Governorship
While in Congress, he would make three attempts to be elected Governor of New Jersey, in 1977, 1981 and 1989. While Florio's first attempt was unsuccessful (due to the fact that he was running against an incumbent in Brendan Byrne), he did manage to win the Democratic nomination in 1981. Florio lost in a controversial election to Tom Kean, Sr.; the election involvement of the Republican National Committee received significant subsequent attention; the RNC allegedly appointed a Ballot Security Task Force, made up of off-duty police officers.
Florio's loss in the 1981 general election was the closest in New Jersey history, and was not decided with certainty until several weeks after Election Day.
He declined to run against Kean in 1985, and in 1989 he finally won both the nomination and the governorship, with 61% of the vote. Florio served a single four-year term as Governor from 1990 to 1994. He supported a substantial tax increase once he gained office, after the perception that he had ruled out tax increases during his campaign.
Within months of his term, Florio signed a 20% reduction of auto insurance premiums. In May 1990, he enacted the stiffest laws in the U.S. on owning or selling semi-automatic firearms. However in 1993, Florio vetoed a bill the Republican-led legislature introduced, to repeal most of the law. The National Rifle Association lobbied hard to override the governor's veto, but the Republicans backed down.
It was also during his term that New Jersey National and Air guard units were deployed for the Persian Gulf War. Florio expanded the New Jersey-Israel Commission, to include tourism during his 1992 trade mission there.
The Florio administration started during the late 1980s recession, and recessions are notorious for overwhelming government budgets. Faced with a projected 1991 deficit of $3 billion, Florio asked for a $2.8 billion tax increase. It was the largest increase of any state in U.S. history. The money generated would balance the budget, increase aid to public schools and increase property tax relief programs. Governor Florio also eliminated 1,500 government jobs and cut perks for state officials.
A grassroots taxpayer revolt sprouted in 1990, spearheaded by a citizens group named "Hands Across New Jersey" founded by John Budzash, a postal worker from Howell Township.
Budzash was a frequent guest on radio and television shows throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania speaking out against the new taxes. Florio was a regular topic on active anti-tax broadcasting from talk radio stations New Jersey 101.5, Curtis Sliwa's AM Radio Talk Show and Bob Grant's AM Radio Talk show, both based in New York City. Sliwa, Grant and John and Ken from New Jersey 101.5, along with Alan Keyes, who in later years was a Presidential Candidate in the Republican primary, were guest speakers at two rallies held by Hands Across New Jersey protesting both George H. W. Bush and Florio's tax increases. Bumper stickers with "Impeach Florio" and "Florio Free in '93" were seen around the state.
The legislature left the tax hikes largely intact, but repealed the property tax break.
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