Steve Lonegan Talks Economics With Montclair Republicans

Roland Straten, a Montclair Republican who has run for Congress, said about 45 people turned out Tuesday night at Tapastry to hear conservative Steve Lonegan speak.

"Steve’s presentation was excellent. He started by reviewing the history of New Jersey, how New Jersey led the country and the world in both manufacturing and agriculture, (for you old timers, you will remember that the Garden State was a deserved nickname and not a joke)," Straten said.

According to Straten, Lonegan reviewed how New Jersey moved from economic powerhouse to the cellar of economic viability.

"Starting in the 1960s we moved a no sales ta, no income tax, reasonable property tax state to one of the highest taxed states in the union," Straten said. "Like the first imposition of a 3 percent sales tax, each additional tax was justified using the mantra of keeping seniors in their homes, educating our children, and lowing property taxes.

"Unfortunately, we have never learned that both Democratic and Republican legislators and governors used this deception to enact higher taxes," he added.

Straten said Lonegan also about how the constitution provides for a free education for children between 5 and 18 and that the state must have voter approval to borrow money.

Lonegan reported that "both clauses have been ignored, i.e. overturned, when the court mandated pre-kindergarten in the Abbott districts and allowed the state to borrow money without voter approval," Straten said. 

"Lonegan's message that free markets and personal choice creates economic prosperity was compelling," Straten said. "His message that so many people are dependant upon the government and want bigger government was frightening." 

He closed by saying that "we all needed to work together to convince people that to achieve economic prosperity we must turn around this trend of ever-bigger government, higher taxes, and less personal freedom," Straten said.