The Sotomayor family, spearheaded by 11-year-old daughter Amaris, recently collected and donated over 10,000 bottle caps for Soroptimist International. The family presented the bottle caps to the organization at a recent Vineland Service Clubs Council meeting as part of an environmental project. After the bottle caps are collected, Soroptimist brings them to a beauty supply company which, in turn, recycles the bottle caps and makes plastic bottles out of them. From left: Vineland Service Clubs Council president, Chris Volker; Chrissy Pompper of Soroptimist International; Angel Sotomayor; Amaris Sotomayor; Carmen Sotomayor; sisters SashaLynne Sotomayor and JasseLynne Sotomayor; Carmen Cosmi; and Diane Kolman, Soroptimist International.

By Dan Podehl

VINELAND —– Gov. Chris Christie’s town hall meetings are known to yield a verbal confrontation or two.

That wasn’t the case Thursday afternoon at the New Jersey National Guard Armory.

Approximately 400 individuals greeted the straight talking governor with a standing ovation as he entered the room, which reached fire safety capacity code in just 25 minutes, as more than 400 tardy folks had to be turned away according to a Christie official.

Even Christie was taken back a bit by the greeting.

“I have to say I appreciate the enthusiasm,” said Christie, who also mentioned that his staffers notified him that a line started assembling outside more than an hour prior to the 12:30 p.m. entrance time.

After the praise, Christie, who was backed by a slogan that read “The Jersey Comeback Has Begun,” got down to business. And part of the agenda was Christie touting that after two years of shared sacrifice by Garden State residents, he plans to cut state income tax by 10 percent, which will be phased in over three years.

“It’s time to give some money back,” he said, which was met with applause.

He also touched on the sacrifices being made by teachers, firefighters and police officers, who now contribute significantly more toward their health and pension benefits, which in turn the governor said, has made the pension fund more solvent.

He also said that his 2 percent property tax cap is working, as last year, on average, property taxes around the state rose 2.4 percent, compared to the 70 percent property tax rose during the last decade.

“How have we been able to do this...spend less. That’s it,” said Christie to another round of applause.

He also said when he took office the state’s unemployment rate stood at 10.1 percent, where as this year it stands at 9 percent.

Once Christie was finished with his speech, he opened up the town hall meeting to questions from those in the audience. In all, Christie fielded just six questions, as the governor’s long explanations, coupled with the lengthy queries from audience members, limited the number that could be asked.

The first question dealt with the closing of Catholic schools around the state, of which, Christie said, more than 100 have shut their doors from 2001 to 2009.

Close to home, the Diocese of Camden recently announced that St. Mary Magdalen Regional School in Millville, which was represented by more than 100 students in attendance, Sacred Heart High School in Vineland, and Notre Dame Regional school with campuses in Newfield and Landisville will shut their doors at the end of the school year.

“I support the schools,” said Christie, a public school product, who mentioned his four children attend Catholic schools at the behest of his wife.

He said he’s a supporter of the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which would allow children in failing schools to attend a private or parochial school.

“I’m not anti-public schools,” said Christie, who added this issue has united Republicans and divided Democrats. “The public schools would still receive funding. I want to give people other options in failing schools.”

Next, Christie addressed his desire to give non-violent drug offenders a second chance at life, by avoiding placing them behind bars.

Instead, the governor would like to see non-violent offenders put in a rehabilitation center which would, in Christie's estimate, cost half of the $49,000 it does to house an inmate annually.

Vineland resident Melissa Niles was the next to grab the microphone and pleaded with Christie not to overlook Cumberland County when it comes to funding for addiction grant treatment.

Niles, a clinical supervisor at Cumberland County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services First Step Clinic in Bridgeton, shared with the crowd that she was example of how important the funding is because she’s been “clean and sober” for a decade after battling a drug and alcohol addiction.

Carol Gullo, who works in the real estate business in Millville, questioned the governor how she could be part of the solution in order to turn Cumberland County and the South Jersey region around.

“Get involved,” the governor replied. “Get involved in politics. Attend your local council meetings and go to your county freeholder meetings. Because, your ideas are just as good, if not better, than the ideas we have. Politics make a difference. Make your voices heard on the issues.”

The fifth question of the afternoon concerned the potential closing of the Vineland Development Center which employs 1,800 people.

Christie said he sees the issue as a moral one, where he believes too many individuals are institutionalized in the Garden State.

“We institutionalize more people than any other state other than Texas,” Christie said. “It’s morally wrong to do that.”

The governor said the potential closing of seven centers around the state is now in the hands of a special commission. He also said that money could be made available for community grants to help families with members who are forced out of the VDC.

The final question dealt with a proposal to erect a fourth nuclear reactor at the PSEG Nuclear Power Plant in Hancocks Bridge, Salem County. Officials from PSEG have said the review process would take about three years.

Christie said he’s “in favor” of building more nuclear power plants and that it’s a “no brainer,” but that it’s been a long time since the country has built one. He also shared, what he deemed a little known fact, that 53 percent of the Garden State’s power supply comes from nuclear power.

Christie wrapped up his visit by sharing a story about his mother, and characterizing the folks of New Jersey.

“Yeah, we’re tough, hard edge people, and some of us have a chip on our shoulder, and that’s because we’re stuck between New York City and Philadelphia,” he said. “But, we’re determined.”