RED BANK — District 12 Republican candidates unveiled a three-pointproposal to cut state spending and reduce property taxes, during threecampaign appearances in the district in Monmouth and part of Mercercounties Monday.

Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, who is running forstate Senate, and Assembly candidates Little Silver Council PresidentDeclan O'Scanlon and municipal attorney Caroline Casagrande outlinedtheir plan. They rapped incumbent Democrats, state Senator EllenKarcher and Assemblyman Michael Panter, for failing to curb statespending. Democrat Amy Mallet also is running for Assembly.

"We've knocked on 6,000 doors, and we hear from people daily howthey are ready to leave (the state)," Beck said. "Karcher and Panterhaven't made one dime's worth of difference on tax and spending issues."

Beforethe start of their Red Bank event at Riverside Gardens Park, MarionQuinn of Red Bank stopped to talk to the GOP trio about property taxes.

"What's happening is young people are leaving the community, and we need the young people," Quinn said.

Casagrande said she shares that concern and wondered how many people will be forced to leave the state without tax reforms.

TheGOP plans consists of capping state spending to a half percent abovethe rate of inflation, plowing the difference between that and staterevenues — assuming a growth rate of 5 percent — into tax relief andcutting spending.

The GOP trio wants funding reforms for thestate's 31 poorer school districts, for which state-funded educationreform and assistance must be provided under the 1990 Abbott vs Burkecourt decision. Their proposal provides a spending level of $14,000 perchild, as opposed to the current high of $21,000 per child in Camden.Beck noted the state average school spending is $10,000 per pupil.

The difference would be distributed to non-Abbott school districts in aid for property tax reduction.

Savingswould be returned to taxpayers through a credit on their property taxbill, O'Scanlon said, which would save about $10 million inadministration costs for the current rebate program.

"Our taxplan caps state spending, going forward, unlike the hypocrites inTrenton, who tout caps placed on municipal governments of 3 to 4percent and sign on to 10 percent increases in statespending,"O'Scanlon said.

Beck rapped Karcher and Panter forgoing along with Democratic leaders by refusing to consider $2.5billion in GOP proposed spending cuts. Her cuts would includeeliminating state jobs of 2,000 political appointees, cuts to NewJersey Network, axing 10 percent from administration of Abbott schooldistricts and reducing the fleet of state vehicles.

Karcher and Panter said they've lobbied for some of those things.

"Muchof their plan mirrors things Karcher and I have talked about, such aseliminating state pension abuses and reducing spending," Panter said."Their other statements are better suited to bumper stickers. I agreewith spending cuts, but that needs to be backed with specificrecommendations that hold up to closer inspection."

While eliminating 2,000 state jobs sounds great in theory, Panter said the GOP candidates should name specific positions.

Pantersaid he voted against the 2005 state budget to oppose $2 billion inone-shot borrowing against tobacco lawsuit settlements.

"We'veopposed every tax increase — the sales tax increase, the tire tax andrealty transfer tax," Panter said of his and Karcher's record. "Ellenand I created the concept of eliminating pension abuse and pilingtogether multiple public pensions."

Karcher said her bills, whicheliminate pension fraud abuses and return that money to the government,are other ways to decrease property taxes.

"My opponent, as alobbyist, has lobbied for $2.7 billion in state spending," Karchersaid. "To talk about cutting spending when she was on the other side asa paid lobbyist and had no problem asking for more state spending, Ifind it disingenuous."

Karcher said that the state has had a 5 percent cap on spending since 1990 and last year eliminated 1,300 state jobs to meet it.