get involved in that

area.

"BUT, MY POINT IS. I’ve been supporting these things (for tourism) even before I entered the Assembly," he said. While serving .as Wildwood mayor, Muziani was elected to his first Assembly term in 1981; he filled Hurley’s seat; Hurley was. in turn, elected to replace Sen.

James Cafiero

Recently, Muziani introduced three bills One would impose a mandatory fine on minors who misrepresent themselves as adults in bars. The second would allocate $3 million for state technical assistance and funding to local economic development agencies, in counties with high unemployment rates, to help.attract businesses The third, dubbed his Lifeline Bill, calls for $9 million in casino revenue to underwrite as much as $200 in individual telephone bill credits annually for the 300.000 senior citizens who meet economic

qualifications.

Because Cape tourists would "come home really dry" from Atlantic City gambling excursions if 24-hour gambling were permitted, the assemblyman opposes proposals to allow it. He also opposes a proposal to close bars by 2 a.m., be said, because the change would spell "economic disaster” for tavern owners. RUNNING FOR HIS SECOND Assembly term. Muziani is recovering from the defeat he suffered this year in his bid to become the elected mayor of Wildwood. Resort voters decided to. replace the commission form of government with a mayor-council system; Muziani had been repeatedly selected mayor by his. two fellow commissions under the

commission form.

Campaigning on the Wildwood First ticket with three council candidates, he saw his running mates elected while voters turned fiim out in favor of Earl Ostrander.

"I'm very happy that, after all these^ rr,.. -> ( ‘ ars Mr Salmon has come around toe- former director of Convention HalLA com agree with me,’ he scoffed ' I’ve been out bination of factors lead to his defeat, as

Muziani sees it: the indictment of several

there, fighting for years, promoting the establishment of a cabinet-level position "He comes out with this like a bright idea, but I've been fighting for it for 12 years and can docun\ent it," Muziani added "Where was he five years ago?" WHEN FIRST ELECTED mayor of Wildwood in 1972, the former mayor continued. the Wildwood resorts were spending more to promote tourism each year

than the state

One of his first effoits to help the local tourism industry was launched in 1968, when he served as president of the Wildwood Chamber of Commerce He proposed then to privately finance off-ramps from the Garden State Parkway to Wildwood access roads with $55,000 in donations. The state eventually agreed to do the work, he said, and took two years to corpplete it for $125,000 rhis year, he has introduced bills to complete Route 55; fought cuts in Kean's tourism budget; tried to interest Atlantic City casinos in helping to finance construction of a tunnel-bridge across the Delaware Bay. and talked executives from one casino into rescheduling bus excursions from the Cape next year so local restaurants can profit from serving the gamblers dinner Those and other efforts highlight his pro-tourism record. Muziani

added

"It’s number one in the state." he said of the tourism industry "they couldn't do without it."

Wildwood police on brutality and coverup charges last fall; campaign work against him by several police officers, including indicted ex-Chief Harry Breslin; and adverse voter reaction to a city water rate

increase.

Because of the defeat. Democratic Assembly candidate Jeanne Gorman considers Muziani as the most vulnerable of the two Republican incumbents she and Salmon hope to replace. Like Salmon, Muziani won the endorsement of the New Jersey Education Association. The state teachers took favorably Muziani’s vote to approve an Assembly bill (A-585), which would have allowed union teachers the right to bargain for concessions previously considered managerial prerogatives. The Assembly and Senate voted down the measure. CHINNICI LOST THE ENDORSEMENT. he said, because he was absent for the vote. Gorman attributed nonendorsement to the fact that she is a school board member Muziani has also received endorsements and contributions from The American Tobacco Institute ("and I don’t smoke"); the New Jersey car. food and builders' associations' New Jobs, a political action committee affiliated with the state Business and Industry Council; and the state Certified Public Accountants' Association. * Page 20 Please >

