TOO FAT FOR CORZINE: Assembly Candidate Kim Taylor Speaks Out Against Anti-Fat Bigotry

Trenton, NJ – In response to ongoing bigotry against fat New Jerseyans and reports that State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan asked Corzine supporters in Essex County to imagine "... what it would be like to have a 350 lb. governor" and ordered the Essex troops to deliver Jon Corzine's victory in order to prevent having an overweight governor, 15th district assembly candidate Kim Taylor (R-Lawrence) issued the following statement:

“Corzine’s and Cryan’s focus on Chris Christie’s body weight isn't just a campaign strategy against Christie; it is a clear articulation of their shared disregard for overweight New Jerseyans.

Camp Corzine is saying that overweight/fat citizens have no place in government service. The ongoing and almost obsessive references by Democratic operatives to Christie’s weight have gone too far and must be stopped.

Tens of thousands of people struggle daily with their body weight, and many at great personal price confront eating disorders in an effort to maintain the perfectly underweight body. Yet my Democratic opponents, longtime incumbents Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton), have been silent on Camp Corzine’s and the New Jersey Democratic State Party’s anti-fat campaign.

It's time for New Jerseyans of all parties and all body shapes and sizes to speak out and tell Governor Corzine and the Democratic State Committee that they will not tolerate the verbal abuse of overweight New Jerseyans and the perpetuation of the dangerous myth that body size has anything to do with intelligence, capacity to lead, or a person’s worth.

New Jersey has a strong law against bullying. If Cryan’s remarks were made by a child on the school playground, New Jersey’s antibullying law would require swift and definitive action to stop the bullying, but once again, Camp Corzine and the Democratic leadership are showing that they are above the law.

With the national epidemic of eating disorders and other body image issues that women and girls in particular face across the country and in this state, this anti-fat campaign must stop, and the focus must return to the crisis of inaffordability and real life issues that continue to face New Jerseyans today. If New Jerseyans of all sizes don't stand up against this blatant bigotry and somehow Corzine happens to win, I wouldn’t be surprised if overweight state employees would be first on Corzine's layoff list.”

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July 12, 2009 Statement on Bigotry

Trenton, NJ – 15th District Assembly candidate Kim Taylor (R-Lawrence) today offered the following statement upon learning of reports of third district Assembly candidate Lee Lucas’ having defended his use of “the n word”:

Use of the “N” word and other racially insensitive language reflects a mindset, attitude, and set of values that have no place in public office. Despite the progress that has been realized through the civil rights movements of past decades, bigotry and racism unfortunately still exist today and can be found in all shapes, sizes, and political persuasions of people. While Mr. Lucas claims a first amendment right to free speech, one thing is clear to me: The use of language such as the words attributed to him in politickernj.com Wally Edge’s July 10, 2009 report reflect a total disconnect from the longstanding values of the Republican Party in this state.

As an African American, a woman, a Republican, and a New Jerseyan, I am proud that Republican elected officials continue to play a leadership role in demonstrating that inclusivity, opportunity, and integrity are core Republican values, in fact are core American values. The list is long so consider, for example, the appointments by (then) Governor Christine Todd Whitman of the first African American justice to the New Jersey Supreme Court and the first African American as Secretary of State. New Jersey Republicans continue to work to ensure that the fundamental civil rights of racial and ethnic minorities are safeguarded as they should be.

Standing up to racism and bigotry requires conviction and an unflappable sense of what is morally and ethically correct. I applaud Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce for having called on Lee Lucas to drop out of the Assembly race.