Franks, Schundler in heated debate

GOP primary candidates fought over their credentials, Thursday.

By: Jennifer Potash
   TRENTON — The two Republican candidates seeking the party’s nomination for governor sparred heatedly over a host of issues and campaign tactics.
   Bob Franks a former New Jersey congressman, and Jersey City Mayor Brett Schundler met Thursday in a live television debate.
   The two candidates fought over who had the strongest Republican credentials.
   "We simply cannot allow Jim McGreevey and his liberal allies to take control of the State House, and I am the only Republican who can get that job done," said Mr. Franks in his opening statement.
   Mr. Schundler pointed out he has won three elections as a Republican in predominately Democratic Jersey City. Also, Mr. Schundler said, he has executive experience which Mr. Franks lacks.
   "He has been a vote," Mr. Schundler said.
   Mr. Schundler criticized his opponent as a "career politician," claiming Mr. Franks has "been building on all that (government) influence and trading on it."
   In his rebuttal, Mr. Franks took aim at Mr. Schundler’s honesty.
   "Last year, I ran against somebody who would spend anything to get elected," he said. "This year, I appear to be running against somebody who will say anything to get elected."
   Mr. Schundler, who appeared to be mostly on the defensive during the debate, took issue with the claims by Mr. Franks that television ads Mr. Schundler ran for a scholarship program actually took the money away from the children.
   A state administrative law judge ruled last week the ads were political in nature, but asked he state Election Law Enforcement Commission to determine whether the roughly $800,000 cost of the commercials should count against Mr. Schundler’s spending limit in the primary campaign.
   "Bob has a very significant problem with the truth. His comments have nothing to do with reality," Mr. Schundler said. "The governor of New Jersey needs to tell the truth … which is why I think Bob Franks immediately disqualifies himself."
   On the state’s auto insurance woes — from having the highest rates in the nation to the announcement by State Farm Insurance that it intends to pull out of the state — the candidate offered different proposals.
   The 1998 reforms enacted by the legislature have not been fully implemented, Mr. Franks said.
   Mr. Schundler suggested New Jersey residents should have the option of not carrying pain and suffering insurance, which preserved the right of the individual to sue.
   To fight suburban sprawl, Mr. Schundler said he would seek to repeal the state Supreme Court Mount Laurel decisions, which required municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing.
   The debate, sponsored by New Jersey Network and The New York Times, was recorded in the network’s studio before an audience mostly comprised of campaign partisans.
   Mr. Franks and Mr. Schundler are scheduled to meet twice more before the June 26 primary — on radio station New Jersey 101.5 Wednesday night and in a taped debate Thursday that will be aired the following Sunday on WNBC, Channel 4.
   Mr. Franks, 49, of Berkeley Heights, served in the state Assembly from 1979 until 1992, when he was elected to the first of four terms in Congress. He ran unsuccessfully last year for U.S. Senate. Mr. Franks also served twice as state Republican chairman.
   Mr. Schundler, 42, in 1992 became the first Republican elected mayor in Jersey City in over a century.
   He was reelected in 1993 and 1997 in non-partisan municipal elections, which are held in May. Mr. Schundler did not seek re-election this year and will leave office at the end of the month.