ObamaCare protesters strongly voiced disappointment with Chris Christie campaign energy on key issues. The protest rally held at Leonard Lance’s office to push the US House Representative to broaden opposition to the health care legislation, drew interest from a RNC worker assigned to solicit Christie volunteers. Protesters were quick to point out issues that are underplayed by the campaign.

Billy Baer Holds Blank Sign Summing Up 2009 NJ Governor's Race

School Vouchers Not Just Inner City Issue
One protester got feedback from Christie representative that he was promoting school vouchers with inner city efforts. This limited approach was unacceptable as school problems in inner cities impacts all New Jersey residents in the form of taxes.

The Citizens for NJ Assembly candidates have school choice as one of the 10 points on their Common Sense Pledge. Many are running in districts that do not have the destroyed NJ inner city schools yet back school choice ideas like vouchers.

Morristown Tea Party recently ran an educational program on school choice in a part of New Jersey with generally good schools.

Cavuto Reveals Strong Christie Tax Solutions Supporters See Underplayed In Campaign
Linda Gerisi pointed out she was excited about Christie’s tax ideas but would not have know about them if it were not for the Neil Cavuto interview on Fox.

“He was terrific. … He actually said what he was going to do in order to cut property taxes”

Corzine who made his fortune on Wall Street at Goldman Sach’s actually declined to appear on the Neil Cavuto show with Christie. Cavuto asked Christie if he would raise taxes. Christie said flatly no.

“I will not raise taxes on the citizens of this State [New Jersey] which is already the highest tax burden State in America worst than New York, worst than California. … John Corzine is going to raise taxes.”

Cavuto questioned Christie on the over duplication in New Jersey municipality services. Christie pointed to successes in maintaining municipal independence though service sharing.

“We got to get them to share services. We have so many redundancies in municiple goverment across the State and its happening already in New Jersey in certain isolated places. In Brick and Toms River down in Ocean County you have them sharing services and literally saving millions of dollars  for their taxpayers”

Christie goes on to explain how to replicate these successes if he is elected.

“One we are going to give grants out to towns to encourage them to study shared services in their communites and here is the accountability piece .. if you get that study and you can show that you can save money and deliver those services you have two choices. You implement the plan or give me my money [grant] back.”

You can listen to the vocal thrashing of protesters over the weakness in getting these points across.

News 12 New Jersey Strong Bias Towards Corzine
On a related campaign topic, protester John Wycoff, reported his experience viewing News 12 New Jersey.

“The next time they talk to Steele, tell him to get himself back up here … watch News 12 New Jersey for a couple of hours and then file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission ..  they [News 12 New Jersey] are actively compaigning for Corzine.”

[Author's note: Quite honestly I cannot stomach watching any local news channels or their programming, so I will have to take John's word for it. I strongly recommend to delete those channels and you will not miss anything important or enteraining while maintaining a much happier life.]

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Citizen political activists hit the streets in Westfield NJ at Leonard Lance’s office to voice concerns over moderate voting occurring by Republicans. Pointing to the vote on Cap and Trade last June, protesters, also constituents, voiced a strong concern about the potential deals and offers that Republicans like Leonard Lance would get for a vote on government run health care.

Energetic ObamaCare Protester Braves Busy Road at Leonard Lance Westfield Office

Leonard Lance is the US Congressional House of Representative for the Seventh District covering a large portion of Central New Jersey from its Eastern to Western borders.

Lance A No Vote On Health Care
Lance’s Deputy Chief of Staff Amanda Woloshen, assured protesters that the Lance would vote no on current health care legislation. She made the statement both publicly to the group outside his office as well as to individuals that accepted her offer to meet and discuss the issues inside where they were told the legislation is a single payer plot.

Lance Using Cost for No Vote Worries Constituents
Lance has expressed the importance of CBO (Congressional Budget Office) scoring being a key factor in any vote he makes. Woloshen provided a stack of local paper articles covering Lance’s statements on health care legislation spanning July to September where Lance opposes the health care legislation flatly on cost. However it is clear in these papers he has an interest in health care reforms via the Congress and thus the Federal Government. The most recent statement is dated 9/15/2009. Much has changed in Washington on health care that constituents are following closely.

Leonard Lance US House of Representative District 7 Westfield NJ Office

Washington Hidden Gamesmanship
Protesters voiced serious concern that Lance may be swayed based on unpredictable cost estimates to allow another failed Democrat Party program like Medicare to be foisted on the American people and particularly on the producers. They pointed out their keen awareness of the gamesmanship occurring in Congress to split up the bills to hide the deficit increasing cost. They cited the many taxes and subterfuge fees and gimmicks to show revenue increases all disguised as tax increases and cuts they often blame as Republican motives. Linda Gerisi outlined the tax increases and cost cuts.

“But its only because they are tax increasing in order to raise the money and then they are cutting … Medicare. This is their rationale for getting it to be revenue neutral.”

Linda points to a recent example of the subterfuge.

“Plus what a lot of people don’t realize is that they took $300 billion dollars in cuts from the doctors out of Medicare … which was going to cost to bill more and all they did was sliced it out of the bill and put it into another bill.”

Protester Billy Baer clearly wants Lance to oppose ObamaCare on more than just cost issues.

“The idea that Lance’s vote is primarily based on the cost of it we think is going to create a real problem. Because if that is all its based on and not a philosophical opposition to the health care bill and the politics of the government taking  essentially what is going to amount to the government at some point taking over health care … he can be rolled very easy on this and he might even … use anything as cover to go along voting yes on this and that is our concern and that is why we are here today because we do not feel he is a solid vote on it.”

“If it is only based on cost, that could change. They’ll come out with a report, they’ll juggle the numbers, they’ll come in with some projections, they’ll … increase taxes on something and say it will not cost anything which is absolutely ridiculous. He needs to be standing up… against this bill on grounds other than the cost of it and that’s our concern.”

Republicans as Moderates Failing
A general theme was the lack of distinction the Republican party is making from the Democratic Party. Protesters made clear statements that there are no distinctions when Republicans act like moderates. Sarah Palin was mentioned as a key element in Senator John McCain receiving an uplift in polls during the 2008 presidential election. Based on declining Republican counts in both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, this message may need careful attention by the RNC (Republican National Committee) for 2010 elections.

Probably this one theme has Republican constituents paying attention outside of elections rather than sitting home. They have lost trust in their party to protect them and their country from an onslaught by liberal controls. They are finding their own party capitulating to liberal programs under the assumption they will appeal to more voters when the reality is such voters are less inclined to vote for them for moderate views.