Questions for Chris
Over the course of the next four years, two seats on the Supreme Court will be vacated by retirement, and two justices will be up for re-nomination. What qualifications are most important for filling these seats, or deciding whether or not to reappoint to the bench?
I will replace the two retirees with two new conservative Justices who understand that their job is to interpret the law that the Legislature and Governor establish, NOT to make new law themselves. For the two Justices eligible for re-appointment, I will review their seven year record on the bench very carefully. If they have made new law from the bench, they will NOT be re-appointed. If they have been faithful to the idea that Justices are there not to legislate from the bench but to interpret the law, then they will be considered for re-appointment along with other qualified candidates. We can no longer have a Supreme Court which believes that it is a more powerful branch of government–it is a co-equal branch with the Executive and Legislative branches of our state government. I will appoint Justices who believe in that philosophy.
Are you pro-choice or pro-life?
I believe in the sanctity, dignity and inherent value of all human life. Hearing the heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago had a profound effect on me. I am pro-life because I believe her life and the life of every child is precious. I strongly support protecting children and their mothers from abortion with three exceptions: rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. And to immediately reduce abortions in NJ, as Governor, I will push to enact a parental notification law and a 24 hour waiting period.
Where do you stand on the state’s Council on Affordable Housing, better known as COAH?
COAH is one of the biggest Trenton power grabs we have ever seen. This plan to build, by Trenton mandate and quota, 115,000 units of affordable housing in every town in NJ is bad for our environment, bad for economic growth and bad for our property taxes. The Governor’s plan, which could lead to the building of over 500,000 units of affordable and market rate housing in the next 10 years, will require that housing be built on almost every last piece of open space we have in New Jersey. This is bad for our environment and bad for our quality of life. The 2.5% fee it places on all new development in NJ has halted nearly all that development in its tracks, hurting our already suffering economy. The building of all this housing by Trenton mandate will also drive our property taxes even higher when towns then need to build the new schools, new roads and new sewer systems required to support all of this new housing. When I become Governor, I will gut COAH.
Where do you stand on gay marriage?
I believe that marriage should be exclusively between one man and one woman. I have no issue with same sex couples sharing contractual rights, but I believe that marriage should remain the exclusive domain of one man and one woman.
The issue of medical marijuana has recently come up in the State Legislature. What are your views on the legislation?
While I am very concerned that appropriate means be made available to alleviate the suffering of sick patients, I think this bill is the wrong way to do it. I do not believe that there are sufficient safeguards in this law to prevent the misuse of this drug by people who do not really need it to alleviate serious illness-related pain. As a former prosecutor, I have seen the pain that drug abuse causes, and marijuana is a gateway drug for our children to other drugs like cocaine and heroin. I would only consider a bill which had sufficient safeguards in it to prevent the widespread use of this drug by people who do not really need it.
Do you support the state’s bear hunt?
Yes.
What about the death penalty – for it or against it?
As a former federal prosecutor, I favor the death penalty, especially in cases of the murder of a law enforcement officer.
