NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—NBToday sat down with State Senator Barbara Buono, a candidate for Governor in the November 5 election, to discuss her views on important local, county, and state issues.
In the August 2 interview, Buono said that a former chairman of the Middlesex County Democratic Party who helped marshall support for her past campaigns had obviously broken the law and should be punished.
Asked about former county chairman and ex-sheriff Joe Spicuzzo, who had recently plead guilty to selling jobs in the sheriff’s office, Buono said, “I will tell you that if somebody breaks the law, as he obviously did, that they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Buono also elaborated on her vote on a controversial bill that limited the ability of citizens in New Brunswick to change their form of government. Â In the full version of the interview, we asked why she voted to limit citizens ability to put ballot questions.
Buono said she thinks that “Ten years is far too much,” she said despite voting for the bill, which is currently preventing New Brunswick voters from proposing a ward-based system of elections. Â This month, when we asked her spokesman if Buono would pledge to overturn the bill, we got no response.
New Brunswick Today invited both of the major-party candidates to a video interview at a location of their choosing. Governor Christie declined the invitation, but Senator Buono accepted.
Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.