(From Page 1) pointing to bayfront erosion. "The problem exists every time there’s a severe storm.” Although some dockowners and county freeholders criticized the project as wasteful, Chinnici said the county was "fortunate" to get Hereford Inlet, between Stone Harbor and North Wildwood, dredged by the state for $800,000. He, U.S. Rep. William J. Hughes and other localbfficials backed the dredging. Chinnici was presented with the Surf and Wave Achievement Award for pushing the project and other shore protection measures. THE BAYFRONT. HOWEVER, has a low funding priority for shore protection projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state which share responsibility for them. "It’s terrible," said Chinnici, who. regards the Corps as "tough people to reach. They seem to have their minds made up." He said he has been trying to have bayside jetties built for years. Ten yehrs ago. the necessary jetties would have cost $25 million; now he estimates their cost at more than twice that amount. "I guess it’s a matter of priorities.” Chinnici reflected. "The wheel that squeeks a lot gets the grease. "But we've been fighting that for as long as I’ve been in the Assembly,” added the six-term veteran. He continued his fight for bayfront protection last month after the Assembly authorized the addition of a $50-million shore protection bond Issue on the ballot. If approved by voters, it would fund beach protection. Chinrnci also co-sponsored a follow-up bill (A , -4001) which calls for another $2 million toward bayfront protection: Half of that money, though, is needed for just one Fairfield Township bulkhead, according to the township engineer. IF ELECTED TO A SEVENTH term, the incumbent plans to concentrate "strictly on seashore, agricultural and industry" legislation, but said he has no particular bills or priorities in mind. Some legislators, he noted, introduce 250 bills a year and see two of them enacted into law. During his tenure, Chinnici has sponsored quite a few measures as well, but griped that many of them were stolen by his Democratic colleagues and reintroduced as their bills A bill he introduced last month (A-3893) ' would appropriate another $24,000 toward research of the MSX disease that devastated the local oyster industry* several years ago. "Presently, the federal government allocates $10,000 for MSX research and the state...appropriates $16,000 This total, is not sufficient...," Chinnici mantained. "I am very pleased to introduce this needed legislation ..so that our oyster production may continue to rise to the levels that it was 26 years ago.” HE HAS SPONSORED BILLS tc raise the inheritance tax limit from $15,000 to $30,000; reinstitute the death penalty, and ban hunting opponents from scaring away the hunters' would-be game. His 10-year-old death penalty proposal was merged with three other measures this year and enacted into law, Chinnici explained. “If we know that sucker killed somebody in cold blood, damn it, he’s got to pay," he insisted. “Somebody’s going to get hurt if we don’t control that kind of action," he said, alluding to prohibitions against hunting opponents in his Hunter Harassment Bill. The bill, which would bar wildlife lovers from scaring animals out of gunsights, has been locked in committee for more than a year, Chinnici conceded. A "sportsman myself," the assemblyman opposes a proposed ban on steel-jawed leghold traps. "They have no idea what would happen to the muskrat population without the leghold trap,” he said of proponents of the ban that has already been implemented in several counties, states and nations which regard the traps as inhumane. . The traps are neither inhumane or mutilating, countered Chinnici, who noted that many local residents supplement their incomes by trapping muskrats that breed four or five litters each year. "If you don't control the population,’ he argued, “you're going to have starvation and you’re going to have diseases. " CHINNICI SAID HE IS currently battl ing efforts to enact legislation which would require five-cent deposits on bottles. Sponsors of those bills see them as ways of enticing consumers to recycle the glass products and curb litter, ’but... look what it

does to the glass industry," said the legislator. Noting that 20,000 people are employed, directly w indirectly, iq the glass businesses of economically depressed Cumberland County, he said supporters of the deposit bills "...should try to ..get a litter bill...that deals with pa per and plastic. “WeYe going to defeat that bill,” Chinnici predicted. Because of its eventual cost to school districts, the candidate also opposes Gov. ■Hiomas Kean’s proposed plans to attract and retain quality teachers by paying them minimum salaries of $18,500 a year and eliminating requirements for teaching certification. According to Chinnici, the state intends to pay the difference between the teachers’ current salaries and Kean’s goal during the first year at least, but afterward local districts would be obliged to pick up the tab. TO HELP First District farmers, who suffered $4.8 million in crop losses because of the summer drought, Chinnici "wants to see us develop a central selling point” for produce. Since Hunts Foods and the Ritter processing plants left Bridgeton, "the tomato industry...has one little outlet," he noted. Chinnici said he also wants "to enaCfa law to limit the (campaign) expenditures of legislators" to around $10,000. His running mate, state Sen. James R. Hurley, and Hurley’s opponent in the 1981 Senate race, now Democratic Assembly candidate Edward H. Salmon, together spent around $150,000 in their bids for an $18,000-a-year, part-time legislative job, Chinnici added "Jim and Ed both spent...to much money," Chinnici continued. "It just doesn’t make sense. "I don't know what Jim’s concept is but I'm against it," he said of Hurley’s view that legislative seats should be changed to full-time positions and then outside employment could be banned. If such a change were made, Chinnici added, he "would have to turn it (the Assembly seat) down." That change, he observed, "would preclude a lot of men nd women from getting involved in politics." "I THINK IT’S GOING to depend on our opposition,” the candidate said of financing his bid for re-election. Despite his proposed spending limit, he added: “every year I spend $10,000 or $12,000 or $14,000 on my campaign. “I rarely go out and solicit funds; people just give us money," he added. "I guess I plan to spend $14,000 in my campaign, which doesn’t include what the party will spend. “We don't even solicit them" Chinnici continued, referring to contributions from political action committees (PACS). He said he expects PAC money from state Realtors, automotive dealers and the Food Council "...w’ith no strings attached. They just hope you're going to see it their way when the bills come out.” The New Jersey Education Association endorsed two candidates for the Assembly from the First District — Chinnici's running mate. Assembly incumbent Guy F. Muziani, and Salmon. Salmon's Democratic running mate, Jeanne Gorman, said she wasn't endorsed by the teachers because she’s a member of the Ocean City board of education. Chinnici said he didn’t get the endorsement because he was absent from the Assembly during its negative vote on an NJEA-supported bill (A-585) that would have allowed union teachers the right to bargain for concessions previously regarded as managerial perogatives. BORN IN ROSENHAYN, Cumberland County, and raised in Vineland, Chinnici is the son of an clothing manufacturer who emigrated to the U.S. from Palermo, Sicily, and established a local, family business in 1901. The assemblyman is president of that firm, Mayor Coat Co., which employs 240 workers in Bridgeton as a prime U.S. Defense Department contractor for military dress uniforms. The company just completed a $9-million contract to supply the Army with 150,000 uniforms and has secured a $5 million contract for 95.000 Navy pea coats. Chinnici is a director of the Farmers’ and Merchants' National Bank, Bridgeton, a trustee of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Vacation Fund and a member of the Defense Supply Association. He was a Bridgeton city councilman for eight years, council president in 1963, city clerk for four years, a Cumberland County freeholder for two years and director of the freeholder board in 1971. He was first elected to the Assembly that year and has been re-elected since then. (Page 20 Please)