Poll finds NJ residents want Christie to widen his priorities

A new Quinnipiac University Poll finds New Jersey residents care about affordable housing and public school funding, but are less enthusiastic about Gov. Chris Christie's drug addiction initiative.

Assistant Poll Director Mickey Carroll says it is not that those who responded disagree about the need to fight drug addiction in the state. He says New Jerseyans (about 57 percent of them) agree the drug addiction fight is good and we should make a concentrated effort against it — but they say "look at other stuff as well."

According to Carroll, the poll shows two things:

1) People think that the drug addiction fight is good and he ( the governor), should concentrate on that.
2) But he also should not focus strictly on drugs.

"He should look into other things confronting the state — taxes, you name it."

The poll found better than 7 in 10 agreeing with the state Supreme Court about the need for affordable housing in every Jersey town, and that public education funding is important.

Carroll says 53 percent said gubernatorial candidates should concentrate on Jersey's old nemesis: high taxes.

"People do care about taxes, and the sub-category of property taxes, particularly."

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5

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